The presence of a diesel engine had been in the air for some time, but there had been no news since the presentation of the new generation Quattroporte at the beginning of the year. This is not a completely new engine, as it is also featured in the catalogue of the new Ghibli. With this engine, the manufacturer has managed to offer a beautiful sound, by equipping its V6 diesel with an active sound system using two special elements placed near the exhaust to accentuate the engine’s sound. There’s also a 250bhp diesel for the Italian market!

There are very few models in the Maserati range. There is only the Quattroporte saloon and the GranTurismo/GranCabrio duo, so multiple versions are needed to create a semblance of novelty. At Geneva, the brand with the trident will be bringing back a Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition, a long name for a long success story. Based on the model powered by the 4.7L V8 with 323 kW or 433 hp, this Awards Edition has been created to celebrate the good performance of the saloon since its launch in 2004. It features a ‘Quarzo Fuso’ colour, a pearl grey with an iridescent effect found on the ‘Poltrona Frau’ leather upholstery between the ‘Black Piano’ wood and Alcantara. Also available are 20-inch Multi Trident grey wheels with a beautiful satin finish. This edition of the Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards benefits from a unique feature developed in conjunction with Brembo: hand-polished brake callipers to achieve a mirror-like finish… but no need to comb your hair when changing wheels.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S is the Quattroporte Sport GT S. Basically, it’s the chassis that’s been reworked, with revised shock absorber settings, a body lowered by 10mm at the front and 25mm at the rear, large 20-inch wheels and reinforced brakes thanks to a cast-iron and aluminum alloy… As for the exterior, the Quattroporte Sport GT S is distinguished by a more aggressive look: grille with black grille, a characteristic feature of Trident sport versions, black side window surrounds and dual exhaust pipes, body-colored door handles. Inside, an impressive Alcantara and carbon finish comes as standard on the Trident flagship. For greater comfort and safety… Like its predecessors, this version gains 10 hp in 2012, to reach 450 hp.

For this limited series, Maserati has gone digital. Two 10-inch touchscreens are inlaid in the front seats for the benefit of passengers. They serve as an interface for an on-board PC, connected to the web via a 3G connection. This is a unique feature, as it is the first production car to offer 3G. All the other multimedia accessories are integrated with the good taste of the Italian brand: DVD player behind the central armrest, two USB ports between the seats and, to top it all off, a Maseratti-branded Bluetooth keyboard. Enough to compete with the Lexus LS 600H, the other technological showcase recently tested on Cartech.

The new Maserati Quattroporte is a car of incomparable style: the new creature of master craftsman Pininfarina represents the ideal synthesis of luxury and sportiness and aims for excellence in terms of technology and craftsmanship. The design of the Maserati Quattroporte, by Pininfarina, is enriched by the radiator grille with convex vertical fins and LED technology headlamps. The interior of the new Quattroporte offers even greater levels of comfort thanks to a multifunction sports steering wheel and improved ergonomics in the driver’s seat. The Quattroporte is equipped with a 4244 cm3 wet-sump V8: the engine oil is collected in the lower crankcase, reducing noise and enhancing acoustic comfort.

Introduced in 1996, this model complemented the two V6 models with 2000 and 2800 cm3 outputs. With its 335 bhp, the V8 delivered surprising performance from a car weighing just 1,560 kg. The 3.2-litre engine was extremely smooth and quiet, providing a peaceful driving experience and a constant, even distribution of power that gave the impression of a classy sports car, with a ‘roar’ that had a great emotional impact. With the many improvements (around 400) made to the Evo version, this car became a real alternative to the German and British sports stars: the passenger compartment became even more comfortable, with a new stereo system, improved ergonomics (armrests, compartments for objects, controls, etc.), a more legible dashboard, etc. Since its introduction in 1996, the 3.2 V8 has been the preferred choice of Quattroporte customers: during the 1996-98 production period of the first version, 415 3.2 models were sold. From 1998 to 2001, the Quattroporte 3.2 V8 was the most successful, with 340 units delivered, compared with 200 for the 2000 cc Quattroporte and 190 for the 2800 cc version.

To celebrate its centenary, Maserati is continuing in 2014 with not one, but two new products. Following on from the Alfieri concept car, special ‘Centennial’ editions based on the GranTurismo MC Stradale and GranCabrio MC will be presented at the New York Motor Show from 16 to 27 April. The special features of these “100th Anniversary” models are the addition of three three-coat exterior colours to the existing four, with each colour having its associated interior, from the matt grey or charcoal wheel hubs flanked by the Centennial edition, to the leather seats available in three colours (blue, white or red) with the Trident on the backrests. Of the three special colours, the two “Magma Red” and “Inchiostro Blue” represent the colours of Bologna, Maserati’s home town.

A new name for a new version of the GranCabrio cabriolet. Maserati completes the range, but strangely enough, the manufacturer doesn’t like to give the same names to the coupé and the cabriolet. Thus, the S on the Granturismo S became Sport on the Gran Cabrio, and here the MC Stradale is transformed into a simple MC. More news in the coming days…

To celebrate its centenary, Maserati is continuing in 2014 with not one, but two new products. Following on from the Alfieri concept car, special ‘Centennial’ editions based on the GranTurismo MC Stradale and GranCabrio MC will be presented at the New York Show from 16 to 27 April. The special features of these “100th Anniversary” models are the addition of three three-coat exterior colours to the existing four, with each colour having its associated interior, from the matt grey or charcoal wheel hubs flanked by the Centennial edition, to the leather seats available in three colours (blue, white or red) with the Trident on the backrests. Of the three special colours, the two “Magma Red” and “Inchiostro Blue” represent the colours of Bologna, Maserati’s home town.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale follows the same philosophy as Porsche’s 911, which is to offer a more track-oriented version of a mass-market model. At Maserati, mass-market is a relative concept… The GranTurismo has never been known for its racing talents, due to its imposing size and its weight of 1780 kg. As a result, even though they had a long way to go, the 110 kg reduction in weight achieved by Maserati’s engineers is quite a feat. In order to achieve this, the slimming regime focused on reducing the soundproofing components, which saved 25 kg, in addition to the 16 kg saved by removing the rear bench seat, the 26 kg saved by the new bucket seats with their carbon shells and the 12 kg saved by the bodywork. In 2012, the version gains 10 bhp to reach 460 bhp and in 2013, the 2 rear seats are back…