First look: Quattroporte goes GT

MASERATI has heralded the September Frankfurt motor show debut of two hot new Quattroporte GT variants.

Likely to be launched in Australia at the Melbourne International motor show next March, the Quattroporte Executive GT offers more luxury than before while the Quattroporte Sport GT will deliver sharper performance.

Destined to be permanent additions within the Maserati range, the GT variants will be an integral part of a plan by Ateco Automotive, which assumes control of Maserati and Ferrari distribution in Australia and New Zealand from October, to significantly grow the Italian brand in these parts.

The majority of the growth is expected to come from the Quattroporte sedan, the volume seller in the Italian range.

At this stage, it is unclear how many GT variants will be sold in Australia, or at what price premium.

The Quattroporte Executive GT has a number of differentiators, including wood-veneer interior highlights, a chrome mesh grille, side chrome grille, external identification plate, nine-spoke 19-inch ball-polished wheels, a wood/leather steering wheel and Alcantara headlining.

A number of passenger comfort features, including a rear-seat comfort pack and stowable rear table in either wood or titanium, are also standard, while further personalisation options will be available.

Meantime, the Quattroporte Sport GT gains sportier carbon-fibre interior highlights, new-design 20-inch alloy wheels, an external identification plate, aluminium pedal covers and sports steering wheel and handbrake grip.

More significantly, the Sport GT sedan benefits from the latest electronic transmission software to increase gearshift times by 35 per cent, a new exhaust system tuned for sound and specific software for Quattroporte’s Skyhook electronic suspension damping system.

Both GT variants will be powered by the same 294kW/451Nm 4.2-litre 32-valve V8 that motivates the standard Quattroporte, which went on sale in August 2004.

Available in standard ($258,000), Sport ($273,000) and Executive ($295,000) guises, Quattroporte is good for claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 275km/h.