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THE TRIDENT EXPANDS ITS RANGE WITH THE MASERATI GRANSPORTFriday 27 February 2004
Maserati GranSport is the name for a new model celebrating the sporting soul at the heart of the Trident’s Grand Tourers (GTs) and will be unveiled to the world for the first time at the Geneva International Motor Show. The new car joins the Coupé and Spyder in the Maserati range and goes on sale this summer. The GranSport name hints at its thoroughbred GT spirit which provides instant performance for the driver. The GranSport name has special symbolic significance for Maserati as it was first used in the 1950s for the elegant two-litre coupe designed by the Carozzeria Frua on the chassis of the famous A6 G model.
The new GranSport is designed as an alternative to the current Coupé and has been developed to express the powerful temperament at the heart of the car.
AN AERODYNAMIC THOROUGHBRED
The Maserati GranSport’s beautiful shape has been developed in the wind tunnel and uses muscular aerodynamic forms to improve the airflow over the car, ensuring a balance of vertical loads between the front and rear axles. The result is that the Maserati GranSport has a drag factor of 0.33, one of the very best in its category. The enhanced dynamic characteristics along with improved front-wheel driveability make it very easy to handle. GranSport owners will be able to enjoy the performance of the vehicle with complete confidence.
The aerodynamic changes include the development of new bumpers. At the front a very pronounced lower spoiler with side bars integrates elegantly into the body itself, while the boot lid has been given a discrete but efficient spoiler lip.
Altogether the new aerodynamic features, combined with a 10 mm reduction in ride height, result in a two-point improvement in the drag factor over the standard Coupé delivering real benefits for the driver. The Maserati GranSport offers a truly blistering drive thanks to its direct, precise steering and excellent stability at high speeds.
The traditional Maserati elegance is there too in the classic chrome grille reminiscent of the Quattroporte. The grilles over the air vents on the rear bumper are chrome, too. The Maserati GranSport’s sporty stance is completed with new 19" wheels inspired by those used on the cars in the Maserati Trofeo Championship, with the spokes forming a very attractive Trident.
400HP V8 ENGINE
The Maserati GranSport’s normally aspirated 4244cc V8 engine has all the character of the most advanced racing engines with dry sump lubrication and twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank and four-valves-per-cylinder hydraulic tappets. The intake cams also feature variable phase timing.
Maximum power delivery has been upped from the original 390hp to 400hp after special development to reduce internal friction, along with work on the intake manifolds and valve seats. The engine combines with a sports exhaust system that is instantly recognisable, thanks to the unique design of its twin chrome tailpipes, designed to give enthusiasts that unmistakeable deep, full-bodied rumble. Thanks to an electronically controlled pneumatic valve system, even more can be heard from the exhaust by pressing the "Sport" button on the central console.
CAMBIOCORSA TRANSMISSION
The Maserati GranSport uses the Cambiocorsa six-speed electro-hydraulic transmission in which the gears are changed using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, further enhancing the car’s sporting heritage. The Cambiocorsa system allows drivers to choose between various gear shifting modes (Normal, Sport, Automatic and Low Grip) using software developed specifically for the GranSport. In Sport mode the GranSport offers 35 per cent quicker gear changes than the Coupé and boasts automatic heeling-and-toeing to make dropping down a gear even faster. Thanks to the new Cambiocorsa software, the Maserati GranSport can sprint over a kilometre from standstill in 23 se
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