Maserati 3200 Reviews

But peak motoring body the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries believes consumers are confused enough to warrant a broad-ranging education program about what ESC is and what it does.The Transport Accident Commission has already been running an ad highlighting the merits of curtain airbags and ESC. It has been endeavouring to lift awareness among buyers about what they do, via websites like howsafeisyourcar.com.au.But with Victoria moving ahead for the compulsory fitting of ESC to all passenger cars from January, the FCAI believes now is the time to increase awareness among car buyers.Despite TAC's efforts some carmakers like Honda believe consumers are still confused by the different acronyms used to describe the various systems. However, FCAI spokesman, James Goodwin, believes it will be difficult to mandate a single naming strategy."It comes down to marketing," he says. "All systems are different to some degree."Goodwin also believes it would cost too much to standardise the terminology on imported cars because the volumes are relatively small. Carmakers use different terms for the proprietary electronic stability program invented by Bosch and co-developed with Mercedes-Benz.Subaru Australia spokesman, David Rowley, says Subaru's own research shows a higher awareness among buyers of its own electronic stability control system, called vehicle dynamic control."Our customers tend to look in depth at the features of our cars," Rowley says. He backs an education program as “something worth considering" but balks at a name change. "A lot a brands have invested a lot of intellectual time in creating a point of difference with their various stability systems," he says.What they call it -Electronic Stability Control (ESC) - Holden, HSV, JeepElectronic Stability Program (ESP) - Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes Benz, Renault, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Skoda, Peugeot, SuzukiDynamic Stability Control (DSC) - Ford, FPV, BMW, Mazda, Land Rover, Aston Martin, JaguarVehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) - ToyotaVehicle Stability Control (VSC) - LexusVehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) - Nissan, SubaruDynamic Stability and Traction Control (DSTC) - VolvoElectronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) - Audi, VolkswagenActive Stability Control (ASC) - MitsubishiVehicle Stability Assist (VSA)- HondaAutomatic Stability Control + Traction (ASC+T)  MiniMaserati Stability Program (MSP) - MaseratiPorsche Stability Management (PSM) - PorscheStability and Traction Control - FiatStabiliTrak -Hummer

Move over Mercedes-Benz, backpeddle BMW, and just get out of the way Jaguar. The new Masser is about to hit town and it wants its day in the sun.  The tops are off and let the boulevard battle begin.This is the new and very stunning — Maserati GranCabrio, the open-top version of the potent GranTurismo coupe, which goes on sale in Australia in April for $338,000. That's $19,500 premium over the hardtop but that hasn't deterred 20 buyers who have already put their hand up for one. And numbers will be limited. Australia's allocation for the year is just 43 cars.Maserati has had cabriolets before, but the Spyders have all been two seaters. This is the brand's first four-seater and it's aimed directly at the American market Maserati gambling its prestigious brand combined with the extra seating capacity will prove a marketing winner.In Australia, true four-seaters, as against two plus two, are thin on the ground but Maserati is up against models from Benz, BMW and Jaguar for the up-market ‘fun in the sun’ dollar.  Maserati is counting on pulling power of the cabrio — the third model in its lineup behind the coupe and Quattroporte sedan — to drive it out of the global financial crisis to add even more sex appeal to the famous Italian brand.It does so in spades. This is adult-rated car porn; a cabrio to lust for. A car that should equally appeal to both sexes but for different reasons.It has performance, and it has style.  But the cabrio nearly didn't make it to market so early in 2010. Maserati's marketing director Massimo Farao hinted to Carsguide that the company, which has been regaining ground after years of financial losses, had considered stalling the launch because of the worldwide economic crisis."Sure we looked at it (delaying the launch) but decided to go ahead and introduce this new model. The global situation had a very serious impact on our markets but, with careful planning, we finished the year in the black. It was the right decision; the GranCabrio adds a third model alongside the Quattroporte and the GT to round out our lineup," he says.While it may seem an easy task to create the GranCabrio by simply chopping the roof off the Turismo, Farao says the task was not that simple. "We had to do a lot of work to strengthen the car because the cabin is so long," he says. "We did a lot of strengthening around the sills and under the car and we kept the weight difference (over the coupe) down to less than 100kg, which if you look at our rivals is a remarkable achievement."Defying modern trends, Maserati opted for a three-layered fabric roof instead of a folding metal lid, although the mechanism itself is very similar to that used by Ferrari in its California. The decision Farao says was made on tradition, style and practicalities. The soft roof allows for proper four seats and luggage space, albeit it's limited. Opening and closing the top can be done on the move up to 30km/h, taking 20 seconds plus another eight seconds to open or close the windows.The GranCabrio shares all of the underpinnings of the coupe, including the 4.7-litre V8 (323kW/490Nm) from the GT-S version and the six-speed ZF transmission from base model GT. It misses out on Maserati's lightening quick electro-actuated semi-automatic gearbox which can make gear changes in just 100 milliseconds. It's a safe bet however the high performance gearbox will feature in an S version of the cabrio which is believed to be under development and due in a year's time.And like the Turismo there is a downside: the V8 engine is thirsty at 23.9l/100km in the city and averaging 15.4l/100km (combined cycle) for a mix of urban and highway running. Nor is it clean and green, producing 358g of CO2 per kilometre. It's an area Maserati says is working on to improve for the next generation of cars, expected after 2012.While the lighter coupe is quicker over the standing 100km/h dash at 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 295km/h, the cabrio shouldn't belittled. It's only marginally slower, at 5.3 seconds to 100km/h, and tops out at 283km/h with the roof closed and 274km/h with it open.At 2942mm, the new Maserati has one of the longest wheelbases on the market and uses the space to provide a luxurious Italian leather-bound. But it's not all good news. While Maserati says you can get two sets of golf clubs in the boot, the luggage space is compromised by the folding rag top. The same top severely reduces visibility to the rear quarter and rear headroom is going to be tight for anyone over 6ft.The cabrio's sensuous styling with its sleek profile is all thanks to Pininfarina, while Maserati also worked with Bose to design the audio system, tailored for open air driving.This cabrio also comes packed with safety features including multiple airbags, traction and stability control, the latest generation of anti-lock brakes with brake assist and a patented rollover protection system the hoops are electronically fired in less than 190 milliseconds. There's also an elaborate alarm system designed to deter thieves from pinching items from the cabin if the roof is down.Who would be mad enough to launch a cabriolet in winter. The Italians, who want their new model ready for summer, that's who.  To set the picture: The first snowstorm in 25 years blankets Rome as it spreads across Europe. Blocked roads, cancelled flights, stranded passengers sleeping at airports, chaos on the cobblestoned streets, Romans building miniature snowmen on the backs of their scooters. It's beak and freezing and we can't drive the car.The Maserati team take it on the chin. "Hey, we have built a beautiful car for summer," one quipped. And they have.  The following day it takes me exactly 11 seconds to make my mind up about that. That's the time it takes to circle the boulevard cruiser. That's twice as long as it takes for the cabrio to hit 100km/h from a standing start.Hey, this is supposed to be a cruiser not a bruiser, but a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 5.3 seconds for a car which weighs in just under two tonnes says Maserati means business. This is no show pony and the ride and handling show Maserati's development work in producing a car which soaks up the bumps but also allows flat cornering has worked a treat.Despite its stunning looks, there is no hiding the fact the GranCabrio is a big lump of a car. This is a high flying four seater first class lounge on wheels. But any cabrio is always going to be a compromise. Removing the roof creates enormous engineering problems to maintain rigidity, while storage of the folding room is going to rob luggage space. But Maserati has done a good job here.The rear pews are tight but comfortable and there is some boot space which is a bonus and there's little in the way of buffeting indeed the cabrio is so well protected the optional wind blocker is not needed..  The GranCabrio is two cars in one. Left in its normal settings it is a very capable cruiser. Push the sport button next to the steering wheel and it's a whole new ball game.Sport means the suspension becomes stiffer, the gear changes are quicker and, beyond 3000rpm, the V8 get a much deeper and louder note thanks to a small gate being opened in the exhaust which allows a free flow of gases, partly bypassing the muffler.  The engine note is nothing short of breathtaking.Deep, sonorous, sexy and mind-blowing with the roof down.  Like it. No. I'm in love with it.

The launch of the GranCabrio was timed to coincide with the opening of the new $32 million Ferrari Maserati Sydney headquarters, described this week by Maserati's commercial director, Raffaele Fusilli, as the ‘most beautiful’ in the world. "We are already holding 40 customer orders for the GranCabrio and I am confident that for the full year we will be able to sell at least 45,"  Ferrari Maserati Sydney dealer principal Edward Butler says of the $338,000 convertible. "We are predicting overall sales this year of 165 cars with all the growth coming from the GranCabrio."  Butler says he is confident that the new convertible will not draw buyers away from the GT car, but rather from key rivals BMW, Mercedes and Aston Martin. "With the traditional soft-top the GranCabrio is quite different to the Coupe and will appeal to a very different buyer ... that may not have been the case if it had a folding metal roof." Butler believes a key point of attraction for the new car is that there is a useable amount of legroom for the two rear-seat passengers.   "This is a car in which four people can comfortably sit ... it is not compromised in any way as a four-seater," Butler says.

Congratulations Ford Falcon

Congratulations to the Winner, 2009 People's Choice Award for Best Commercial Vehicle: Maserati Gran Turismo.

I realised this while finalising the judging of this year's Carsguide Car of the Year contest, which you can read about in today's liftout.  Yes, there are still bad things in cars. I think the damping of the Maserati Quattroporte is awful, cannot stand the seats in the Fiat 500, find a lot of Japanese headlamps lacklustre, and worry about the long-term quality of Alfa Romeo.But these are little things compared to some of the howlers I have driven in the past.  The Fiat Argento was supposed to be an executive express but it was so bad that it was canned after the first press preview drive. The evaluation cars were dropped onto executives and the plan died.The Holden Piazza was, for me, nasty and dangerous. I only drove it once and was glad when the over-powered Gemini coupe was binned.  On the Holden front, the Gemini diesel was also awful. Ahead of its time in efficiency but behind the times in every other way.And I could go on. And on.  But the cars of 2009 are brilliant. It truly is a golden age in motoring.  We had a lot of trouble culling the COTY field to just 10 cars and the finalists are so, so close in so many ways. Great value, too.Things will only get better in coming years and I am expecting better efficiency, better performance, more safety and so much more before the day when environmental pressures and a lack of oil turns cars into transport modules and nothing more.We should all enjoy things today because it, truly, has never been better.Follow Paul Gover on Twitter!

Chop the roof off. The Modena-based thoroughbred carmaker has done just that with its slinky GranTurismo, delivering the GranCabrio, the company’s first four-seater convertible. The sleek newcomer makes its world debut at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show and will be available here in the third quarter of next year. A spokesman for Maserati importer, Ateco Automotive Ltd, Edward Rowe, says customers are already queueing for the car. “We have a list of people who have seen the spyshots and they have expressed an interest,” he says. Cost? Rowe says the price is yet to be confirmed but says “it will have a margin above the GranTurismo”. That means somewhere north of $300,000. In true Italian fashion, Maserati has gone against current thinking by making the GranCabrio a canvas soft-top instead of an electrically folding tin-top design favoured by the Germans. The company says this allows for a full four-seater capacity and also helps emphasis a link with past Maserati convertibles. The GranCabrio is continuing a long tradition in open-top Maseratis. It joins models that have played such an important part in the Modena carmaker's history such as the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, 1960 3500GT Vignale Spyder, 1964 Mistral Spyder, 1968 Ghibli Spyder and 2001 Spyder designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Price no object, what car would you buy? A Ferrari, a Lambo, a Roller, perhaps a Bentley? In my case, Maserati's stunning Gran Turismo S auto would be on a very short list if I had around $330,000 to spend. Yes, the automatic.A work of automotive art, the Pininfarina-styled Gran Turismo (GT) exudes an aura of power and class, of controlled aggression. There's even a hint of American muscle car about its flanks.The superb, flowing exterior lines are matched by a high standard of craftsmanship inside and out from the people who build it, and that too is matched by the quality of the components used — nothing but the best.The Maser GT is a true GT in that it's an imposing long distance coupe with seats for four, supersports performance and handling and the luxury accoutrements you'd expect in a limousine.It adds up to a hefty 1880kg weight but with the 4.7-litre V8 engine up front kicking out 323Kw/490Nm, urge is not an issue here. It puts away a 0-100kmh sprint in 5.0 seconds neat and generates a stirring V8 burble/blatt into the bargain.The naturally aspirated engine features variable inlet valve timing and has a redline of 7250rpm. The thing to note here is the six-speed ZF auto is calibrated to change up at redline thereby contributing to the GT's performance potential. Most autos run out of legs well before redline. It also has Ferrari-style paddle shift levers on the steering column and multi modes to change how it swaps cogs.The suspension is a version of the electronically controlled “Skyhook” system and is adaptive to certain inputs from the road, driver and car itself. Push the Sport button on the dash and it goes into attack mode which allows the big coupe to be driven spiritedly on demanding roads.On test, the level of enjoyment driving this car was as high as just about anything else we have driven including real hotrods like the new Nissan GTR and German uber-cars— BMW's M3, Benz's C63AMG and Audi's RS4/6.Not as outright quick, the big Maser is a deft hand in the tight stuff and gets on the boil really fast. The engine howls up to redline willingly and the big coupe's dynamics are right up to the task, even the brakes but then it does roll on 20-inch rubber of extreme proportions. This is all aided and abetted by the slick changing transmission that wills you to use the paddles and not just leave it in D.There's plenty of kit inside the Poltrona Frau leather-clad interior — 3D satnav, electric seats, Bose audio, Bluetooth. And it's styled to match the stunning exterior — certainly as appealing as other high-end stuff, some of which costs plenty more.Befitting a true GT is the 86-litre tank that saps a bit of boot space but there's still enough for a couple of medium size bags. No spare is supplied — it's a tyre inflation kit for the Maser GT. Fuel consumption hovers around the 15-litres/100km mark so there's plenty of range available.It has a low front that can be problematic on driveways and there's a long stretch for the seat belts. Rear seat room is surprisingly generous — even for an adult. The GT attracts admiring looks wherever it goes and the attention is certainly justified. Sensible but awesome, sexy and svelte, this car is a piece of work. It looks a million bucks from any angle and backs up the eye candy with performance that may startle.

It is accelerating development of an open-air conversion on its two-door GranTurismo coupe to create a car capable of going nose-to-nose with rivals including the Aston Martin DBS, Porsche 911 Cabrio and even the Bentley Continental. The new Maserati Spider was spotted at Europe's favourite test location, the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany, earlier this week. The beautiful sister to the hardtop GT already looks good, despite a breadvan-style disguise on the tail end to protect details of the folding roof conversion. The Spider comes less than a year after Ferrari went topless with its California, a car that Italian sources insist was begun as a Maserati and then snitched to lead a revitalised red-car push into the USA. The difference is that the GT convertible has a folding hardtop roof and not a conventional canvas top like the California, a major change from earlier Maserati convertibles. The newcomer also looks likely to be built as a 2+2 open-top coupe, and not just a two-seat roadster, which moves it away from any potential rivalry with Ferrari as well as opening more sales opportunites. The Spider is expected to have the same engine and mechanical package as the GT coupe, which starts with a 4.2-litre V8 in Australia at $298,800 and is likely to be previewed at the 2009 Geneva Motor show next February.

Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 0714TR set a new world record price of 9 million euro (16.2 million) on the weekend.