Maserati News

Nine stars of the Melbourne International Motor Show took a quick spin from City Hall to Federation Square to rev the city up for tomorrow evening's big opening at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.Led by a beefy Chrysler 300C police car, about $2 million worth of auto exotica cruised down Swanston St.Lord Mayor John So rode James Bond-style in a $360,000 Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible.Immediately behind him was a Bentley Continental GTC convertible worth $400,000, but even that was trumped moments later by a Ferrari 599 GTB, costing $600,000.Others in the column included a Maserati Quattroporte, the new convertibles from Volkswagen and Volvo, and a top-of-the-range Lexus LS460.Most unusual was the Bonning B3 three-wheeler, the personal project of designer and artist Brad Bonning.But there would be plenty more to see at the show itself, said the extravaganza's director, Russ Tyrie."That's just to give people a taste of what they will see on Friday," Mr Tyrie said."The parade is a great way to bring the show to Melbourne and to give people an idea of what an exciting and dynamic thing the car industry is."The covers will come off quite a few new cars at the show."With some of them it's going to be as much a surprise to us as it will to everyone else."

The state's allocation of three $659,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 supercars have all been spoken for.Audi Centre Brisbane dealer principal Greg Willims, who deals with brands such as Audi, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, said premium car sales were continuing to rocket this year after a successful 2006.Standing in front of a $399,500 pale blue convertible Bentley Continental GTC at the show yesterday, he said Queenslanders last year bought 28 of the stately English marque."This year it will be 36," he said.Mr Willims also expected to sell three Bentley Azures at $650,000 each."Two people have already put in an order from the Gold Coast," he said."In premium cars, interest is evenly divided between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but in the convertibles there is more interest from the Gold Coast."Audi also yesterday unveiled its first mid-engined supercar, the R8, which will arrive in September, costing between $250,000 and $300,000.Mr Willims said there were already eight orders in Brisbane for the 309kW V8 supercar capable of going from standstill to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds.Audi confirmed there were 34 orders across the nation and 13 from Queensland.The show continues until February 11 in the Brisbane Convention Centre, featuring 311 new cars from 40 manufacturers.

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, Bentley, Jaguar and Audi will display new models, many for their first showing in Australia.BMW is holding the international unveiling of its 3-Series convertible in Detroit today, then will rush a car to the Brisbane show. It will go on sale in March, to be priced about $100,000.BMW also will have its just-released M6 convertible, with a Formula One-inspired V10 engine, $295,000 and six-month waiting list.Rival Audi will bring an early example of its new high-performance R8 coupe. Deliveries of the $300,000 car will not begin until September.Brisbane has scored a coup by attracting displays from upmarket marques Jaguar and Lamborghini, which bypassed the Sydney Motor Show late last year.At the top of the exotic list — and likely to be the most expensive car in the show — will be Lamborghini's $659,000 Murcielago LP640 coupe, making its Australian debut.The Italian-made V12-powered LP640, a new-generation replacement for the original Murcielago, has a larger engine and more aggressive styling. It is claimed to be capable of 340 km/h, and can reach 100km/h in 3.4 seconds.The show also will have the Australian unveiling of the production version of a smaller Lamborghini convertible, the Gallardo Spyder. Top speed 314km/h. Price $439,000.Other high-speed Italians will include the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano ($574,000, V12 engine, 0-100km/h 3.7sec, top speed 330km/h), Maserati's two-door $248,500 GranSport and four-door $258,000 Quattroporte.The 10-day show, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, will open on February 2. Adult tickets will be $16.

Even a few decades ago, the sight of a car saleswoman may have sent male buyers spinning on their heels.Now, Belinda Woodward is one of Audi Australia's best sales people.Kim Trevena is the business manager for Audi Centre Brisbane and Sue Young is in charge of public relations and marketing for Bentley, Ferrari and Maserati and also assists with the sales of Bentleys.Saleswomen are not uncommon in most dealerships and this emergence is being mirrored by buyers, with more women taking the dominant role in buying a car, be it for the family or themselves.Women are doing the research, picking the vehicle and negotiating the price.Women are not afraid to buy a car for themselves and they are enjoying it.Audi Centre Brisbane, Alfa Romeo Brisbane, Euromarque; Ferrari, Maserati and Bentley principle Greg Willims said when it comes to buying "things of the heart", buyers prefer dealing with women."If you were going to buy a house today, what is the probability you would deal with a female sales assistant? Very high," he said."People warm to a female salesperson. They feel comfortable and at ease with them."It's a bit unnerving, females are here in what was in historically a male dominated business and they know equally about the motor cars and the features as any male would."At Willim's dealership, two of the four service advisers and 20 per cent of salespeople are female."In finance, the sale of finance and insurance, it's the other way around. All three who sell finance and insurance are female," he said.Willims said women were involved in the decision process of buying cars as much as men."We see a large number of professional women and young women coming through and the decision is theirs," he said."Women make a very good, rational and responsible decision in what they buy."I believe women look for style, they like to see a car that suits their look."They examine carefully the economy of operation and service back-up. They like to know when they come to service time they will be looked after very well."Also they choose the colour. Performance isn't as important, but they do look responsibly to a car that suits; lifestyle, functionality, design, economy, ease of operation, reliability and functionality."Brisbane Denmac Ford's managing director Chris Allen said women are becoming "more the primary buyer" and admits this is "a bit of a change"."The demographic of a husband and wife and the kids coming in to buy the car is not necessarily how we live our lives and that is being reflected in how we buy cars," he said."A lot of surveys say many women are involved in the decision and we are seeing a lot of women there negotiating the transaction."Many women come in without a partner or father figure. It's normal to see women coming in and picking out a car. They seem very well informed, they have done more formal research."A lot of men are more naturally aware of all the different models and the pricing because they seem to be more car oriented. A lot of the women do more formal research through the internet or magazines."Allen said Denmac Ford receives more inquiries from women for SUV vehicles than men."I think in most cases they are the primary driver (of SUVs). They are doing the hard miles."Pickles Auctions manager Paul Cottrell said five years ago one woman would buy a car at most auctions.Today, he sees about three to five."It's probably due to the financial status of women. There are more women in the workforce with more disposable income and taking a greater responsibility in the choice of the family car. Women have more of a say now," he said.The RACQ's Jim Kershaw said any buyer can benefit from having an older person to help with the purchase of a car."If you have done your homework, you will be OK. We are approached equally by both sexes for help with buying cars."Women are earning better pay now and they want wheels. Our society is changing."

The Maserati MC12 Versione Corse, right, debuted last week at the Bologna Motor Show, is designed to be one of the most extreme supercars available on the market.And with a worldwide price of $1.7 million and only 12 produced, the potential market will be exclusive.It is based on the MC12 GT1 which won the FIA GT1 Manufacturers Championship in 2005, the Team Championship in 2005 and 2006, the Driver's title in 2006, and two consecutive editions of the Spa 24 Hours, in 2005 and 2006.However, the production car actually has more power than the race car with 563kW compared with 447kW. It is powered by a six-litre V12 engine producing maximum torque of 710Nm at 6000rpm.Maserati claims a 0-200km/h acceleration figure of 6.4sec and a top speed of 326km/h.

Unveiled internationally at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, just 180 individually numbered MC Victories will be sold worldwide. Australia's first glance at the stunning GranSport evolution will occur at the 2006 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney.Generously equipped, the Maserati GranSport MC Victory boasts a host of new features that link it to the victorious Maserati MC12 race car. Externally, the vehicle is easily identified via its blue carbon-fibre spoilers front and rear, plus the red, white and green Italian flag embossed into the front wings (another clear link to the MC12 racer).Like the base-model, the MC Victory enjoys rapid performance thanks to a thumping 4.2- litre Italian V8 engine developing weaponsgrade outputs of 295kW and 451Nm – in a lightweight 1680kg package.Serious aerodynamic aids are part of the MC Victory package, with a bigger front splitter than standard on GranSport generating greater aerodynamic down-force at speed, in concert with extended side skirts and sundry aero tweaks aimed at high-speed stability.Hi-tech, race-inspired materials define the interior. Like the front and rear spoilers, the cabin's carbon-fibre highlights are also blue. This is matched with leather and Alcantara trim, which covers the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel and centre section of the carbon-fibre race seats.

Motor show committee chairman Chris Beecham said attendance was more than 117,000 over the 10 days of the show, compared with last year's record 128,000.He attributed the smaller figure to the one-off move from February to March, CityTrain and the Broncos versus Cowboys clash on Sunday."We'll be happy to go back to February next year," he said. The Brisbane show swapped dates with the Melbourne Motor Show so it could avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games."Overall, the quality of the stands was good and there were a lot of sales made," Beecham said.Audi Centre dealer principal Greg Willims said they sold a lot of luxury vehicles including a $748,000 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, a Maserati GranSport costing $264,000 and two Bentley Continental Flying Spurs worth $390,000 each.He said they also had orders for two Bentley Azure convertibles worth $650,000 each and 32 Audi Q7 sports utility vehicles.A custom chopper built during the duration of the show was passed in at auction for $75,000 on Saturday night as it was below reserve.The Croc Chopper, built by King Pin Choppers of Geebung, is now for sale by private tender with profits going to the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.Leukemia patient Harley Jack Davidson Jones, 7, of the Gold Coast, gave the project his seal of approval when he was a guest of the show last week.With a name like that, he could hardly be expected to disapprove, although he seemed more interested in the Wiggles car on a nearby stand.Harley did, however, appreciate the crushing action of the croc's jaws at the front of the bike.A Royal Children's Hospital Foundation spokeswoman said the money raised from the auction would be used to help find a cure for people like Harley.Kin Pin Choppers boss Phil Harwood said he was disappointed the bike was not sold, but the way now was open for its true value to be realised.Prospective buyers should contact motor show organiser Michelle Ramsey, on 3237 8760.More than $105,000 was raised for the Road Safety Fund of Queensland in the annual Personalised Plates Queensland Collector Plate Auction at the show with the top price of $15,000 bid for Q162.Successful bidder Peter Campbell of the Gold Coast said he already had Q308 and wanted to acquire more of the historic Q plates, the first series issued in Queensland early last century.Another collector bought the new football-themed, seven-character plates BRONCOS ($14,000) and COWBOYS ($13,000).Next year's motor show will be from February 2-11.Exhibitor stand results: motorcycles and scooters, Morgan & Wacker Harley-Davidson; motor vehicle stand under 500sq m, Saab; stand over 500sq m and John Cant Award, Hyundai; allied industry display, Personalised Plates Queensland; and aftermarket stand, Northfield Car Sound.

Show committee chairman Chris Beecham said several manufacturers treated the event as an opportunity to sell new cars as well as display them, with 900 sales recorded last year.A record 128,000 people visited the show in 2005 and this year more than 50 new models will be among the displays, from a $1.3 million Pagani Zonda Roadster down to the national launch of the Toyota Yaris sedan costing $17,690."The total value of all the cars on display would be $200 million to $300 million," Mr Beecham said.The opening of the show comes as NRMA Insurance yesterday announced it would reduce premiums on cars fitted with swerve or electronic stability control.Mr Beecham estimated up to 50 per cent of the cars at the show would have ESC fitted as standard or available as an option."Everyone has a different name for it, but it's a magnificent technological advancement," he said."Five or six years ago most vehicles didn't have airbags and ABS brakes — now they are standard. ESC will soon become standard in new cars."Mr Beecham said if Queensland had annual roadworthy checks on vehicles there would be more new vehicles with safety devices such as ESC on the roads.NRMA Insurance state manager Brett Robinson said motor show visitors should put new cars with ESC at the top of their list."We applaud those manufacturers who are already installing electronic stability control and hope the move NRMA Insurance is making to include it in our risk profile when assessing new cars will encourage more manufacturers to follow suit."If there was widespread use of ESC, it could lead to around 3500 fewer collisions on Queensland roads each year, he said."We believe this technology has the capacity to save lives on our roads and to particularly reduce the frequency of single-vehicle crashes," Mr Beecham said.ESC is an extension of anti-lock brake technology, featuring speed sensors and independent braking devices for each wheel to prevent skidding.Manufacturers already fitting the technology in their cars include luxury makers such as Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Saab, which will all have cars at the show.

At $1.3 million the V12 Pagani Zonda roadster, pictured, one of the most expensive cars to be revealed in Queensland, will roar to life among close to 20 environmentally friendly diesel and hybrid (petrol/electric) examples.Queensland's annual motoring extravaganza has drawn a record number of cars making their Australian or Queensland debuts which reflects the buoyant state of the local new car market.More than 216,000 (22 per cent of the national market) new vehicles were purchased in Queensland last year, with the Sunshine State leading the way in growth.What has also helped build the imposing list of Motor Show exhibits is the scheduling of the show a month later than normal because it swapped dates with Melbourne which avoided clashing with the Commonwealth Games."Visitors this year will see more than 50 cars that either are just released or still to be released, while there are quite a few more they may never see on the roads, such as the Holden Efijy concept or ultra-rare exotics like the Pagani Zonda," Chris Beecham, chairman of the motor show organising committee said."By putting on their best displays the companies are acknowledging the growing influence of Queensland car buyers."From the industry's viewpoint, the show provides a strong kick-start to the sales year."Also competing for exotic bragging rights will be Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti and F430, the $650,000 Bentley Azure convertible, Maserati GranSport Spyder, the Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster and Murcielago, Jaguar XK convertible and Australia's 300km/h Redback Spyder which is featured on the cover of the motor show program in The Courier-Mail today.The Porsche range returns after several years which features the all-new Cayman S coupe which sits between the Boxster and the 911.The traditional display of motorcycles will have a spectacular star, with predictions the "Croc Chopper", being custom-built on a special show stand, could fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned on the final night for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation charity.Fuel-efficient, environment-friendly cars will appear in record numbers.Lexus debuts Australia's first luxury sedan with petrol-electric hybrid power, the 450H, and Honda with an all-new Civic hybrid.The latest examples of clean, powerful and economical turbocharged diesel engines will be displayed by traditionally sporty brands BMW, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.Citroen, Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Holden will show "oil-burners".An added attraction will be the staging of the official V8 Supercars championship launch featuring all cars, drivers and transporters at South Bank from 10am-2pm on Saturday.Both Little Stanley St and Glenelg St, just outside the motor show, will be closed for the free event.While the V8 launch only runs on one day the motor show continues until Saturday week.