Image: Tennen Gas

Chuck Berry penned these lyrics made famous by George Thorogood: “I met a German girl in England who was going to school in France, said we danced the Mississippi at an Alpha Kappa dance.” It would appear that the tale of the upcoming Maserati SUV is no less confusing, since it involves Maserati, Jeep, Italy and Detroit. Here’s what we know: Maserati will build their own SUV, based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it will be assembled in Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit.

The project is far enough along that a concept version will be shown at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, but we’re not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, while not inexpensive, stickers for far less than the cheapest Maserati. Prior joint ventures between the two companies (admittedly, long before they were under the same roof) have ended in failure. Does anyone remember the Chrysler TC by Maserati?

Maserati, on the other hand, wants something to counter the success of the Porsche Cayenne, which ultimately shares a platform with the more pedestrian Volkswagen Touareg. Still, we’d argue that there’s less of a spread between the VW and the Porsche than there is between the Jeep and anything by Maserati; one is akin to shaving black truffles on a cheap, grocery-store ribeye, while the other is equivalent to shaving them over top ramen.

It’s no secret that SUVs pack higher profit margins than sedans, so Maserati sees a trident-branded SUV as a profitable and in-demand addition to their showrooms. We’ll try to reserve judgement until the facts are in, but for the time being, we don’t see this ending well.

Source: Automotive News

Image: Maserati

Did you feel cheated when Maserati showed their GranTurismo MC Stradale at last year’s Paris Auto Show? The range-topping coupe appeared to be destined for European customers only, but Maserati has had a change of heart. We’re not getting the exact car the EU gets, but what we are getting is close enough to keep most U.S. enthusiasts happy. First, Maserati is dropping the “Stradale” name, so North American cars are simply called the GranTurismo MC. On the outside, the cars are identical, and that’s a very good thing since the coupe is a stunner. Inside, North American cars get the back seat that the GranTursimo MC Stradale omits, and buyers on this side of the Atlantic can get any transmission they want, as long as it’s an automatic. Maserati has opted to use the ZF automatic transmission from the GranTurismo, instead of the sequential-shift version found on the European MC Stradale. Why? Chalk it up to “buyer preferences” on this side of the Atlantic.

Under the hood, the Maserati GranTurismo MC gets the same 4.7-liter V-8 engine as the European model, said to be good for 444 horsepower and 376 foot-pounds of torque. That’s enough to get the car from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour (sixty-two miles per hour) in just 4.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 185 miles per hour. That makes the GranTurismo MC less than two miles per hour slower than the lighter, less luxurious GranTurismo MC Stradale. It also makes the car the fastest production car Maserati has ever sold in the United States.

Look for pricing to be announced closer to the car’s launch.

Source: Autoblog

Last year at the IMPA Test Days I had the opportunity to drive the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo convertible, a car which completely caught me off guard. At first I was expecting a driving experience that was similar to that of a BMW or Porsche, what I got though was something that was so much more. Most German automobiles, even the cabriolets, have a somewhat stoic feeling to them. They always work wonderfully but at days end they just don’t ignite the soul. The Maserati GranTurismo was different, as not only did it make all your correct parts tingle, but it did so with a exhaust note that was simply spectacular. It’s now one year later and Maserati is getting ready to release its new GrandCabrio Sport to the public, a car that should deliver everything the GranTurismo did and more.

From a performance standpoint the tweaking isn’t as substantial as you may think. In fact the spec sheet really isn’t that much different from the previous model. Power is up just 10 hp with a torque increase of 14 lb-ft, bringing the numbers up to 450 hp and 376.2 lb-ft of torque. Top speed has also increase by, get this… 1 mph to 177 mph. Maserati claims the real improvements to the car come by way of the upgraded ZF six-speed automatic transmission from the Quattroporte Sport GT S. There is also new engine mapping dubbed by Maserati as; “Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program”. This is said to reduce overall fuel consumption by as much as 6%.

Other updates include a black grille, redesigned side skirts, new front corner splitter and smoked headlamps. There is also some new red paint called, “Rosso Trionfale” that is reminiscent of the colors used by Maserati racing in the 1950′s. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to have some seat time in the new GrandCabrio Sport when it makes its way to U.S. shores. Until then, I’d be very happy to just tool around in the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible that I had the pleasure of driving last year.

Source: carscoop.blogspot.com

Oh boy… already I’m having visions of Chrysler’s TC sport coupe from the mid-1980′s. For those that don’t remember, that little P.O.S. was what happened the last time Chrysler and Maserati joined forces. Now it seems that something along those lines may be in the works again according to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne. You see he’s apparently thinking about having a new Jeep Grand Cherokee derived SUV built under the Maserati nameplate whilst utilizing a mill from, get this… Ferrari. CNN Money reports that while at the North American International Auto Show, Marchionne stated, “It will be a rock and roll engine” and one that could be either a V8 or a V12. As of right now there are no known sketches or renderings of this proposed SUV that is supposedly going to appear in 2012. Rest assured though that as soon as we know anything more about it that we’ll let you know.

* Chrysler TC: What a monumental pile of crap…

I’ve always said that, if I could I would own a 3 bedroom house on the water with an attached 10 car garage. Quite honestly, I could care less about the house, in fact as long as there was a clean mattress and some working plumbing in there, I’d be good to go. Some people though are content with just having a one car garage and a few paintings on the wall. Take Holger Schubert for example, he is the Los Angeles, CA resident who won the 2009 Maserati Architectural Digest Design Driven contest for having one of the nicest garages out there. The space itself is probably one of the most pleasing I’ve ever seen. It’s welcoming and truly showcases the automobile as a work of art. Spanning 1,200 square feet, the area contains a large flat-screen TV, built-in book shelve, small kitchen, bathroom and a large storage room. Now, if it was only another 4000 square feet I’d take it in a heartbeat.

Source: DesignDriven.us

There are a lot of things I associate with Belgium. Good chocolate is one of them, followed by good beer, even if the fruit-enhanced lambic desert beers are an acquired taste. One thing I never associated with Belgium, until Motor Authority enlightened me, was the design and construction of supercars. Did you know that Gillet, a Belgian firm started by former racer Tony Gillet, has been cranking out street legal race cars since 1994? I didn’t either, since I’ve never seen one up close and personal, or even in photos.

Pictured here is Gillet’s latest creation, the Vertigo.5 Spirit, which goes on sale in the EU by the end of the year. The Spirit gets a 4.2 liter Maserati-sourced V8, good for some 420 horsepower. Since one of the key selling points of the Vertigo is extremely low weight (under 2,200 pounds, or less than the current Mazda MX-5 Miata), acceleration is brisk. Think zero to sixty times right around three seconds, and you get an idea of just how quick the Spirit is expected to be.

Gillet puts a lot of effort into refining the car’s aerodynamics, and claims near 20 years worth of on-track development. The body may be aerodynamic, but the styling is best described as quirky. The rear, for example, looks like the bastard offspring of a last generation Toyota Supra and a Pontiac Solstice. The concave rocker panels are just plain weird, as are the portholes atop the front fenders and doors. Maybe they’re functional and maybe they’re meant to evoke the ghost of race cars past, but they’re just plain ugly and out of place on a modern supercar. Don’t even get me started on the wing, which is undoubtedly functional but looks like an afterthought tacked on by the builder’s sixteen year old son.

I’ve grown to like lambic, especially with some good Belgian dark chocolate. Maybe there’s hope for me to embrace the Gillet Vertigo.5 Spirit after all.

There are a number of Cars and Coffee-type meets that take place throughout the country (Kurt recently covered a Cars and Coffee meet in Jacksonville), and the DC-area one certainly does the concept justice.

One recent Saturday morning, I caravaned down with my buddy Paul (he was driving his monster Grand Cherokee SRT-8) and a pack of Vipers and Corvettes.  It was still dark when we left for the event, but by the time we arrived, the sun was gleaming like a halo on a heavenly field of precious metal.

There was a stunning array of Ferraris, Lambos (two Countachs and a Murcielago), Bimmers, Porsches, Corvettes, Alfas, Mercedes, Minis, Lotuses, Triumphs, Scouts, Maseratis, Jags, and even a Kaiser Darrin.  The cars also varied widely by model year.  Keep in mind that these are vehicles owned by the locals and driven there – these aren’t all investments that spend their days appreciating in a hermetically sealed garage.   Below are a few examples from that Saturday.

Dodge Vipers and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 from the morning’s caravan.

A rare gem – 1954 Kaiser Darrin (only 435 were built)

CLK63 AMG Black Series Mercedes

M&Ms – E24 M6 (!) and E30 M3

1965 or 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350

Mini Cooper and BMW 2002

Another uncommon sight – a BMW Z8, with Dodge Charger R/T in the background.

A gorgeous Jaguar E-type V12

Vettes – Stingray and Z51

I suggest that if you’re visiting to scope out the cars and you’re not driving anything that fits the bill, park around back and allow the eye candy to take the limited number of spots out front.  Then grab yourself a cup of hot coffee, take out your camera, and get to work salivating.  I can’t think of a better way to start the weekend.

Cars and Coffee is located at Katie’s Coffee House (760 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA, 22066) and takes place every Saturday from April through October between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

So you get to work at the construction site one morning only to find out that some asshat has parked his high dollar Maserati right in front of the entrance. After looking around for the absentee owner you decide to take matters into your own hands and utilize the tools that you have at your disposal to solve the problem. Thankfully the forklift was right where you left it and figuring it would be an easy move, you fire it up. Unbeknown to you however one of the other workers has coated the skids with grease to help them slide under the heavy palates that were scheduled to be moved. This works out great for wood palates, but as it turns out, not so great for Italian sports cars.

Source: Streetfire.net

I’ll be honest here, cars like this usually don’t do a damn thing for me as generally I find them to be more show than go. This observation usually holds true for the people who buy them as well. Sure they’re beautiful machines and yes they propel you forward, but to me these cars are more about image and less about having a passion for driving. I have to say though that last week while I was attending the IMPA test days in PA, I had a chance to slip behind the wheel of the new 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible and was pleasantly surprised when my initial impressions were proven completely wrong.

First off the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible is a beautiful car to look at. It’s soft lines and contours are very easy on the eyes and it exudes elegance from every angle. There is nothing gimmicky or false about it either, and from a styling perspective it simply welcomes to driver to climb in and take control. Secondly the car is a grand tourer in the truest sense. With room enough for four average sized adults, the Maserati’s interior is very nicely designed and cradles both the front and rear passengers in comfort and luxury.

Then there is the engine, ooooh the engine! Fire it up and you will be greeted with one of the greatest exhaust notes in all of motoring. Is that a big statement? Hell yeah, but I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it. The 4.7-liter V8 pumps out 433 HP and 361 lb-ft of torque which helps sprint the GranTurismo Convertible to 60 mph in just under 6 seconds. Now, by today’s standards it may not be the fastest thing around, but understand that this is not what this car is about.

This car is about driving on a Sunday morning with the top down and the engine revving. It’s about enjoying the finer things in life and putting a big ole’ smile on your face when you turn the key. It’s also about making you feel like a total pimp when you pull up to a stop light. As I said, the styling is a bit understated, but this is all part of the Maserati’s charm. Most people don’t know what it is, so it forces them to ask questions and take notice of this amazing shape that just pulled up next to them.

The driving experience is wonderful as well as long as you understand that this is not a sports car, but a long distance magic carpet. Even with the top down the cabin remains quiet enough to have a conversation as the wind buffeting is that good. Keep the top down and roll the windows up and I swear that this thing has less wind noise than most hard top cars. The driving characteristics of the GranTurismo Convertible are also what you’d expect and the car does better than expected in all categories.

What I really liked about his car was that one, it made me giggle every time the exhaust baffles opened up and two, I wanted to keep driving it. Price wise the 2011 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible comes in at about $150,000 and honestly, it feels like every bit of it. I truly liked this car as it hit all the key points that a real grand tourer should. It’s elegant, performs beautifully and makes you feel wonderful whether your driving or just looking at it. I’ll tell ya’ something here, Maserati got this one right and it shows.

Anytime German auto tuner Novitec gets its hands on an exotic car you know that good things will happen. They’ve done multiple Ferrari’s, Audi’s, Porsche’s and BMW’s along with just about every other high-end manufacturer out there, and with this they’ve managed to build a reputation as one of the best exotic car tuning companies in the business. It now seems Novitec has gotten the bug to play with Maserati’s as it has just released a complete package for the Quattroporte S and Sport GTS.

By supercharging the engine from the Maserati GTS Novitec has managed to increase power from a base of 440 hp to a whopping 600 hp. This means 0-60 times of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of around 195 mph. Also keep in mind that this is still a big 4 passenger grand touring car. For $36,000 you get one supercharger, water-cooled inter-coolers, reinforced V-ribbed belts, fuel injectors and everything else you’ll need to make your once fast Maserati a whole hell of a lot faster.

Source: Motorator.com