A new Maserati vehicle in the sport luxury SUV segment will represent a natural direction for Maserati to enlarge its product range and strengthen its presence in the sport luxury market.

For some reason SUVs today never seem to offer the kind of uplifting driving pleasure and luxury atmosphere that are two givens of today’s high-end sports and luxury cars. And this is precisely what Maserati set out to do with its new sport luxury SUV concept that is being unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show today, the forerunner of the future Maserati range, creating at once discontinuity by entering a new segment, and continuity by maintaining the integrity of Maserati’s DNA.

The idea of a sport luxury SUV is naturally not totally new to Maserati. Many will remember the Kubang concept that was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. At a time in which few other brands were going in the direction of a sport luxury SUV, Maserati was already thinking to build one.

Today potential synergies with sister brand Jeep – a brand that 70 years ago created a new segment of the market and is today a leader of this very segment – are the important catalyst for Maserati’s own interpretation of a sport luxury SUV. And it seems only appropriate to give the model that we are unveiling today the very name of the concept that opened the way: Maserati Kubang.

The essence and all major system components of the Maserati sport luxury SUV will unmistakably be Maserati: style, engine, suspensions, brakes, handling and performance will all be 100% Maserati in picture-perfect continuity with the brand’s core values of sportiness, style, elegance, luxury, performance and craftsmanship.

The distinctive Maserati style that makes the Kubang immediately recognisable as a true Maserati has been created by the Maserati Style Center headed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti.

New-generation high-tech Maserati proprietary engines will be designed in Modena by Paolo Martinelli – Head of the Maserati Powertrain Department and for nearly 30 years at Ferrari, where he also served as engine chief of the Formula One racing team – and will be produced in Maranello by Ferrari.

An AT 8 speed automatic transmission and specific performance settings such as suspensions, brakes, steering will be exclusively developed in Modena for the Maserati sport luxury SUV by the Maserati Product Development Department.

Until today Maserati has been producing sedans, coupes and two- or four-seater convertibles. Whether we named them Quattroporte, GranTurismo or GranCabrio – or, before them, Ghibli, Mistral, Bora or Indy – their common denominator rested in two words: sportiness and luxury. Times have changed: sportiness and luxury today don’t have just one definition. They can also take the form of a very dynamic looking and high performing sport luxury SUV.

The Maserati GranCabrio Fendi designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi was born from the union of two iconic brands of the made in Italy, which share common values such as craftsmanship and tradition.

A masterpiece of technology and craftsmanship, the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi will be introduced at the Frankfurt MotorShow in September 2011.

The Maserati GranCabrio Fendi is crafted at the historical Maserati headquarters in Modena, with exclusive materials bespokely created in various colours for this project.

The three-layered body colour named Grigio Fiamma Fendi is a special dark grey with an iridescent golden finish on the surface. The wood trim Pergamena Fendi runs across the width of the dashboard, on the doors and on the top of the gear lever, all in the iconic FENDI yellow, like the brake callipers and the embroidered yellow trident on the headrests.

Adding a stronger yet elegant character to the GranCabrio is FENDI’s unmistakable double F-logo, stitched on the seat, also appearing in the centre of the 20-inch Trident design alloy wheels, and the FENDI logo along the rocker panel.

Cuoio Romano, Fendi’s most precious leather of its Selleria line, has been used for such details as the instrument cluster cover, for the gear lever and for the profiles of the floor mats. It also features in the Limited Edition Travel Set of luggage and accessories.

The Maserati GranCabrio Fendi represents a perfect marriage between the art of a handmade product with the ultimate technology and research of its 4.7-litre V8 engine coupled with automatic transmission, which brings out to life a unique roar, music to the ears of car connoisseurs.

Silvia Venturini Fendi’s specially crafted logo seals this collaboration. A silver oval plaque with the engraving of the Maserati trident, Fendi logo and the 5-digit series number (five being an iconic number for Fendi) is located on the dashboard, in front of the passenger seat, and on both sides of the black cloth folding roof.

A special black car cover with a ton-sur-ton double F logo dresses the GranCabrio, hiding this marvellous secret from indiscreet eyes until the very last moment.

Maserati GB is pleased to announce the introduction of a new Sport Pack for its best selling model in the UK, the GranTurismo S Automatic.

This Sport pack further enhances the GranTurismo S Automatic to deliver a performance oriented experience, whilst retaining the ease and convenience of the ZF automatic transmission. The Sport pack for the GranTurismo S Automatic features the super-fast MC Auto Shift softwareand a revised exhaust system which keeps its bypass valves fully open in Sport mode to provide an even richer sound.

The Sport pack also boasts a number of sports styling features. These include body coloured side skirts and front winglets, a stylish black grille featuring the Maserati Trident logo with red accents, black mesh side grilles, black look headlights, an integrated rear boot lid spoiler and oval exhaust pipes, along with Grigio Mercury Neptune-design alloy wheels to finish off its sportier look.

The GranTurismo S Automatic, equipped with dual-cast brake discs as standard, features a 4.7-litre V8 which develops 440 HP (323kW) at 7000 rpm.  The maximum torque is 490Nm at 4750 rpm and it sprints from 0 to 100km/h (0 to 62mph) in 5 seconds flat. Its top speed is 183 mph.

The Sport pack is priced at £3,840 bringing the price of a Sport pack equipped GranTurismo S Automatic to £92,480 on the road, including 3 years/unlimited mileage warranty.

Maserati GB has confirmed pricing for the new Maserati GranCabrio Sport at £102,615 on the road. The first right-hand drive vehicles will reach UK clients in October 2011. Officially unveiled at the Geneva Motorshow earlier this year, the Pininfarina designed four seater convertible was received with great enthusiasm by clients and media alike.

Conceived as a harder-edged GranCabrio, the GranCabrio Sport uses a more powerful and fuel-efficient version of Maserati’s all-alloy 4.7-litre V8. This configuration of the naturally aspirated engine produces 331 kW (450 HP) and a maximum torque of 510Nm at 4750 rpm.

Maserati’s Friction Reduction Programme has made the GranCabrio Sport’s engine more reactive to the driver’s inputs, whilst achieving a further 6% reduction in fuel consumption. Its ZF six-speed automatic transmission includes the super-fast MC Auto Shift software. It allows the GranCabrio Sport to reach a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph) and the 0-100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint is now reduced to 5.2s.

The Skyhook active-suspension system has been revised to grant a sportier feel and so has the braking system which features grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.

The mechanical changes also include a revised exhaust system which automatically opens its bypass valves in Sport mode to provide an even richer sound.

Visually, the GranCabrio Sport is characterised by a more-pronounced dynamic look: from the black grille featuring a Trident with red accents to the black look headlights with white sidemarks. Front corner splitters and redesigned side skirts matching the colour of the car’s body, black oval exhaust tips and 20” Astro-design wheels complete the dynamic look of the GranCabrio Sport.

The look is carried over inside the cabin with newly designed seats and driver-focused contents such as longer Trofeo-design gear-shift paddles and drilled aluminium pedals.

The GranCabrio Sport also features a new body colour:  Rosso Trionfale, a rich metallic red inspired by the Italian national colour used on 1950s racing Maseratis.

Inside the cabin, two new leather colours are available for the new M-design seats: Bianco Pregiato, a brilliant ivory shade; and Grigio Chrono, a sporty, dark tone of grey.

The new Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale will be the fastest, lightest and most powerful car in the Maserati range when it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2011.

Inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models, the two-seater Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale that will debut at the Paris Auto Show will feature razor-sharp handling and will break the 300km/h barrier.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale responds to demands for a GranTurismo which can balance on-road driving needs with race-driving desires, incorporating the handling and aerodynamic lessons from Maserati’s three racing programs.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale produces more aerodynamic down force without producing more aerodynamic drag, it produces more power – 336kw, 450 hp – without using more fuel and it is more agile without sacrificing the GranTurismo S’s highly praised ride quality.

The two-times Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso, driver of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, has “unveiled” in Fiorano the Maserati GranCabrio that he has selected.

The Spanish driver has chosen for his GranCabrio elegant fixtures, opting for a darker shade for the exterior in combination with two-tone upholstery for the interior. He chose Grigio Granito (granite grey) for the body, while the interior features a combination of Pearl Beige and Bordeaux leather, matching a soft top in the same Bordeaux shade.

The GranCabrio represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars. It is a Maserati in the truest sense thanks to its unmistakable Pininfarina design. Every detail is a pure expression of Italian craftsmanship of the highest level and thanks to its 4.7 l V8 delivering 440 HP, coupled with a 6-speed ZF automatic transmission, it delivers real driving pleasure and top performance in its class.

Fernando Alonso was particularly impressed with the roominess offered by the GranCabrio, perfect for four adult passengers. The GranCabrio is in fact the first four-seater convertible in the history of Maserati.

To emphasise the link with the Maserati tradition, the roof of the GranCabrio is strictly canvas. Available in six colours, perfectly integrated into the design of the car, it folds up in only 20 seconds (28 seconds including the movement of the four independent windows).

The Maserati GranCabrio is now on sale throughout Europe, via the Maserati Dealer Network. The first right hand drive examples will reach the UK showrooms in April at a price of £95,510.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S “Awards Edition”, the latest jewel in the Maserati range, will make its official debut at the prestigious Geneva Auto Show next week. The car will be unveiled during the press conference, on Tuesday, March 2nd 2010 on the Maserati stand (n.1051) at 13:45.

Six years after its birth, the car that created the luxury sport saloon segment continues to receive accolades from the general public, automobile aficionados and the media. Maserati has decided to celebrate its success with a superlative version, which blends the elegance and sporty stylishness of the brand’s flagship, thanks to the combination of highly refined details, handcrafted finishes and features with a decidedly sporty flair.

During its six years of life, the Maserati Quattroporte has received no less than 56 awards from the most prestigious automotive and lifestyle publications in 14 countries over four continents. A global recognition for a car that has known how to renew itself over the years, still never failing to maintain the appeal of the lines and purity of the forms created by Pininfarina, which immediately made it an instant classic.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S “Awards Edition”, based on the Quattroporte Sport GT S, aims to combine in one car all the features that have made the Trident flagship a benchmark in its segment.

The new Quarzo fuso exterior colour – a pearlescent metallic grey with a golden hue – exclusive to this model, makes the exterior instantly recognisable, and highlights the body’s elegant lines. The burnished treatment used on the exterior chrome parts, as well as on the side air vents and radiator surround, also matches the 20’’ Multi Trident dark grey rims with satin finish.

The braking system which uses dual-cast technology, is further enhanced by the hand-polished callipers both at the front and rear. With the Quattroporte Sport GT S “Awards Edition”, Maserati and Brembo are introducing on the market for the first time polished callipers, treated with high precision mechanical processes and featuring a hand finish which gives them their special mirror-like appearance and enhances their sporty credentials at the same time.

The interior also bears witness to the combination of sporting flair and craftsmanship that have always characterised the Maserati flagship saloon. The Poltrona Frau leather of the seats is combined with perforated Alcantara with a new undulated pattern, and the headlining is also in Alcantara. Completing the cabin finishes are the special brushed aluminium door sills and Piano Black satin-finish wood mouldings.

The boot is finished in black trim and features chrome details and a leather side pocket. The attention to detail has even been extended to the mats, which are made of an even richer and softer material.

A special exterior “Awards Edition” series plate completes the car’s look and makes an already unique car even more unmistakable.

The Quattroporte Sport GT S “Awards Edition” will be available in the UK as a special order in the second half of 2010, as model year 2011. Prices will be available upon application: for further information clients can contact the Maserati Info Centre on 0800 0646468 or visit the Maserati website www.maserati.com to locate the nearest Maserati dealership.

The Maserati GranCabrio, the first four-seater convertible in the Trident carmaker’s history, will make its world wide debut on September 15 at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The introduction of the GranCabrio – the Trident’s third prong – completes Maserati’s product line-up that now consists of three different families of models: Quattroporte, GranTurismo, GranCabrio.

The GranCabrio represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars. It’s a Maserati in the purest sense of the word: from the unmistakable style by Pininfarina to the spacious interior, from the craftsmanship of each detail to the driving pleasure and performance. The Maserati GranCabrio enriches all five senses in a shared open-air experience, without sacrificing comfort and performance. A dream car designed and built for men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner. Like all the made in Maserati open-top convertibles: special cars aimed at refined connoisseurs.

In fact the GranCabrio is continuing the Maserati tradition in open-top cars, joining models that have played such an important part in the Modena carmaker’s history such as the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, 1960 3500GT Vignale Spyder, 1964 Mistral Spyder, 1968 Ghibli Spyder and 2001 Spyder designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car that marked Maserati’s return to the United States. In the footsteps of tradition, the GranCabrio opens a new chapter, because never before have four-seater top-down models ever been produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory. Four proper seats, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey.

The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 litre V8, 323 kW engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market. The GranCabrio’s roof is strictly canvas-made, emphasizing the link with the Maserati tradition.

The Maserati GranCabrio will be marketed starting next winter, and experienced by customers the world over from the following spring.