The Melbourne International Motor Show which opens on 29th February will be the first sighting in Australia of the new Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S which will go on sale soon after the show.

The 2008 Melbourne International Motor Show (29 February 2008) will be the first sighting in Australia of the new Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S, the new hard-edged performance version of the legendary supercar maker’s luxury sedan, which will go on sale in Australia and New Zealand soon after the show.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S, the latest version of the best selling Maserati of all time, will be joined by the Maserati GranTurismo, the fastest selling Maserati of all time, making its Melbourne Show debut. Last year was a record year in Australia for Maserati, with Quattroporte sales also doubling over 2006, yet the Australian importer entered 2008 with an order book for the GranTurismo larger than its entire 2007 sales.

Nor is Maserati’s success limited to road cars. As would be expected of one of the most famous names in motorsport, Maserati continued to build and extend its motorsport history in 2007 with the Maserati MC12 taking no less than four World Championship titles in the FIA GT World Championship.

This remarkable set of title wins came at the same time as Maserati was celebrating the 50th anniversary of what is described as the greatest Formula One victory of all time, Fangio’s win at the Nürburgring in his Maserati 250F, arguably the most successful Formula One car of all time.

THE MASERATI QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT S

The Quattroporte Sport GT S is the ultimate expression of Maserati’s flagship car performance and style. Exclusively for those looking for a sporting edge in a luxury sedan, the Quattroporte Sport GT S, equipped with an automatic 6-speed gearbox, stands out for its exceptional dynamic behaviour and uncompromised handling.

This result was obtained with the introduction of single-rate dampers and a new “racing” set up. The Quattroporte Sport GT S sits 10 mm lower at the front and 25 mm at the rear, and also features new, stiffer springs and dampers. The lower ride height and greater rigidity in the suspension system have led to a noticeable reduction in the roll and pitch angles, in the weight transfer and also to a slight increase in lateral acceleration. In everyday driving, this translates into limited body movements, with significant improvements in terms of agility, as well as travel speed through and traction coming out of curves. The result is a car that feels very much like a coupé to drive.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S also boasts another major new development: a unique braking system developed in collaboration with Brembo. This innovative technology uses composite dual-cast discs, the first time such a set up has been employed on a road car. Unlike traditional cast iron discs, dual-cast discs are made of two materials, cast iron and aluminium, to ensure optimized braking, improving performance in the most extreme conditions and providing greater resistance to fade even at the highest temperatures. The dual-cast disc consists of a cast iron braking surface and an aluminium hat, making it possible to combine the advantages of heat-resistance provided by cast iron with the lightweight properties of aluminium. In particular, the use of aluminium, which is generally 20% lighter than cast iron, made it possible to increase the diameter of the front discs up to 360 mm, while maintaining the same weight.

In addition to improving the performance of the braking system, other advantages created by the dual-casting of these materials include greater driving comfort, less wear on the discs and pads, and better component performance. The Quattroporte Sport GT S’s new braking system also features new mono-block, six-piston front brake calipers and new tyres have been developed especially for this car (front 245/35-R20 and rear 295/30-R20). The larger rear ground footprint allows optimum use of the V8’s 400 hp, whilst the new tyre mix helps the brakes and set-up to guarantee a superior level of handling and driving emotion. The fuel economy is also remarkable: it uses 9% less fuel in non-urban driving compared to the Quattroporte DuoSelect.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S’s exterior is distinguished by a more aggressive look. The black-chrome mesh front grille, a characteristic element of sporty Maseratis, is joined by a series of significant aesthetic elements: the side window trims and the two double exhaust pipes are also in black, whilst door handles are in the same colour as the body of the car. The Quattroporte Sport GT S is fitted with dark-chrome 20", seven spoke alloy wheels.

Even the interior reflects the muscular character of the car, thanks to a meticulous selection of materials which celebrate the sportier nature of the latest evolution of the Maserati flagship vehicle. The interior finish features carbon-fibre with aluminium treads. The front seats offer an advanced level of lateral support and are distinguished by the new design of the seat and backrest. Thanks to a more cosseting shape, they ensure an excellent level of comfort as well as support for the upper body and legs in sporty driving.

The interior of the Quattroporte GT S combine the traditional Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara, which covers the central sections of the seats, the door panels and the rim of the steering wheel. Available in five colours (Beige, Pearl Beige, Grigio-Gray, Nero-Black, and Blu Trofeo), Alcantara, beside giving customers a further personalization option, also offers better grip. Prices and specifications will be announced for the Maserati Quattroporte GT S at the Melbourne International Motor Show.