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2014 Maserati Quattroporte to get twin-turbo V6

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:14:00 EST

As we wait for the Detroit Auto Show to get our up-close and in-depth look at the redesigned 2014 Maserati Quattroporte, some details are just starting to emerge about the car's powertrain, but nothing is official just yet. Autocar has posted a first drive of the new Quattroporte, finally spilling the beans about what motivates this sporty and luxurious sedan.

We already knew that the 2014 Quattroporte will offer two engines - a V6 and V8 - but what we didn't know is that both engines will get a pair of turbochargers and direct injection. Previously, we speculated that the smaller V6 would be supercharged, but this 3.0-liter V6 will get turbos instead helping it produce an estimated 410 horsepower. As for the larger 3.8-liter V8, this engine is said to produce 530 horsepower (confirming our previous report) to go with 479 pound-feet of torque; performance specs for the V8 include a top speed of 191 miles per hour and a 0-60 mph time of well under five seconds.

All cars will have a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive will be optional allowing for all of the engine power sent to the rear wheel during normal driving and a full 50/50 split between front and rear axles when needed. As we suspected, the 2014 Quattroporte has grown in size to better compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

With the Detroit Auto Show coming up in about a month, stay tuned as we await official details from Maserati.

2014 Maserati Quattroporte to get twin-turbo V6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati releases quartet of videos featuring new Quattroporte

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Sedan, Performance, Videos, Maserati, Design/Style, Luxury

In case you missed it, Maserati has decided to introduce the world to its next Quattroporte well ahead of its official debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show in January. As expected, it's beautiful.

Not content to leave well enough alone, the Italian automaker has revealed a series of videos to go along with the six images and press release it had already let loose upon the globe's unsuspecting automotive press.

We're still a bit shaky on the details, but Maserati says the Quattroporte's new engine, assembled by Ferrari in Maranello, will "[establish] new benchmarks for Maserati in terms of power and acceleration." That sounds good to us, though we're not sure if that means 530 horsepower as possibly alluded to by the license plate on the press shots. We also note that the automaker says the car is designed to accept "a wide range of engine architectures," so that rumored supercharged V6 sounds likely.

Maserati promises lower weight will bring increased performance and efficiency, despite the fact that its next Quattroporte will be "much larger than the previous" model.

Watch all four videos below, and stay tuned for our live coverage from Detroit in T-minus two months.

Continue reading Maserati releases quartet of videos featuring new Quattroporte

Maserati releases quartet of videos featuring new Quattroporte originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Maserati Quattroporte revealed before Detroit debut

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Maserati, Luxury

Well that didn't take long at all. Although we just saw spy shots of the new Maserati Quattroporte last week, Maserati has now taken the wraps off its redesigned sedan ahead of a confirmed Detroit Auto Show debut. Although no official details for the car were released just yet, we can infer quite a few changes just from the images. Celebrating 50 years of the Quattroporte, Maserati is referring to this new car as a 2013 model, but it will arrive next year for the 2014 model year in the US.

The overall exterior styling of the new Quattroporte hasn't evolved too far away from the current car. There is still the sloping hood, vented fenders and shapely body lines, but it also gets a much sleeker roofline and more steeply raked front glass. It also appears that the rear wheels no longer cut into the rear doors, suggesting a longer wheelbase. The biggest change made to the car's styling is found in the rear of the car where horizontal taillights and exhaust tip design now gives it a strong Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG vibe. Inside, the four-passenger sedan now gets a more stylish two-tier instrument panel, a larger touch-screen display on the center stack and what looks to be equally sized monitors for the rear-seat entertainment system.

Under the hood, we can definitely tell that the Quattroporte still uses a V8, but aside from the press release calling it an "all-new next generation powertrain," we don't have any real details of what powers the car. Or do we? The rear 3/4 image of the new design shows a license plate number of "QP 530 HP" possibly suggesting the engine's output has been raised to 530 horsepower up from the current 425. We are also expecting a supercharged V6 at some point down the line with an output of around 420 hp, and it is likely that both engines will be paired to eight-speed automatic transmissions.

Scroll down for Maserati's quote-filled press release.

Continue reading New Maserati Quattroporte revealed before Detroit debut

New Maserati Quattroporte revealed before Detroit debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati dubs new SUV Levante, new sedan to resurrect Ghibli moniker

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, SUV, Maserati, Luxury

Building on the introduction of the GranCabrio MC that debuted at the Paris Motor Show, Maserati is planning three new models over the next couple of year in an attempt to raise sales to 50,000 units annually by 2015. While we think that that is a pretty lofty goal for a boutique automaker, redesigning its flagship sedan and adding two all-new models in popular segments sounds like a great plan of attack

The first new car we'll see from the Italian automaker is the next generation of the Quattroporte which will be a fitting way to celebrate the car's golden anniversary. We've already seen spy pictures of the new Quattroporte testing as well as a series of patent drawings that reportedly show the car's basic lines. Expect the new Quattroporte out sometime next year with a possible launch at the Detroit Auto Show.

Following the new Quattroporte, we'll finally get to climb behind the wheel of a Maserati SUV... just not the Kubang. Maserati confirmed that its new utility vehicle, based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, will in fact be named the Levante. We already knew that Maserati would definitely not be using the odd Kubang name after this year, but if the Levante name sounds familiar, it's because we previously reported that this name would be used on a sedan slotting in below the Quattroporte.

Speaking of this new sub-Quattroporte sedan, Maserati also announced that this all-new model would wear the Ghibli name. Both previous Maserati Ghibli models were sporty two-door cars, but this latest take on the name will be a full-size sedan going up against cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series. No word as to when we might see the new Ghibli on the road.

While we have the naming down for Maserati's newest products, we have few other details about these three new models, but we suspect Maserati will remedy this over the next year or so.

Continue reading Maserati dubs new SUV Levante, new sedan to resurrect Ghibli moniker

Maserati dubs new SUV Levante, new sedan to resurrect Ghibli moniker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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