Maserati News

Slinging the bag around town said you were environmentally conscious, intelligently concerned for Mother Earth and so obviously eco-cool you cared not a whit that the bag’s shouty shade of green would never match anything you wore. Of course, it took only a nano-second – which seems a short yardstick of time, except when you’re measuring the viral spread of fads (and often the longevity of them) – before everybody else jumped on the bagwagon. Every shop of with even the slightest pretensions to … well, anything in the way of now-ness … had its own branded cloth bag. How environmentally sound all this was is open to question, since most of them were synthetic fabrics spun out of petrochemicals in third world villages where it’s of little concern if the water gets poisoned. But the continuing popularity of the bags, and the bagwagon, shows that everybody is putting the appearance of trying to be green Oddly, it has taken until now for Maserati – a name not normally associated with being slow – to join in. But when they do, they certainly take things to the next level. They’ve just announced their own initiative to save the planet, with a designer eco-bag produced in partnership with Italian fashion house Momaboma. And not only is it a reusable bag that replaces the plastic one – if there are any left in the world by now – but it has the double eco-barrel of also recycling rubbish. Well, not rubbish in our eyes. But car brochures from the Maserati archives that the company says would otherwise have been pulped. In the interests of international relations, we’ll just have to suspend disbelief about that claim. However it would be odd to pulp what was obviously a collection of rare archival material that would have collectors salivating onto their white gloves. Especially when a current model Maserati brochure is expecting to get $30 on eBay. For instance, we can see that one of the pages collaged into a the bag is a 3500GT brochures – an item cited in a story a couple of years ago as being part of an archival treasure, and which noted collector Philip Morrice says would be worth at least $100 in pristine condition. So we shouldn’t be surprised that the Maser bag is on the market for around $300. Perhaps that’s simply the price of saving the planet. Or perhaps it reflects the bag’s exclusivity, since only 150 of them have been made. Which means that you’ve got little chance of adding one to your accessory shelf. Never mind. We’re here to help by pointing the way to your own auto-exotica bag. Simply arm yourself with a pair of scissors and pot of glue, and print out some of the pages from our photo galleries… (may we suggest the Bugatti Bleu Centenaire or perhaps the Porsche 917) … your own eco-bag, and for a lot less than $300.  

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

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  

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. 

The mid-engined Mastretta MXT sportscar — the first car designed and built in Mexico — is capable of 240km/h and does 0-100km/h in less than five seconds.