2012 Maserati GranCabrio Sport

After stunning the world with the GranCabrio at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Maserati used the 2011 Geneva Motor Show to take its grand-touring convertible to a new level of performance and handling with the GranCabrio Sport.

 

Photo: 2012 Maserati GranCabrio Sport -
Conceived to give the GranCabrio a harder-edged model to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, the GranCabrio Sport uses a more powerful and fuel-efficient version of Maserati’s, all-alloy 4.7-litre V8, coupled with the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

 

Photo: 2012 Maserati GranCabrio Sport
This naturally aspirated engine produces in this configuration 331 kW (450 horsepower) and has 510Nm at the peak of its rich, thick torque curve. Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program has made the GranCabrio Sport’s engine more reactive to the driver’s most-nuanced inputs, while reaching a 6% reduction in fuel consumption. The top speed of the GranCabrio Sport is 285 km/h.

new 2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi pictures

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

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo

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

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
The Maserati GranCabrio Fendi is crafted in the historical Maserati headquarters in Modena, with exclusive materials bespokely created in various colours for this project.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo -
The three-layered body colour named Grigio Fiamma Fendi is a special dark grey with an iridescent golden finish on the surface.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
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.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
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 alloy wheels, and the FENDI logo along the rocker panel.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
Cuoio Romano, Fendi’s precious leather of its Selleria line, has been used for such details as the instrument cluster cover, for the gear lever and for the profile of the floor mats. It also features in the Limited Edition Travel Set of luggage and accessories.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
The Maserati GranCabrio Fendi represents a perfect marriage between the art of Fatto a Mano (handmade) 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.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
Silvia Venturini Fendi’s specially crafted logo seals this collaboration.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
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.

 

2012 Maserati GranCabrio Fendi photo
A special black car cover with ton-sur-ton double F logo dresses the Maserati GranCabrio Fendi.

New 2012 Maserati Kubang

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.
 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo

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.

 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo -
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.

 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo
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.

 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo
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.

 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo
The distinctive Maserati style that makes the Kubang immediately recognizable 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.

 

2012 Maserati Kubang photo
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.

Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage

Aston Martin says the production version of the AMV8 Vantage concept "is destined to become the most significant model in the company's 89-year history." When you plan to go head to head with the Porsche 911, it better be. At least this new Aston looks the part; in fact, it's one of the most handsome sports cars we've seen in a long time, featuring a long hood, short overhangs, a wide track, muscular body work, and traditional Aston design cues such as the large front grille and side strakes. "AMV8 Vantage features many of the design cues that have become the basic DNA for all Aston Martin models," said design director Henrik Fisker. "It was important to ensure that the car's design was pure, clean and modern, while at the same time you should be able to put your hand over the front nose badge and still recognize the car as an Aston Martin." When the production version of the AMV8 Vantage goes on sale sometime in 2005, it will be the first model to utilize Aston's VH (Vertical/Horizontal) Platform Strategy, which will be used for all future Aston Martin models. The rear-wheel-drive AMV8—powered by a 4.3-liter V-8—features a 50/50 weight distribution and is constructed from aluminum and composites. The decadent interior is adorned in several shades of leather as well as anodized aluminum. The production AMV8 Vantage will be hand-assembled at Aston Martin's production facility at Gaydon, in the United Kingdom.

V-8 Vantage

It’s almost as if Aston has taken a page from the Porsche 911 Guide to Model Proliferation in creating the V-8 Vantage S: start with a base car, add some power, and give it the looks of a more expensive model.

In fact, this Vantage S reminds us a lot of Porsche’s new 911 Carrera GTS model, which provides Carrera S performance in a Carrera 4 body. The Aston packages a more powerful version of its V-8 with some of the V-12 Vantage’s aggressive bodywork.

 

The V-8’s Advantage

In the S, Aston’s 4.7-liter V-8 has been massaged to produce 430 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque, increases of 10 and 14. There’s a new single-clutch automatic, dubbed Sportshift II, which adds an extra ratio (for a total of seven) compared to the non-S V-8 Vantage. The new engine-and-transmission combo ought to improve on the last V-8 Vantage we tested with the six-speed Sportshift transmission, which hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds. A Sport button activates a quicker shift map and increases throttle sensitivity while also keeping the exhaust’s bypass valves open across a wider swath of the rev range. The automated transmission is standard (read: no available manual) because, Aston tells us, a majority of V-8 Vantage buyers opt for the paddle-shifted Sportshift automatic already.

Chassis changes include a steering rack that’s quicker (15:1 versus the non-S car’s 17:1), and a suspension that has been recalibrated with new springs and dampers. The front brake discs are larger and now feature six-piston calipers.

 

Looks Fast, Top-Down Version

The Vantage S, which is available as a coupe or roadster, patterns its side sills, rear deck, rear bumper, and carbon-fiber front fascia after those of the V-12 Vantage. A new 19-inch V-spoke wheel design is standard, while lightweight 10-spoke wheels are optional. The rear wheels are a half-inch wider than those of the non-S V-8 Vantage, and all four wheels are wrapped in new Bridgestone Potenza RE050 tires that are 10 mm wider than the base car’s.

With a base price of $139,615 for the coupe and $152,615 for the roadster, the V-8 Vantage S isn’t a huge price leap up from a Sportshift-equipped “base” coupe ($126,365) or droptop ($139,365); those who want a manual transmission will have to settle for the non-S Vantage or trade up to the stick-only $183,535 V-12 Vantage. The Vantage S is available for order now, with U.S. deliveries scheduled to begin in early summer.

While the Vantage lineup still doesn’t hold a candle to the 22-car (and counting!) menu that is the 911 order guide, it shows that Aston Martin is committed to getting everything it can out of its models. When the results end up like this, you won’t hear any complaints from us. 

2013 Aston Martin DB9 Spy

It’s often pointed out that Aston Martins all pretty much look alike. We know that, you know that, and the people who make them must know, too. But an Aston also looks like a Jaguar, a concept with which the team who cloaked this DB prototype appears to have had some fun.

To wit: The car seen here has a Jag-like grille opening—they’ve even gone so far as to put a round faux badge in the middle of the grille. Closer inspection, however, shows that the mouth’s extra width is being covered by some taped-on parts. The LEDs added to the 2011 DB9’s headlights remain, although the lighting units have been partially covered to further the Jag-lookalike goal. When the not-an-Aston ruse falls apart: The car was photographed at AM’s Nürburgring-side facility. Oops.

More telling of future DB changes are the revised fascias front and rear, which appear to have more of an airflow-redirecting purpose. In the rear, there’s a central diffuser element, as well as air vents flanking the exhaust outlets. Larger hood vents are set farther out near the edges of the bonnet. The car’s beautiful, Aston-characteristic shape now has flatter haunches, which is one of the few signs that this is not just another mild refresh—well, at least it will be a less-mild refresh than Astons usually get. And the number plate has moved from the decklid to the rear bumper, finally making it legal for DB9 drivers to haul that PVC pipe back from the home center with the trunk open.

When it was introduced for 2004, the DB9 was the first Aston to make use of the company’s aluminum VH platform. Given this car’s molasses-grade styling evolution and the fact that all current Astons (except for the Cygnet) make use of the platform, we don’t expect those underpinnings to change. A next-gen car could retain the DB9 badge, Aston could enter the four-character-name realm with DB11, or it could draw from the marque’s past, as is the case with the recently reborn, DB9-based Virage.

Whatever the car is called when it’s unveiled sometime next year for the 2013 model year, you can expect a more-powerful V-12 underhood, two real seats up front and two that amount to a parcel shelf in the rear, and a shape that—for better or for worse—is unmistakably Aston Martin.