The Cape Town International Convention Centre will host this year’s Auto-Ex Cape Exhibition at the weekend and the star of the show will be the sumptuous Maserati Quattroporte.
By Christie Viljoen
The Cape Town International Convention Centre will host this year’s Auto-Ex Cape Exhibition at the weekend and the star of the show will be the sumptuous Maserati Quattroporte.
The show will host exhibits from most manufacturers, including Alfa, Mercedes Benz, MG and Volvo. There will also be a strong representation of other luxury and exclusive vehicles on the SA market.
The new Maserati Quattroporte was only recently launched on the international market. The famous Italian Trident’s luxury executive saloon was designed by Pininfarina under the guidance of mother-company Fiat Auto.
The four-door saloon is built on a supercar chassis, destined to underpin the next generation Spider, which supposes that the Quattroporte (Italian for “four door”), fitted with an advanced adaptive damping system, will deliver sports car handling in a supremely luxurious environment.
At the heart of the newest offering from Modena is a Ferrari-sourced aluminium-alloy 4,2-litre V8 delivering 294 kW at 7 000 r/min to the 18-inch wheels (19-inch optional) at the rear. Maserati claims that Quattroporte will reach a top speed of 275 km/h and sprint from zero to 100km/h in 5,2 seconds. A rumoured diesel engine, as reported by Cartoday.com in June 2003, is still under consideration.
The 6-speed semi-automatic hydraulic transmission is mounted on the rear axle to aid weight distribution, which stands at 47:53 in favour of the rear. Stopping power comes courtesy of ABS Brembo brakes assisted by EBD and ASR systems.
The exterior design is typically Maserati. The engine gills behind the front wheels have been a trademark design for many sports cars through the ages, like the new Mercedes SLR and upcoming BMW M5. The long wheelbase, high waistline and dual double exhausts add to the car’s on-road presence.
The driver will sit in the lap of luxury. Natural leather seats and luxury woods delivers more than a touch of class – These natural elements are said to make the cabin smell “like Stradivarius violins”. Exterior paintwork, leather, stitching, steering wheel and the facia can be ordered in 10 colour variations.
In terms of creature comforts, the Quatrroporte has satellite navigation (with television reception), in-car GSM phone, and the necessary sound and safety equipment are all well accounted for.
Other cars on view at the show will be the Ferrari 360 Spider, Mercedes SLK and Maserati’s Spider. There will also be a strong representation for the family sector, with a variety of MPVs and people-carriers as well as a surprise launch by General Motors SA. Harley–Davidsons will also be on display and offer test-drives of its unique products.
The show runs on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are R35 at the door.