2006 Maserati Quattroporte Preview

Two New Flavors

Maserati aims to increase the appeal of its already tantalizing sedan.

+ enlarge image  |  view gallery >

Only two years after its debut at the 2003 Frankfurt auto show, Maserati released two new versions of the Quattroporte at the 2005 Frankfurt show. The Executive GT and Sport GT is aimed at clients looking for more luxury and exclusivity, while the Sport GT offers sportier handling. The Executive GT offers a wider array of leather, paint and trim customization. Wood veneer is worked into the steering wheel, faux suede covers the roof liner and rear passengers are treated to heated and cooled seats with folding rear trays in either wood or titanium.

The Sport GT bypasses the optional technological and luxury goodies, and instead firms up the handling with a retuned Skyhook air suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels. Maserati says that new software for the paddle-operated sequential manual transmission improves shift time by 35 percent in the Sport GT. Carbon fiber and alloy accents on the dash, red stitching, and a sport steering wheel give the interior a performance feel. Also on Maserati’s stand was the GranSport Spyder, the open-air version of the company’s GranSport coupe. This, along with the Executive GT and Sport GT, should arrive by mid-2006 as 2007 models. Maserati head Karl-Heinz Kalbfell also announced that the company will introduce a model priced below the Quattroporte, Coupe and Spyder. No specifics were given, other than that it will be smaller and priced $12,000 to $18,000 less than current models.