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It looks like the new Quattroporte is going to have a little company on Maserati's stand at the Geneva auto show next week. The brand's new four-door will be forced to share the spotlight of its European debut with the mildly updated 2013 GranTurismo MC Stradale, appearing for the first time in a two-plus-two configuration. The original Stradale deleted the seats in the name of weight savings, and as such, their reintroduction requires no extensive modifications. But that's not to say that Maserati didn't take the opportunity to lend the nearly three-year-old model a few improvements.
The new GranTurismo MC Stradale gets a new carbon-fiber hood with a central air intake and a pair of heat extractors, forged 20-inch aluminum wheels, and a cabin stuffed with yet-to-be-specified "new materials and style." Brembo carbon-ceramic discs reside at all four corners, and the engine gets upgraded to the same 460-hp variation of the 4.7-liter V-8 that debuted in GranTurismo Sport and now is fitted across the GranTurismo model range. Shifting is handled by Maser's in-house-developed six-speed automated-manual gearbox.
So what does this mean for fans of the Trident here in North America? Well, it's a good bet the wheels and the hood may find their way into the GranTurismo Sport—the hottest version of the model we get— for the 2014 model year, but don't count on seeing the carbon-ceramic rotors. Last we spoke with Maserati brass they maintained that the specially tuned ZF transmission continues to be a better choice for the U.S. market than the automated manual. And as far as the 460-hp state of tune, that will remain specific to markets other than ours; the American-market GranTurismo Sport's 453-hp output will be as much as this country sees from a GranTurismo for the foreseeable future. As to whether or not U.S.-based Maseratisti will ever get their hands on an MC Stradale one day? Well, there are betting men and then there are dreamers. This one's for the latter.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Thursday, February 28, 2013
Maserati Adds Formerly Deleted Rear Seats and More Power to GranTurismo MC Stradale [2103 Geneva Auto Show]
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