Maserati 5000 Reviews

UPDATED - The Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (shown here) set a new world record for a car sold at auction on the 17th May 2009. 0714TR reached 12 million dollars US at RM Auctions Leggenda e Passione Ferrari auction in Maranello.  For me it’s the car in the photo gallery on the right. However the judgement of the most authoritative list of automotive experts ever assembled to make such a decision voted the Citroen DS21 to be the car. This panel included Gioretto Giugaro, Marcello Gandini and Gordon Murray, three of the most respected names in the industry and themselves responsible for such legendary cars as the Lamborghini Countach, Lancia Startos and McLaren F1.This past weekend at the Paris Retromobile, a Citroen DS Chapron Convertible sold at by auction by Bonhams  for just under A$650,000. The Chapron Convertible is the rarest and even more beautiful version of the DS21.Personally while I greatly admire the DS, it does not make my top ten list, which comprises;1.    1957 Ferrari 250 TR2.    Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder3.    1963 Ferrari 250GTO4.    Ferrari 246GT5.    Lamborghini Muira6.    Ferrari P47.    Ferrari 206SP8.    Mercedes 300SLR Coupe9.    Maserati 5000GT by Touring10.  Jaguar E-Type S111.  Ferrari 365GTB/4 DaytonaGiven my long term fascination with everything Ferrari I am interested to see how the auction of 0714TR will fare at Ferrari Leggenda e Passione in  Maranello, on 17 May 2009. This is the car that can (and should) break the current world sale record of $10.8m (currently A$16.6m) for the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder (s/n 2377GT) set at last year’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione on 18 May 2008.The 1957 Pontoon Fender 250TR is one of the true legends of the Ferrari marque and generally considered one of the most desirable models by Ferrari cognoscenti. This particular example is unique and beautifully restored in its original black color scheme. Delivered to Piero Drogo; himself a substantial character within the history of Ferrari and extensively campaigned in races North and South America this car has the potential even in the current economic climate to blow the current record away.We will update you with the result in May. Rod Halligan

As usual it is interesting times in F1. Interesting in the way a soap opera is …. you know everything about it could be a lot better, but a lot of us still watch it anyway. 2008 was actually a good year except for the final result. No sport should ever put itself in a position where the person who wins the most comes second.  Massa won 6, Hamilton 5. Professional sport is all about winning - seconds should not be rewarded - it's a race. This year it went down to the wire but I am still skeptical about Glock’s sudden slow down. I'm with Jean Todt..... McLaren cannot be trusted. Max Mosley may feel the same.Good riddance Honda, I hope Toyota is next. The matching pair of the world’s most boring auto manufacturers.... I never got it anyway, marketing dull cars to cardigan-wearing, centre-lane hugging drivers via F1. I'd prefer Nissan and Mazda to be part of F1, at least they are building interesting sports cars.Reportedly the Honda team is up for sale for a little as 1 Euro. Lotus - please buy it - we need your creative innovation back in the sport. If not Lotus, Fiat - you buy it for either Alfa or Maserati and pay Ferrari to manage it as their B-team. If not Fiat then VW - for Audi or Bugatti. Bugatti need to be more than a one hit wonder.As we race towards The Singularity we may be entering our period of radical change, and in that vein I offer up two alternate plans for F1;Don't reduce the budget. Let the teams drop to 5 but let them have four cars. Get more money out of Bernie, the manufacturers should get the bulk - not him. Split all the money just five ways. Four Ferraris, four McLarens etc. Here in Australia we can make a better race out of it with just Commodores and Falcons.Don't reduce the budget  .... sort of. Keep the reductions for petrol engines but throw in a wild card rule. If you want to use electric motors you don't need to abide by any of the rules other than safety and size. There's a way to get our real slot cars quicker .. and sooner. Pit stops would become battery pack swaps.... and they can have as many as they need until the technology reaches the point where they don't need any. Oh ..... and get more money out of Bernie, the manufactures should get the bulk - not him.While I don't know what is going to happen, I do know a lot will change over the next five years. A Perfect Storm is forming, Max will be gone soon. Bernie can not last for ever. We are in a period of financial crisis where even Ferrari legend and Honda team leader Ross Brawn can be made redundant. We previously just had a silly season for drivers, we may be about to see a silly season for teams.So back to the question..... who will be next?Rod Halligan

Rain deluges the northern Italian plains slowing even the autostrada, so the three Maseratis take to the hills, roaring onwards into the Apennines and ever upwards through the grey cloud curtain.Braking hard into and punching assertively out of the endless succession of second gear corners carved into the mountainside, the Trident-badged missiles finally roar into the pale late autumn sunlight that bathes the uppermost of the tiny hamlets studded on these green peaks.Oh, such sweet music these Masers make, each V8 singing in a different state of tune, but very much from the same songbook. Taking lead tenor is the recently-released (or unleashed) GranTurismo S whose aural report is but one reason to wonder if you really need to graduate to Ferrari - not least because the Maranello-sourced engine has been trained to an operatic pitch by Modena's acoustic engineers.The visual impression is every bit as empathetic. Already one of the world's most beautiful cars, the GranTurismo appears positively sinister in S guise, a dark metallic predator that looms out of the cloud bank for a moment and promptly vanishes. Its sonic register is always audible as every one of the available 331kW and 510Nm are called upon in this superbly executed 4.7-litre combination of sky high revability and low down twist.“When we design an engine we want it to have a very male sound,” says Maserati product development manager Benedetto Orvietani, smiling ruefully at the incorrectness, but absolute desirability, of this. “It is important for car to have the right voice.”But this piece of auto erotic is mainly here to provide context. In less emphatic, but scarcely less resonant voice than the luxury sports coupe, is the pair of luxury sport sedans that are our main objects of interest today; the mildly revised Quattroporte and the new Quattroporte S.The now five-year-old base model - if one priced from $286,000 can be so defined - retains the highly-adapted and wholly simpatico ZF automatic transmission. It gains LED lights and literally brilliant Xenon lamps which that night will distinguish the car from hundreds of metres back on a storm beset autostrada.Cosmetically the interior wood and leather trim is somehow even more opulent. The trademark clock is present and correct. The tactility of this magnificent cabin is such that fingertip pleasing strips of material are laid behind the chrome gearshift levers.Against that the satellite navigation systems remains enigmatic to put it politely. In all, the enhancements are of the sort likely to be appreciated by Maserati aficionados without dismaying current owners.In that vein there's no outward indication of any sort that the $323,800 Quattroporte S is in any manner worthy of a premium over its lesser sibling sufficient to buy a new Golf GTI. Only on the road does its worth become (abundantly) evident.By no means though can the lesser car's 295kW/460Nm 4.2-litrre V8 be considered an underperformer. The version that reinvented and reinvigorated the marque remains an absolutely no apologies required and altogether more stylishly Italian alternative to comparatively ubiquitous Germans.Remarkably unremarkable in urban deployment (“You can take it to the supermarket,” suggests Orvietani) it's almost unfeasibly entertaining on the tight, treacherously slick surfaces on were pedaling with some abandon. Unfeasible because despite being nearly two tonnes unladen and giving away a significant output deficit, it does a job of keeping the GT-S in sight.The Pirelli Rossos for which the suspension is specifically tuned exert exceptional grip in these intimidating circumstances. The Quattroporte's sport mode is among the more meaningful weve encountered, containing this hefty four-doors natural propensity to body movement under duress like an electronic corset and allowing full enjoyment of the near ideal weight distribution.Yet as pleasing as it is in isolation, there's no doubt that what must now be called the entry-level Maserati is labouring to do what the Quattroporte S is taking in its stride. The absence of readily accessible torque means were not often out of second gear here, and so the slightly slower car is the first of the three to see a petrol warning light.It's also the first to run out of brakes. Never the Quattroporte's strength, the required anchor abuse all too soon sees the stop pedal in perilous proximity to the floor. Not something to cause concern in normal running, but a glaring defect when compared to the S model with its unperturbed Brembo six-piston dual cast discs.Yet the ability to stop resolutely and consistently is the least impressive aspect of Maseratis range topping sedan. While it shares the equivalent S coupe's bored out 4.7-litre capacity, the 317kW/490Nm output is not the equal of the two door. For that matter it's not significantly greater than the lesser four-door and at a claimed 5.4 seconds to 100km/h from standing it's a bare two-tenths quicker.The Quattroporte S proves, however, that it's not so much a matter of what you've got as what you do with it. Whereas the base sedan (and coupe) wants for a bottom end, the S model summons some 82 per cent of its torque total from 2500rpm and revs for a further five grand.This more obtainable oomph makes it all the easier with which to live. “The engine,” Orvietano tells us, “has reached its best configuration.”Indeed the Quattroporte S entails the best of Maserati's two model world, approximating the attack of the GT-S while affording the facility and comparative discretion of the saloon.As to how it could be further developed, Orvietano says “there's no technical reason” why Maserati should not emulate Ferrari in climbing aboard the twin-clutch transmission bandwagon. And while he deflected with much charm questions as to an AMG-fighting Quattroporte, a member of our party saw two test variants in duct-taped disguise howling through the pre-dawn near Modena.Such a thing would, of course, be wasted in the 19th century road conditions and attitudes that prevail in our wide, bland land. So is, to a too great an extent, the Quattroporte S. But surely it's churlish to quibble with a car that's both more efficient and ferocious than the base model.Of course, you can always order one of the latter and use the $40K premium towards relocating to Italy, where there is a silver lining on even the cloudiest driving day. 

Maserati is claiming to have smashed the Nurburgring production lap record.

Clinical research conducted by insurance firm Hiscox UK has revealed – according to the researchers — that “100 per cent of woman tested are sexually aroused by the sound of a Maserati, with the roar of the Italian legend’s V8 engine producing a primal, sexual response.” Frankly, the looks of the Maserati Gran Turismo are enough to get Driven Troppo trembling, without anybody having to be bothered with the effort of turning the key. Which means by the time you’re stomping the accelerator I’ll be slipping into something lacy and making plans for breakfast a deux. Just me and the car. Mmmmm…. Ooops, where we were? Oh that’s right, the research. Which was conducted with rigorous scientific methodology The human rats in this particular libido laboratory were exposed to a recording of a selection of high-end engines being revved up. Their ears were titillated with the roar of the Maserati, a Lamborghini and a Ferrari. And just as a control sample, they were also subjected to the sound of an everyday Volkswagen Polo, to ensure a fair comparison of arousal. After 20 minutes of ear foreplay, their sexual response was measured by the levels of the hormone, testosterone, in their saliva, which is apparently an indication of arousal. David Moxon, the psychologist who conducted the study said: “We saw significant peaks in the amount of testosterone in the body, particularly in women. Testosterone is indicative of positive arousal in the human body so we can confidently conclude from the results out today that the roar of a luxury car engine actually does cause a primeval physiological response.” And while 100 per cent of the women showed a “significant increase” in testosterone secretion with the sound of a Maserati, they all also showed a similar decrease in testosterone when confronted with the little VW. Which puts paid to any misconception that what women want in a car is a user-friendly little shopping trolley. But oddly, the research also revealed that only 50 per cent of men reacted sexually to the Maserati growl. Which probably backs up the old saying that men fall in love through their eyes, and women fall in love through their ears. So while it used the Polo as a control test, perhaps the study might have done better to examine women’s sexual response to other aural stimuli. The rustle of tissue paper being lifted off a perfectly boxed pair of killer heels. The quiet snick as the clasp of a diamond necklace closes on your skin. The phrase “you relax, darling … I’ll do the washing up”.  

... when the wraps come off the new Maserati Quattroporte and the range-topping high performance Maserati GranTurismo S at the 2008 Australian International Motor Show's Press Day on October 9. “The fact that we are launching two new models at the same motor show, both of which are central to the success of Maserati, is a clear sign of progress that Maserati has made over recent years in both Australia and around the world,” says Edward Butler, General Manager of Maserati Australia and New Zealand.“The Quattroporte redefined the high performance saloon and its success around the world has led other car makers to attempt their own imitations of its effortless blend of performance, style and exclusivity. The new Quattroporte will ensure that Maserati maintains its lead as the ultimate performance saloon.”“Maserati built its unique and legendary reputation on performance,” explains Mr Butler, “so the launch of new, range-topping high performance Maserati is extremely significant. The new GranTurismo S provides our unique coupe with a new level of performance, on-road ability and driving excitement. It is the epitome of a Maserati.”Setting a new all-time Australian record in 2007, Maserati sales rose to 134 cars, a 25 per cent increase over the 2006 total of 107, which was a record year in its own right. Yet, in 2008, Maserati has already delivered 151 cars to new owners in Australia, making this year a new all-time record year for Maserati in Australia with five months to spare!The new Quattroporte has a dual soul as a luxury saloon with sports-car performance and is fully responsive in all driving conditions whilst cosseting the driver in its luxurious and distinctive ‘Made in Italy’ interior. In its new S version, the new Quattroporte is equipped with a 4.7 litre V8 delivering a maximum power output of 430 bhp at 7,000 rpm, accelerates from 0 to 100 kmh in 5.4 seconds and has a maximum speed of 280 kmh where the law permits.The GranTurismo S is the ultimate expression of the performance edge. Its 440 bhp V8 4.7 litre engine, electro-actuated gearbox with fast MC Shift, transaxle layout, performance exhaust and dual-cast brakes make the GranTurismo S a true ambassador for Maserati’s sporting flair, with acceleration from 0 to 100 kmh in 4.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 295 kmh, the highest ever reached by a standard production Maserati.Official prices for Maserati’s latest models will be announced when they make their Australian and New Zealand debut at the show.

It's hard for me to believe this is real. The scenery, the language, the weather, the open raceway and especially the car. Down the straight, where the bitumen opens from a winding trail to stretch its width and give the driver some respite from intense concentration, I can glimpse the mountains. But only briefly. Every upchange in the Maserati GranTurismo also signals time for the engine to briefly draw breath, but only to pick up the next gear and pull harder towards the horizon. The end of the straight quickly comes into sight. Time for one more jab with the right fingers. Fifth. The corner is coming up fast on the left. Pull quickly on the broad, cold metal paddle on the left-side of the steering wheel and push the right foot deep within the illusionary depth of the brake pedal. Fourth gear comes up — I know that by the illuminated “4” between the gauges. The compression braking of the 4.7-litre V8 engine produces explosive barks from the exhaust. The noise, the assault of the senses as the car moves with the flow of the track and the location in northern Italy beside a wide, stone-bottomed river, are almost surreal. This is the privately owned track at Varano, 25km outside Parma, in mid-summer with the hills still bright green from the long winter. Last year, 15 Australian owners of new Maseratis travelled to Varano to do what I did: get up close and personal with one of Italy's icons. They weren't alone. Varano may be privately owned, but it is well known to the Fiat Group — Maserati, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Lancia and Fiat — for testing each new model. More importantly, it is also known for customer driver training. Maserati alone sold 8000 vehicles last year and a portion of those owners, from California to Russia to China and New Zealand, came to learn to drive at the Parma track. At $5500 a person for the two-day course, it isn't cheap. Andrea Piccini heads the driving instructors. Despite his youth, he has raced at Le Mans and was an F1 test driver for Minardi. The other instructors have a similar background and have no trouble sitting beside the amateurs to involve themselves — occasionally loudly — in your driving. Later, when the computers in the pits plug into the car and extract electronic bytes that have been created from your three laps, there is another, more brutal assessment. “Neil, look here. What is this?” asks touring car racer Sandro Montani. I have no answer for something that, to me, is little more than diverging lines (blue of the ideal graph line of the instructor) and me (the more wriggled line in red ink) on a computer screen. “You are in understeer. Look! You have come into this corner at 69km/h and here, you see, the instructor is at 62km/h. So the car is going too fast to make it turn correctly and you have lost a lot of time.” I feel like a naughty schoolboy. I thought I did pretty well. “Now, go out and take it more slowly,” Sandro smiles. So I go out and slide into another Maserati, this time the luxury Quattroporte. I pull the automatic gearbox's trident-emblazoned gear lever back into its sequential mode, pull the right paddle back to ensure first gear, release the handbrake and, with the track clear, send myself out like a pardoned criminal on to a better path.  

His name is Umberto Panini and there is little hint to his personal treasure trove in the minimalistic driveway and simple builds at his dairy farm, 'Hombre', on the outskirts of Modena. Even the barn doors give no hint of the rich vein of motoring history they guard. Yet Panini has the world's biggest private collection of Maseratis in a line-up that represents a unique slideshow of an amazing company that has been through seven owners and endured the depths of bankruptcy and the highs of world championship racing. Panini, now 78, became very rich in the sticker business. Exceptionally popular since the 1960s, the stickers and cards depicting anything from football players to cartoon characters were dispensed from Panini's coin-operated machines around Italy and later, other European countries. Panini sold out in 1988 and built up his Modena farm. But in 1997 Modena's pride, Maserati, was sold to Fiat by its owners, de Tomaso, and the company's historic car collection was put up for auction in London. The outcry from Italy was so strong that it awoke private support, resulting in Panini's purchase of 22 Maserati cars. They went into his barn, adding to dozens of other cars, military vehicles, stationary racing engines, tractors and his passion, motorcycles. He even owns two immaculate Maserati motorbikes. The bulk of the collection is arranged on either side of the barn — Maseratis to the left, others to the right — with selected models in the centre. Upstairs are motorcycles and clay bucks of prospective cars. The early models attract the most attention, starting with the beautiful Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta that was designed by Pininfarina and valued recently at about $8 million. Its grille has been copied for the latest Maserati Quattroporte. The car was the first and last Pinin-styled Maserati for more than 50 years because Ferrari held exclusive rights to the designer. The collection really starts with a 1936 6CM single-seat racer that has been perfectly restored. At centre is a Tipo 250F, the V12 version of the iconic racing Maserati that sped Juan Manuel Fangio to grand prix victory in 1954. Behind is the Stirling Moss Eldorado' 420M and then a mid-engined Tipo 63 and a Tipo 61 'Birdcage'. The Tipo 63 got the birdcage name because of 36kg space frame chassis is made of 200 steel tubes which resemble the bars of a bird cage. More modern cars include Mistrals and Boras, Ghiblis and Meraks, with rarities such as the Shah of Persia's 1958 5000GT by Touring, one of only four built and based on the 3500GT. There is a 6CM racer from 1936, a prototype Simun of 1964, a prototype Chubasco V8, a one-off turbocharged Merak and one of only 52 Quattroporte III Royale models made, this 1986 example with a fridge, air-conditioning and telephone. Panini is more impressed by his motorcycle collection — including a DKW Wankel-engined bike and a T4 250cc Maserati — but, when pressed, says he favours his 1909 Rolland-Pilan Model C which he found in terrible condition under a hedge in Bologna. It was restored over five years in time to be the carriage for the wedding of his daughter and now sits alongside a De Dion Bouton opposite the line of Maseratis. Anyone can visit the museum, but by appointment. The first step is to email hombre@hombre.it  

Actions speak louder than words and when we took the GranTurismo away for a weekend, we found it had a way of dominating proceedings.Everybody wanted to know what it was, how much it cost and whether they could have their photo taken with the car _ whether they were interested in cars or not.And they wanted to know how long we'd had it?I wish . . .I'd expected the questions and had come prepared.Suffice to say the big `Maser' has a mystique that extends beyond the bounds of mere metal, a car that commands attention wherever it goes _ some welcome, some not so welcome.More than just a car, it's the ultimate male fashion accessory _ a piece of automotive exotica that's going to make you look and feel like a million dollars.At more than $300,000 the GranTurismo is not the most expensive car that Maserati sells here, but we'd have no hesitation in adding that it's the best looking of the bunch.Gone is the droopy, retro, overly round styling that marked previous models, along with that awkward looking rear end, replaced by a long sleek coupe with classic sports car lines.The two door, four-seat coupe replaces the previous GranSport, but sits on the longer Quattroporte platform.Measuring 4881mm and weighing in at a hefty 1880kg, the oh so long bonnet hides a 4.2-litre Ferrari V8 that pumps out 298kW of power and 460Nm of torque, revving out to 7250rpm.The engine is a derivative of that in the Ferrari F430 and is teamed with a ZF six-speed automatic transmission that allows the driver to change gears manually.The main difference between the two engines is that the Maserati unit has a wet sump and produces more torque.Despite its obvious bulk the GranTurismo can dispatch the dash from 0-100km/h in just 5.2 seconds and on to a lofty top speed of 285km/h.Punch the throttle and the throaty V8 roars to life, the rear hunkers down and the car squirms before launching regardless of the electronics.We've driven faster, but none with more style than this thoroughbred.The driver can choose between manual, sport auto or fully automatic gears changes, with no need to chase the padded paddle shifts around the steering wheel as they are fixed to the steering column.Pushing the sport button activates a more aggressive change pattern, as well as altering the suspension and stability control settings.We were surprised to find however that the transmission still changes up automatically when redline is reached, even in full manual mode.The auto is said to be even quicker than Ferrari's and so much more enjoyable than the horrendous robotised manual offered previously.Rather than a hard-edged sports machine, the GranTurismo is more of a big luxurious cruiser, with plenty of power on tap for the odd squirt.Out on the open highway it laps up the miles, but a firm foot is required on the throttle or you could find the pace dropping off.Fuel consumption from the 86 litre tank is rated at 14.3 litres/100km and it takes premium unleaded, preferably the good stuff.We were getting 14.7 over a 700km stint.The car's charcoal exterior did not prepare us for the gorgeous red leather interior.While contoured and comfortable, the seats were rather firm and so was the electronically modulated Skyhook suspension.Parking the car at fuel stops provided plenty of entertainment as wide-eyed country folk circled the vehicle for a better look, peering through the windows to get a better look inside.Doing the obligatory lap of the town centre never failed to attract attention either, as did parking it outside the pub.It's a difficult one to go past.I don't know why they bother fitting sound systems to cars like this, the note from the V8 is the all the accompaniment one needs.But if it does grate there's a 30GB hard drive based unit to store your songs, shared with the standard navigation system.Dropping down a couple of gears and pushing the car hard through long sweeping corners and a series of shorter switchbacks found plenty of grip from the 20inch wheels, fitted with 245 front and 285 35 rear 35 series rubber.But it can become unsettled and is not totally at home on our second rate back roads.The four pot Brembos provide solid braking, but some bigger units would be nice.We were loathe to take the car on any dirt roads as the low profile tyres are prone to puncture and there is no spare tyre, just a puncture repair kit to reinflate the damaged tyre _ a space saver is optional.Getting in and out of the deep set back seats can be challenging and rear legroom is not generous.The front seats slide forward electrically to provide access.The boot is on the small side but can still hold a couple of bags.All in all this is a much more refined mainstream car than previous models.But why not just buy a Ferrari, we wondered?Price is one obvious reason and the fact they appeal to two very different kinds of buyers.Even at $306,750 plus onroads, the GranTurismo is still 127 grand less than the cheapest Ferrari.Style is another reason, because the GranTurismo is a true GT tourer with seating for four people.And after all, it's all about style.

The five-door is one of two wagons presented by Italian styling studios. The previous effort was the Maserati Cinqueporte (five door) by StudioM of which a single unit costing $580,000 was built for a Middle East client.Carrozzeria Touring will make 25 Quattroporte wagons — called Maserati Bellagio Fastback Tourings — for about $350,000 each. The Bellagio adds rear sheet metal and a folding rear seat to a standard Quattroporte. Power comes from a standard 295kW 4.2-litre V8 and though the extra metal adds about 50kg, Touring claims it will stillrun to 100km/h in the same 5.6 seconds time as the standard sedan. Meanwhile, Maserati, riding high in its most profitable period for decades, is about to launch a third model. The company is playing the new model very close to its chest, even to the point of denying certain aspects. But within 12 months there will be a convertible version of the GranTurismo.“A third model is possible but I have no news,” says Maserati product manager Paolo Quattrino. “It is important that Maserati retains its exclusivity so any new model will be looked at carefully.”But an insider at the launch of the new Quattroporte in Austria says he has seen the convertible undergoing tests.The convertible is likely to be a 2+2 seater — because of the extra room needed for the folding roof — which is a departure from the company's desire to suit the family buyer.However, it sees potential on the same chassis — indeed, the four-door Quattroporte model sits on a near identical platform — and sees a niche for a convertible.Unknown, however, is what type of material will be used for the roof.It is expected to be fabric to keep the car's weight down and reduce manufacturing costs.