Maserati auto news

Official: Maserati upgrades GranTurismo racer for 2012 Trofeo MC World Series

Spec racing series are emerging as an indispensable way for exotic automakers to show what their vehicles can do without the constraints of road regulations, and for their top customers to race wheel-to-wheel on some of the most famous racing circuits in the world behind the wheel of top machinery. Ferrari has the Challenge series, Lamborghini the Blancpain Super Trofeo, Porsche operates several iterations of the Carrera Cup around the world, and Maserati has the Trofeo World Series.

Now entering its third year, the Trofeo is campaigned by a field of specially prepared versions of the GranTurismo coupe, which has been upgraded with several improvements for the season ahead. Maserati Corse has both optimized the aerodynamic setup and trimmed the car's weight, resulting in an average lap time that proved two and a half seconds faster around the Vallelunga circuit outside Rome over last year's car during winter testing.

Whereas previous series have been held almost exclusively in Europe or in the Middle East, this year's Trofeo World Series adds rounds at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, and the Shanghai International Circuit that hosts the Chinese Grand Prix after the returning races at Jarama, Spain (next weekend), Portimao, Portugal (in early June), Imola, Italy (late June), and Paul Ricard, France (in July).

Maserati Corse provides the full motorsport experience to gentlemen racers for €110,000 ($140K) for the full season or €70,000 ($90K) for just the European races, including use of the car. Teams owning and fielding their own cars pay €35,000 ($45K) or €25,000 ($32K), respectively. Scroll down for the full press release and check out the latest machinery in the high-res image gallery above.

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Rumormill: Maserati preparing assault on Porsche 911 with new mid-engined GranSport

If you've gotten used to Maserati being centered around two model lines - GranTurismo and Quattroporte - based on the same platform, get ready to broaden your horizons as the Modenese automaker does the same. Maserati has a vast array of new products in the pipeline, including a pair of new sedans and a new SUV set to be built in Detroit, plus production of the 4C sportscar for sister-company Alfa Romeo. And now reports are emerging that its long-rumored plans to take on the Porsche 911 with a new sportscar are coming to fruition.

According to the reports from Italy fueled by comments attributed to Maserati CEO Harald J. Wester, the model could revive the GranSport - a name last used on the ultimate iteration of the 4200 GT coupe that preceded the current GranTurismo. Only this time, it would be a mid-engined V8 supercar similar in approach to the Audi R8.

If that sounds suspiciously close to the Ferrari 458 Italia, the rumors suggest that it would undercut its big brother's price at under $200k. After all, the sister brands didn't seem to have any trouble bringing the Maserati GranCabrio and Ferrari California into the same arena, or to turning the Enzo into the MC12 - pictured above - the last mid-engined supercar the Trident marque produced. Which gives us hope that this particular product of the rumormill could amount to something. And when we're talking about mid-engined supercars from Italy, that could be a very good thing indeed.

Report: Maserati retiring Kubang concept ahead of production debut at 2014 Detroit show

Say goodbye to the Maserati Kubang, and say hello to...well, we don't know what it'll be called yet, but we'll be seeing it come January 2014.

According to Automotive News Europe, Maserati will unveil the production version of its SUV - complete with a new name - at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, a little over a year and a half from now. In the meantime, however, the Kubang concept (pictured above) that previews its form will be put into retirement.

This after the concept has made the rounds on the international circuit including the Frankfurt Motor Show (where it was first unveiled back in September), in Dubai (where it was shown to a large portion of its target market), at the Detroit Auto Show (near where it will be built alongside the Jeep Grand Cherokee on which it is based, with engines shipped in from Italy) and at the Beijing Motor Show, where it is currently on display for what is reportedly the last time.

Report: Maserati gearing up to produce Alfa 4C, new sedan in Italy

Production of the upcoming Maserati Kubang may be set for the Jefferson North plant where Chrysler builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee on which the high-riding Maserati will be based, but that doesn't mean that the Trident marque is giving up on production in its home country of Italy anytime soon.

According to statements made by union officials, Maserati is gearing up to produce a new four-door sedan at a facility on the outskirts of Turin - although whether that is the larger replacement for the Quattroporte or its upcoming baby brother remains unclear - but that's not all. Maserati, according to reports, has also been tasked with building the 4C sportscar for sister-brand Alfa Romeo, much like it had with the higher-end 8C Competizione that came before.

Between the two new sedans, the SUV, the ongoing production of the GranTurismo line and the Alfa 4C, Maserati sure seems to have its hands full - with a little game of musical factories - for a brand currently represented by two model lines.

An $8 million "Maserati" that goes 46 mph

This week, the racing yacht VOR70 Maserati finished its run from Miami to New York City. Intended as a record attempt, skipper Giovanni Soldini elected not to have the final time of the transit ratified because he didn't feel it was reflective of the real speed Maserati is capable of. (The boat had to deal with several weather systems on its way up from Florida, which slowed it. Another attempt at a better time will be made in the future.)

With the boat spending a few days at Manhattan's North Cove marina, just outside the World Financial Center, Maserati invited us down to take a look in person. Maserati, a 70-foot, carbon-fiber monohull, contested the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race under a different moniker. It was subsequently overhauled, had its weight distribution adjusted, and made 10 percent lighter, after which it was reintroduced in its current form, with Maserati as its primary sponsor.

It's capable of traveling at an incredible 40 knots under sail (hence the 46 mph reference in the headline), and what's striking about Maserati in person is that in addition to the hull itself, almost everything else on board is made of carbon fiber: the wheels at the helm, the mast, the grinders and winches, and so on. I pointed at one of the big winches on deck and asked watch leader Brad Van Liew, "How much is that?"

"Around $80,000," he answered. The whole boat apparently cost around $8,000,000. It's the state of the art, and if you're in Manhattan, you might still be able to check it out in person. It's due to head out on another speed record attempt (destination: Cape Lizard, UK) in the coming days.

If you want to follow the ongoing exploits of VOR70 Maserati, bookmark Maserati.Soldini.it for news, blogs, video, the crew's Twitter feeds, and more.

Official: Bulgari crafts sophisticated Octo Maserati watch

There's no lack of choices in timepieces for automotive enthusiasts, but unfortunately most of them come down to simply slapping an automaker's name or logo (or that of a racing series or driver) on an existing timepiece and calling it a day. That, however, is not the route Maserati has gone with its new timepiece.

In fact, you'd have to turn this watch over to see the Trident logo on the casebook. Instead, Bulgari has opted to let the design and the mechanical precision it encases speak to the same themes it shares with its new automotive partner.

The Octo Maserati watch is built around the highly sophisticated Calibre GG7800 automatic chronograph movement which Bulgari crafts itself at the Manufacture de Haute Horlogerie Bulgari in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Rather than displaying its time through the ordinary combination of hands sweeping around the dial, the Octo watch places a jumping hour window at the 12 o'clock position and retrograde displays for the minutes, date and chronograph counters.

The 45-jewel movement is backed by a 38-hour power reserve and encased in a 45-millimeter brushed steel case with scratch-resistant, anti-glare sapphire crystal front and back. The blue-lacquered dial is designed to recall a Maserati's grille, and the piece is affixed to the wrist by a blue calfskin strap with butterfly clasp. We dare not ask what a timepiece like this will sell for, but trust that it will be sufficiently Maserati-like in its sticker. So the closest we're likely to get is the high-resolution images in the gallery and the press release after the jump.

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Report: Maserati looking to double global dealer network to capitalize on new model push

According to Automotive News, Maserati is looking to expand its dealer network in a big way. The luxury Italian automaker intends to double its dealers by the end of next year in an attempt to take advantage of a rash of new models heading for production. All told, Maserati intends to have around 500 showrooms open by the time the new vehicles roll in, and CEO Harald Wester says that the majority of the growth will happen this year. While the automaker sold just under 6,200 units last year, Wester wants to see that number swell to 40,000 in 2014 and 60,000 by 2015.

That's a substantial jump, but with an all-new Quattroporte on the way as well as a production version of the not-yet-named Kubang, Wester believes the numbers are attainable. Maserati has also made it clear the company will offer an entry level sedan positioned below the big Quattroporte, which will likely do a smart job of bringing in even more customers.

Spy Shots: First prototype of 2013 Maserati Quattroporte caught

It looks as if work is officially underway on the next Maserati Quattroporte. Our spy photo friends managed to click the first few images of a pre-production prototype stretching its legs on public streets. The four-door is covered in enough cladding to successfully obscure any hint of new body work, but from what we're told, there's a whole new chassis under there. The rear-wheel-drive architecture is built to accommodate all-wheel drive as well. Where, perchance, would Maserati secure the engineering to put power to all four corners? If the whispers we hear are true, the tech could be lifted from none other than the Ferrari FF.

Speaking of Ferrari, the next-generation Quattroporte will likely continue to get its thrust from the same beefy Italian V8 found in the current generation, though adjustments for either power or fuel consumption would be a smart guess. We've even heard hints of a hybrid drivetrain in development. Stay tuned. With prototypes on the road, it's only a matter of time before we spot one with a little more metal showing.

Report: Maserati trademarks Levante name for new small sedan

Maserati plans on moving its ferocious exhaust note into other market segments, which we know so far include an SUV perhaps called the Cinqueporte (nee Kubang) and a sport sedan to slot under the larger, next-generation Quattroporte. Internally it is said that the new sport sedan is called "Maseratina," but an Italian publication has discovered a recent Maserati trademark for the name "Levante."

The Levante, if that is its name, is aimed at the thick end of the mid-level executive sedan market, meaning the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class, and could be equipped with a diesel engine. By the way, Levante has a few meanings, the one probably meant here is "rising," as in what the sun does. But it's also British slang for "leave secretly or hurriedly to avoid paying debts," which is a humorous coincidence in light of recent events in Italy.

Geneva: 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Sport won't make you blue

A replacement for the aging GranTurismo is still a few years out, so in an effort to keep the model line fresh, Maserati has released this all new Sport trim here at the Geneva Motor Show. Essentially replacing the GranTurismo S, the Sport falls directly in between the base car and the hardcore MC.

The most significant change is a boost in power from the 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. This free-breathing engine now produces 460 horsepower - up from 434 - which now puts it at the top of the GranTurismo power range. Of course, that means we can expect a more powerful MC to debut in the near future.

Exterior changes include a more aggressive front fascia with large air intakes flanking the pronounced grille. Additionally, the headlamps and taillamps have been smoked and LED running lights have been incorporated into the GT's eyes. Inside, there are new sport seats and a revised steering wheel.

It may ride on old bones, but the new GranTurismo Sport's enhancements are enough to keep the giant coupe exciting for the near term.

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