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With the Panamera Porsche knocks energetic on the door to the prestigious class of the sporty luxury liners. A meeting with the rival Maserati Quattroporte With some things one has it as an Italian more easily. Maserati Quattroporte sounds for example much better than for instance Porsche Viertürer.

Why one had to exert in Zuffenhausen a little, in order to find the correct names for the new one. Panamera is a long word, but at the broad tail is much place for many letters. And the name reminds, like also „ Carrera “, to which Mexican long-distance examination, with which Porsche brillierte into the 50ern. Panamera fits. Measure in the autoquartet duel humans against machine: Who makes the pass? Porsche or Maserati? Now play free of charge! It breathes Porsche tradition and sounds easily Latin American Caribbean, like the used model names Cayenne and Cayman. „ the Panamera “, mentions Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking, „ unites the best from the world of the sports cars with the world of the luxury sedans. “ a description, which applies just as well to the Maserati Quattroporte, which one sees also in Zuffenhausen as one of the future main competitors of the Swabian Viertürers.

Naturally apart from the particularly sumptuously motorized versions of AUDI A8, BMW 7er and Mercedes CLS as well as the future Aston Martin rapid. Now they are located to 928 or the adjusted project 989 in the photo studio, the four-door Porsche – some as Wiedergänger for the first time next to each other see – and the cool Maserati of the Quattroporte. Design comparisons are naturally always very subjective, and everyone will find the Panamera pretty. A very stately car it always became. And a didactic drama, an as very few millimeter in the height and the width can affect the picture of a car.

The Porsche is broader and five millimeter lower only 36 millimeters than the certainly not straight small Maserati, yet the Viertürer from Modena beside its stämmigen counterpart from Zuffenhausen works almost delicate. That the Quattroporte – begun as sport GTS, which in engine performance and price at the best the Panamera turbo fits – a longer wheel base has and also a few centimeter is longer one believes here only if one parks her directly next to each other. Now and an AUDI A4 2,0 TDI e go through win: Here it goes to the large reader inquiry of the AUTO NEWSPAPER Probably the few buyers, with the exception of the Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, will possibly acquire one this sport Viertürer as Chauffeurs limousine. Nevertheless is good it to know that it would go with both very well. With Maserati and Porsche even sumptuous knee area remains with driver’s seat pushed back far.

No miracle with wheel bases of approximately three meters. The airier space feeling adjusts itself in the Italian, whose filigranerer structure more light leaves in the Interieur. In the Panamera one sits more deeply, the atmosphere is more intimately, the ambience more schummriger – also because of the dark-brown leather equipment. But who spends over 130000 euros on a car with 440 (Maserati) or 500 HP (Porsche), on the left of place to take and the soft leather armchair as well as the optional Rear Seat entertainment is left in the back to grateful passengers preferentially in front. Particularly since with both some is ordered. Maserati offers its Viertürer in three performance levels, the basic form with 400 HP, to S with 430 HP and 440 HP strong sport GTS. The Panamera start to the sales start as S and 4S with 400 HP and as turbo with 500 HP, whereby 4S and turbo come in series with seven-course double clutch transmission and all-wheel drive.

The road performances certainly not slow sport of the GTS sort themselves on the level of the more inexpensive Panamera S. With 5.1 seconds of zero on speed 100 and a point of 285 km/h the Quattroporte must employ itself clearly behind the Panamera turbo. Düst in 4.2 seconds on 100 km/h and 303 km/h – all values are fast factory specifications run. The difference fails nearly still more clearly with European Union consumption: 12.2 litres to 15.7 litres of super plus in favor of the Porsche. Efficiency is evenly also with super+fast Viertürern a topic. Result – Heinrich Lingner How the Panamera really strikes itself against the established Quattroporte in the true life, a comparison test will show. The rough direction is certain already after first meeting one another: Hightech Mobil from the Swabian one against Design object with running genes from the Emiglia. Or differently said: The heart says Maserati, the understanding Porsche. But that was somehow always already like that.

Rating:

A refined luxury saloon one minute, a hard-edged supercar the next. Maserati says its new Quattroporte Sport GT S offers the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde driving experience – but is this latest change for Italy’s popular rival to the Mercedes S-Class a tune-up too far?

As with the standard model, the GT S shares its 4.7-litre V8 engine with the GranTurismo S. But, thanks to a sports exhaust, power is up 9bhp to 434bhp while torque climbs to 490Nm. A reworked automatic gearbox has boosted shift times, while the suspension set-up has been stiffened and lowered to improve handling. There’s a new soundtrack from the sports exhaust, too, because as well as liberating extra power, it’s been fitted with pneumatic valves which can open up fully for a throaty note.

And what a noise it is! Press the Sport button and at any engine speed, in any gear, the system produces a roar. When you back off, it fizzles and crackles, too – it’s one of the greatest sounds in motoring!

Full Story: AutoExpress – Maserati Quattroporte GT S

Clearly every automotive publication in the world attended the same event a few days ago! I’m still not tired of reading about and looking at this car though.

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What is it?

This is the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS. Last year the Masaerati Quattroporte was given a mild facelift, and at the same time the 4.7-litre V8 engine from the GranTurismo S became available as an option.

Now the range has been extended further with the introduction of this top-end 4.7-litre model, the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GTS.

‘Top end’ in most luxury car terms might equal more speed, but it would also mean more comfort. But this is Maserati. So out go the Skyhook adaptive dampers (replaced by more sporting passive ones), down comes the suspension (by 15mm at the front and 11mm at the rear) and up goes the power and rev limiter.

Okay, so the power’s up by only 8bhp (to 433) and the limit by 100rpm (to 7200rpm). But there’s more to it than that. The power is up because the exhaust has an active valve which, if you press a button on the dash, sends gases out without damping a great deal of their sound.

Advances in automatic gearbox software, meanwhile, have allowed the rev limit to increase. Apparently autos and high-revving engines aren’t naturally suited to each other, so it’s only recently that the software has allowed it.

Full Story: Autocar First Drive – Maserati Quattroporte 4.7 V8 GTS

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Look at the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S through your credit crunch glasses – they’re the NHS-style ones, skew-whiff, with white tape holding one of the hinges together – and it will make absolutely no sense whatsoever. None. Consider its CO2 rating, its fuel economy and its price; they’re almost embarrassing.

Then take those glasses off and just look at the pictures of the thing. I could stop this review here.

In the Metal

You already want one, don’t you? Believe me; it doesn’t matter whether you’re an environmentalist or a car mentalist, a man or a woman – or even blind, for that matter – which we’ll get to. Whoever you are, you will be powerless to resist the Quattroporte’s charms.

But then, you probably already knew the Quattroporte was beautiful – it’s been around as long as Facebook. And, just like Facebook, it’s had a major cosmetic revamp recently, which everyone worried would damage the perfectly good original, but actually made it better. And it’s also likely to attract you a load of spurious ‘friends’ if you spend enough time with it.

This Sport GT S version sits atop the now three-strong Quattroporte tree, and distinguishes itself visually by way of some 20-inch multi-spoke rims, a black grille and headlamp bezels, dual oval tailpipes, and on the inside, an Alcantara wheel rim and seats, ‘titanex’ dash inserts (carbon fibre lookalike), and a longer set of paddle shifters behind the wheel. And that’s about it; subtlety is king, fortunately.

Full Review: The Car Enthusiast – First Drive: Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

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PRESS RELEASE

MASERATI AT THE BOLOGNA MOTOR SHOW UNDER THE FLAG OF ITS SPORTY DNA

The MC Sport Line customisation programme focuses on Maserati’s racing heritage fresh from its latest international triumph in the FIA GT championship with the Bertolini-Bartels duo in Argentina, the land of Juan Manuel Fangio.

Maserati has developed a special series of new options named “MC Sport Line”, which make their worldwide debut at the Bologna Motor Show, with new content that adds to Maserati’s already extensive range of personalisation options. The “MC Sport Line” is designed to enhance the sporty DNA of Maseratis for those customers who like to express their passion for racing through dynamic styling and a choice of technical solutions that increase driving fun without compromise.

The name “MC Sport Line” sums up the on-track experience gained by the Maserati Corse department, whose contribution to the design of the functional components has been invaluable. The world of motor racing also inspired Maserati’s designers when it came to styling, hence the extensive use of carbon fibre, exceptionally popular among racing enthusiasts thanks to its direct links to racing.

The GranTurismo S, the ultimate expression of Maserati’s performance, was the model chosen to first present the “MC Sport Line” catalogue to the public, which will be extended to the GranTurismo range and then will ultimately encompass the entire Maserati line-up during the course of 2009.

From early 2009, GranTurismo S customers will not only be able to enhance the sporty look of their vehicle’s exterior and interior – but different technical solutions will also be available.

Aerodynamics can be modified thanks to the addition of front and rear carbon-fibre spoilers, which benefit from track tests conducted on the GranTurismo MC Concept; the new aerodynamics not only optimise the vertical load but give the car a very distinctive appearance, as do the side skirts with the central panel finished in matt black, adding a dynamic edge to the side view.

The sporty look of the exterior can be completed with carbon fibre mirror housings and door handles. The same dark shade is reflected in the glossy black 20″ wheel rims that perfectly match the dark line of the exterior.

The carbon fibre door sill bearing the words “MC Sport Line”, tells you that you are entering a different environment, in which carbon fibre characterises the door panels, dashboard and central tunnel.

The steering wheel rim is also made from carbon fibre, as are the paddle shifts for the electro-actuated transmission and the body of the instrument panel, dashboard and door panels, featuring carbon moulding. Looking at the central tunnel, carbon fibre dominates the entire section, acting as a backdrop to enhance the brilliance of the chrome.

The “MC” pedal block complete with kickplate to the left is machined from solid aluminium.

Under the “skin”, the suspension has been stiffened thanks to new, stiffer springs, shock absorbers and anti-roll bars; the new suspension set-up is synchronised with a specific Maserati Stability Programme software, allowing the driver more freedom. The car is now 10 mm lower than the GranTurismo S, resulting in on-road performance that is absolutely uncompromising in terms of handling and driving enjoyment.

All the features listed are available either as part of the customisation package, following the indications of Maserati designers; or individually, to cater for the personal tastes of each customer.

Source: autoblog