Maserati unveiled the 2011 Gran Cabrio Sport (or GranTurismo Convertible as it is called in the US) at the Geneva Motor Show and WOW is all we can say.

The new Maserati GranTurismo Convertible is characterized by a more-pronounced dynamic look. The GranTurismo’s distinctive nose with a black grille and a Trident with red accents. The headlights now have a black look with white sidemarks, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured. The blacked-out tailpipes and wheels draw attention to the idea that this superstar is meant for more than just posing.

Inside, Maserati shows off the car’s purpose even more with carbon fiber dashboard trim and shifter paddles. And while these nice touches do a great job at making this car look fast, Maserati made sure the car moves as well as it looks.

They also debuted a hot new body color: Rosso Trionfale inspired by the red Italian national colours used on 1950s racing Maserati’s – in 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth F1 World Title at the wheel of a red Maserati 250F.

So the 2011 GranTurismo Convertible has an upgraded six-speed paddle-shifted transmission for even quicker gear changes. The ZF-sourced gearbox gets spun by a 450-horsepower version of Maserati’s top-dog 4.7-liter V8. Maserati has also firmed up the car’s Skyhood active suspension and thrown in bigger brakes to keep everything from going awry.

Source: autoblog.com  

Check out this sweet video highlighting the new Maserati GranTurismo Coupe as a top of the line coupe with distinctive power, styling and performance.

The customizable Maserati GranTurismo Coupe is a truely masterpiece of modern machinery.

After watching this video, you are going to want to drive one!

They are sleek, stylish, and literally the thing that dreams are made of.  They’ve graced the hottest red carpets and stunned all in attendance.  They’ve been featured in a wide variety of commercials, television shows, and even on the big screen.  When it comes to choosing between luxury brands, this is one that simply cannot be overlooked. But even within the brand, there is a tough choice to be made regarding style, power, performance, and price.  So, what are the best 2011 Maserati models?

Quattroporte

Three models to choose from – the Quattroporte, the Quattroporte S, and the Quatroporte Sport GT S (pictured) – give the buyer even more to consider, but one thing is certain, this is a car that anyone would want to drive.  Reaching top speeds of nearly 170 miles per hour it certainly will blow your hair back and there is no need to wait, because the Quattroporte will reach those speeds in no time at all.  This car can go zero to sixty in as little as five seconds (5.1 seconds for the sport edition, 5.6 seconds for the standard model).  Need to bring it back down, so you can show it off for a few?  Well, then it is good to know that you can stop on a dime – from sixty miles per hour in just over thirty-five yards.  Of course, you will want to be comfortable as you maneuver so easily in and out of traffic, down the highway, or around sharp bends.  Fortunately this new Maserati can offer that as well with state-of-the-art ergonomic seating in dual fabrics – leather and Alcantara upholstery.  The dash rolls into the speed and the controls are conveniently located to make the trip enjoyable from the moment you leave the driveway.

GranTurismo Coupe

A classic Maserati in look, feel, and performance.  This serves as a base for many of the other models in the line-up and offers a great deal in the way of personality.  With four trims to choose from, the engineers behind this vehicle made sure that everyone can get exactly what they want.  The list of areas to be personalized is nearly limitless and the vehicles are handcrafted to meet the needs and desires of each and every driver.  Choose from ten exterior colors as well as countless varieties of interior coloring and accents, but know that regardless of the decisions made here, you are buying the very best in function, flavor, and form.  Whether traveling at maximum speeds of over 180 mph or sitting still, this car is sure to attract attention wherever it goes.

GranCabrio or GranTurismo Convertible

With a convertible soft top, this is one striking ride that is sure to turn heads in any setting.  Sleek lines move effortlessly across the surface.  Wide rims dazzle as the powerful 4.7 litre V8 engine roars to life and this luxury auto speeds away.  That ride is smooth and silent, whether taking corners at high speeds or just racking up miles of the highway thanks to the Maserati USA engine design, which features peak torque of 490 Nm at 4750 rpm.  The six-speed automatic transmission allows for ultra fluid shifting and offers manual mode, for those that want a bit more control.  In this mode, changing gears is done via hand controls on the steering column.  Though the engine makes the ride, it’s the design that makes it worth driving and Maserati never fails to impress in this category.  The GranCabrios, which has dazzled at red carpet events several times in the past year, is truly eye candy.  The smooth surface begs to be touched and sitting low to the ground with chrome accents, it’s as if one can see its speed even when set to ‘park’.

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Maserati first showed the GranTurismo Convertible at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, and at Geneva Motor Show, the company unveiled a higher-performance version, the new Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport.

This curvy sex symbol can be distinguished from the base model by the black grille, headlight bezels and wheels, as well as the more pronounced side skirts. It uses the same 4.7-liter V8 engine as its stablemate, but horsepower is increased from 433 to 444 horses and torque is bumped from 361 to 376 lb-ft. The car also gets a quicker-shifting version of the standard ZF-sourced 6-speed automatic transmission and sportier suspension settings.

Source for text & photo: MSN Autos

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Have you ever looked at a new Maserati and wondered how this incredible machine was made? This series explains how a Maserati car is made, from casting of the engine block to final road testing of a finished car.

5. The final step and where the cars come together is in the Bodywork Area.

The Bodywork Area is, in a way, the most evocative part of Maserati’s entire assembly process. It is here that the cars take on their final form and where the elegant bodywork is united with the powerful engine. Taking a stroll around its 26 stations, you can see for yourself the process where what seemingly starts as just a collection of parts is slowly transformed into a seductive car.

The Bodywork Area was opened in March 1998 after undergoing an extensive retooling. This work rendered the production line one of the most advanced in the world among low-volume manufacturers. Some 140 meters long, 130 people work along its length in eight-hour shifts. The main production line is where Quattroportes and GranTurismos are born. The department that looks after pre-assembly (including complete doors, removed when the chassis arrives, fitted out and the remounted at the final station) is next to it.

Capacity currently stands at only 35 cars per day, evidence of Maserati’s true exclusivity. The time spent at each station is 28 minutes, far longer than the mere seconds at more mass-market factories, allowing the team of craftsmen and women the time to carefully work. In total it takes two days to assemble each car.

From the moment when the chassis appears on the line, each car is tracked step by step. Various parts are mounted, from the engine to the interior, and all the necessary tests are carried out to ensure that everything fits and works as it should. An ‘owner-supplier’ policy is adopted in order to ensure top-class quality, a system that gives each person who works at a given station the responsibility for handing over a perfect car to the next person along the line. This speeds up the process and allows high quality standards to be attained.

Each car is followed by a trolley that contains all the parts to be used for that particular car. They contain both standard items and options chosen by the owner through the Officine Alfieri Maserati customization program.

Other components, including the seats and other interior finishes, are supplied according to ‘just in time’ logic to the appropriate station. The different stages of production are noted in a ledger that accompanies the car and that is later archived as a record of the production process.

At the end of the production line each car undergoes a rigorous check to ensure that the overall standards, inside and out, are as high as possible. After making sure there are no leaks in a rain infiltration test, the car is tested and calibrated on a rolling dyno. From there specially trained test drivers take each car on a series of motorways, hilly stretches and the city streets around Modena. After a final ‘finishing’ stage in the specially equipped zone the car is then ready to be shipped to the dealership for its new owner.

Source: Maserati.us

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Have you ever looked at a new Maserati and wondered how this incredible machine was made? This series explains how a Maserati car is made, from casting of the engine block to final road testing of a finished car.

4. The exciting fourth step is painting the Maserati cars in their differeint rainbow of colors choices.

Maseratis are painted at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy; this ensures the same level of paint finish as found on Ferraris. Once the Maserati bodyshells have been painted they are sent to the Maserati factory in Modena for final assembly.

The entire paint process lasts four days from the arrival of the unpainted bodyshells from ITCA in Turin to the final checks. The numerous manual and automatic stages provide enviable quality standards. The work is carried out in a room where the temperature and humidity are constantly monitored to ensure optimum conditions.

In the first phase the body, still in white, is washed in a special chemical to remove any traces of grease from the molding process and a protective layer of paint is applied.

During the entire cycle, which is completely automated, the bodyshells are suspended in a special tunnel with the hood, doors and trunk slightly open. This allows the protective paint to reach even the hidden areas inside the boxed steel sections. Next comes the cataphoresis stage: a procedure that involves dipping the bodywork in a special tub of thinned protective paint before applying an electric current that makes it stick to the metal more uniformly. Once the bodywork has been washed, prepared and the protective paint applied, all the bodyshell joints are sealed by hand to prevent dust, water or air from penetrating.

This is when the true painting begins with the application first of a primer and then the color layers. To obtain a better finish and even application of the paint the primer is varied depending on the car’s final color: if the car has to be painted red, a reddish primer is used while light or dark primers are employed, respectively, as the base for light or dark paint finishes.

The successive phases call for more hands-on work in a manual check of the bodywork after the primer and color have been applied. The color is sprayed on by hand and its extraordinary shine is the fruit of tried and tested methods that also regulate the time taken to apply the layers of paint before the final transparent clearcoat layer is applied.

The end stage is a quality check of the work carried out and the application of a protective layer over the parts of the car closest to the ground (the undertray and wheel arches) to make the bodywork more resistant to salt water, atmospheric agents and stone particles.

Owners have a choice of the 16 colors in the Maserati range, 12 of them metallic. However, the extremely flexible painting process means that non-standard and out of range colors can also be applied.

Source: Maserati.us

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