Η Maserati στη Γενεύη παρουσίασε την GranCabrio Sport και μερικούς μήνες οι Ιταλοί έδωσαν το αναλυτικό press kit της sport έκδοσης της GranCabrio. Μηχανικά φορά τον 4.7 λίτρων V8 κινητήρα απόδοσης 450 ίππων με 510 Nm ροπής, ο οποίος είναι ίδιος με αυτόν της GranTurismo MC Stradale. Χάρη στο “Friction Reduction Program” το αυτοκίνητο καταναλώνει 6% λιγότερο καύσιμο και έχει μέγιστη ταχύτητα 285 χλμ/ώρα. Συνδυάζεται με τον 6-τάχυτο αυτόματο κιβώτιο της ZF το οποίο διαθέτει το σύστημα MC Auto Shift το οποίο τοποθετήθηκε αρχικά στην Quattroporte Sport GT S. Διαθέτει ενεργή ανάρτηση Skyhook καθώς και χαρακτούς τρυπητούς δίσκους dual-cast.
Στιλιστικά το αυτοκίνητο είναι βαμμένο σε ένα νέο κόκκινο χρώμα “Rosso Trionfale” και διαθέτει μαύρη μάσκα με κόκκινες λεπτομέρειες, σκουρόχρωμους προβολείς, πλανά spoiler και νέα splitter.
Το νέο χρώμα έχει εμπνευστεί από τα κόκκινα ιταλικά εθνικά χρώματα των αγωνιστικών της Maserati της δεκαετίας του 1950, τότε που ο Juan Manuel Fangio κέρδισε το παγκόσμιο πρωτάθλημα της F1 το 1957 με μια κόκκινη Maserati 250F. Νέες 36 φωτογραφίες στη συνέχεια.
[Πηγή: Maserati]
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MASERATI GRANCABRIO SPORT GOES ON SALE
Maserati GB is delighted to confirm 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.
Maserati GranCabrio Sport
Introduction
Maserati has taken the GranCabrio convertible to a new level of performance with the new GranCabrio Sport.
With more power, a faster gearshift and a distinctively aggressive look, the GranCabrio Sport has given Maserati a harder-edged convertible to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S as the performance flagships of their respective ranges.
Publically unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the GranCabrio Sport combines an upgraded 4.7-litre V8 engine with a 10 horsepower increase to 450 hp and improved fuel economy with the faster MC Auto Shift transmission.
With a 285km-h top speed and a 0-100km/h sprint of just 5.2 seconds, the GranCabrio Sport is brimming with performance and luxury refinements both inside the cabin and underneath its award-winning body panels.
Its six-speed transmission includes a super-fast MC Auto Shift mode and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S.
The handling has been enhanced for greater speed, too, with an upgrade and revision of the Skyhook active-suspension system and the adoption of a more-responsive brake package.
Visually, the GranCabrio Sport is characterized by a more-pronounced dynamic look. This look begins with the GranCabrio’s distinctive nose and continues with a host of small, perfectly integrated changes throughout the body and the interior.
Exterior Design
Maserati’s design team worked to provide a more-aggressive look that sat in harmony with the GranCabrio’s critically acclaimed styling.
A series of relatively small upgrades in critical areas have created an integrated, dynamic design that immediately differentiates the GranCabrio Sport from the rest of the GranCabrio range and identifies it with both the Quattroporte Sport GT S and the GranTurismo S.
It introduces a new colour, Rosso Trionfale – a classic red that pays tribute to the championship-winning Maserati racing cars of the 1950s. It’s a colour that highlights the GranCabrio Sport’s strong personality, yet maintains its elegant and slim look.
The strong, distinctive GranCabrio grille receives even more character with a new black colour, while the grille’s Maserati Trident receives the red accents that are reserved for the fastest car in each of Maserati’s model ranges. These red accents are also found on the Quattroporte Sport GT S and the GranTurismo S.
The headlights now have a black look with white reflectors*, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured. The Shadow line, with its dark look around the base of the window glass, stresses the dramatic look of the car, strengthening its personality and pointing out the sinous lines of the body.
Besides adding to the aggressive style, the side skirts and the corner splitters were developed in the wind tunnel and add significantly to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency reducing aerodynamic resistance and improving fuel consumption.
The dynamic look is finished with redesigned 20” Astro-design wheels and a pair of menacing, black oval exhaust tips. The wheels each feature three Tridents and create a lighter look to accentuate the higher performance.
(*white reflectors are not available in the US)
Interior Design
The more-aggressive look is carried over inside the open-topped cabin, with a new seat-face design and drilled aluminium pedals.
The GranCabrio Sport introduces changes to the gear-shifting system, with Maserati’s Active Shifting paddles now standard. The paddles, drawn from the Trofeo racing car, are longer than the standard steering column-mounted paddles and make shifting easier in enthusiastic driving.
The GranCabrio Sport debuts two new interior colours in rich leather: Bianco Pregiato and Grigio Chrono. Bianco Pregiato is a more-pure white colour than the existing pearl colour and can be used everywhere except the top of the dashboard. Grigio Chrono is a darker grey, developed to complement the new Rosso Trionfale body colour.
To differentiate it further from the standard GranCabrio, the GranCabrio Sport badge will be positioned on the dashboard in front of the passenger*.
While the front passenger seat matches the driver’s seat by receiving adjustable lumbar support as standard, all four seats incorporate the new M-Design seat stitching**.
This design reflects classical Maserati grille designs and replicates the design in the central seat panel, all crafted with Poltrona Frau’s finest leather.
The Trident-embossed headrests can also be enhanced with customized stitching and customers can choose 13 different colours to contrast the leather of the seat.
(*The badge will be GranTurismo C. Sport on the US version)
(**Not available on the Australian version)
Engine
The GranCabrio Sport uses the latest version of Maserati’s sonorous, all-alloy 4.7-litre V8, taken straight from the high-performance GranTurismo MC Stradale.
This naturally aspirated engine produces 450 horsepower (331kW) at 7000rpm: that is10hp more than the GranCabrio. It is also rich with torque, with a peak of 510Nm (20Nm more than the GranCabrio) arriving at 4750rpm. Eighty percent of its maximum torque is already available at just 2500rpm.
The performance increases are a result of Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program, which has made the GranCabrio Sport’s engine more reactive to the driver’s most-nuanced inputs. This program included a revision of the oil sump’s fluid dynamics and the application of a Diamond-Like Coating to the tappets and the super-finished camshaft lobes.
Besides added power, torque and responsiveness, the Friction Reduction Program has lowered the GranCabrio Sport’s fuel consumption by six percent to a combined total of 14.5 litres/100km.
The new exhaust tips also help the GranCabrio Sport to give a richer engine sound when the bypass valves are activated. The valves are always open in Manual-Sport mode, while they are open above 2500rpm in Auto-Sport mode.
This exhaust system allows Maserati to hit its target of improving the car’s performance and also give its customers access to a new open air musical theatre and a rich sound experience.
However, the valves are closed in Normal mode, giving the driver and passengers a quieter ride.
Transmission
The GranCabrio Sport is the first Maserati to match the upgraded, 450hp version of the 4.7-litre engine with the day-to-day luxury of a fully automatic transmission.
This six-speed transmission includes the super-fast MC Auto Shift mode and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S.
The MC Auto Shift mode contains a launch-control mode and is active in both Manual Sport and Automatic Sport modes to provide faster gearshift times and to automatically “blip” the throttle during down-shifts.
To operate the MC Start Strategy (launch-control mode), the driver turns off the MSP in Auto Sport mode, then holds the brake pedal while pressing the accelerator. The driver should reach the optimum revs for a fast start (between 2300-2500rpm), and then simultaneously release the brake pedal and press the accelerator pedal completely. This manouvre is only recommended for use on a race track or in closed conditions of complete safety.
Like the Quattroporte Sport GT S, the MC Auto Shift gives the driver even-greater engagement by holding gears in the Manual Sport mode, even when the engine reaches its rev limiter, and introducing a digital in-dash display to indicate the ideal gear-shift timing.
The transmission gives the driver five distinct operating modes: Auto-Normal, Manual-Normal, Auto-Sport, Manual-Sport and Ice.
Chassis and Handling
The handling has received significant attention, with a new, sportier tune of the Skyhook active-suspension system and the adoption of grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.
The upgraded “Sport Skyhook” uses acceleration sensors to register wheel and chassis movement. It sends this data to a central processor, which also analyzes the road conditions and the driving style and instantly and precisely regulates the dampers to suit any situation.
With the GranCabrio Sport, the Skyhook system received upgraded management software and dampers to give a sharper focus on handling, grip and balance, while even the springs and anti-roll bars have been upgraded.
Derived from the GranTurismo’s high-strength steel monocoque architecture, the GranCabrio and GranCabrio Sport feature aluminium structural reinforcements beneath the floor for extra rigidity at the cost of only 100kg compared to the GranTurismo S.
Attached to the front of this architecture are aluminium wishbones with forged aluminium hub carriers and struts, aluminium gas dampers and springs, while at the rear adds a radius bar for each wheel to control toe-in.
The changes to the brakes, with grooved, ventilated and drilled discs on all four wheels, have targeted a sporty, responsive and consistent feeling for the driver.
The grooves have been designed to keep the brake pads clean by avoiding dust build-up, which can reduce braking performance, while the drilled holes ensure the uniform wear of the disc and the pads for long-term consistency. This all helps the GranCabrio Sport to stop in just 35 metres from 100km/h.
Optional equipment
The GranCabrio Sport will have the MC Sport Line packages available immediately at its launch, including interior and exterior carbon fibre features. For example it is possible to change the front splitter to carbon-fibre, while the side skirts are also available in black.
The Astro-design, 20-inch wheels are also available in Shiny Anthracite Grey to create a darker, more-menacing look.
It is also possible to change the body-coloured waist line around the cabin from black (Shadow line) to the same Chrome-line that is standard on the GranCabrio.
The Chrome-line can also be fitted to the door handles, the capote mouldings and the exhaust tips.
MY2012 upgrades to GranCabrio
While introducing the GranCabrio Sport, Maserati has also refreshed the detailing of the GranCabrio.
The MY2012 GranCabrio now receives a chromed front grille and side vents, while it also receives adjustable lumbar support for the front passenger as standard equipment.
It has also added the options of a new, anodized matt red brake caliper for the GranCabrio.
GranCabrio Sport Specifications
Body
High-strength steel monocoque, under-body aluminium cross bracing
Layout
Front-mid-engine, rear-drive
Engine
4.7-litre all-alloy V8
Power
450hp (331kW) @ 7000rpm
Torque
510Nm @ 4750rpm
Capacity
4691cc
Bore x stroke
94mm x 84.5mm
Compression ratio
11.25:1
Maximum engine speed
7200rpm
Oil delivery
Wet sump
0-100km/h acceleration
5.2 seconds
Top speed
285km/h
Fuel consumption – Urban
22.5 litres/100km
Fuel consumption – Extra-urban
9.8 litres/100km
Fuel consumption – combined
14.5 litres/100km
CO2 emissions
337 grams/km
Transmission
Six-speed automatic (ZF 6HP26) with MC Auto Shift
Ratios
First: 4.171:1
Second: 2.340:1
Third: 1.521:1
Fourth: 1.143:1
Fifth: 0.867:1
Sixth: 0.691:1
Reverse: 3.403:1
Final Drive: 3.73:1
Differential
Asymmetric limited-slip (25% in traction, 45% in release) with bevel drive
Steering
Engine-speed sensitive power steering, rack-and-pinion.
Turning circle
12.3 metres
Length
4881mm
Width (with mirrors)
2056mm
Width (without mirrors)
1915mm
Height
1353mm
Wheelbase
2942mm
Front track
1586mm
Rear track
1590mm
Front overhang
873mm
Rear overhang
1066mm
Boot/trunk capacity
173 litres
Fuel capacity
75 litres
Dry weight (EU)
1887kg
Kerb weight (EU)
1980kg
Weight distribution (roof closed)
49% front/51% rear
Weight distribution (roof open)
48%/52%
Brakes
360mm front discs, 330mm rear discs
Tyres
245/35 ZR20 (front); 285/35 ZR20 (rear)
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