Maserati North America Up 50% Over August 2012, Hits Highest Sales Month In Its History

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Maserati set a new all time sales record in the month of August as it retailed 346 cars up 50% over August 2012 and a Year-to-Date overall sales increase of 8%. The sales increase comes from the very first deliveries to the network of the all new Quattroporte sedan. The iconic Italian flagship has been carefully rolled out over the past weeks, and is expected to add significantly to the success of the Trident brand. In the fourth quarter, Maserati will begin to retail the highly lauded Ghibli sport sedan and looks forward to ending 2013 with strong momentum.

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"Maserati is experiencing growth not only on the new Quattroporte but also on the continued popularity of the GranTurismo models," commented Maserati North America, Inc., President and CEO Bob Graczyk. "With the all wheel drive Quattroporte model hitting showrooms in greater numbers this September, and the Ghibli in fourth quarter we expect this sales growth to continue into the future."

The flagship sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte is a significant leap forward that not only sets the high-technology tone for Maserati's upcoming range of new-models, but also remains faithful to Maserati's long history of luxury sports sedans. The powerful and proprietary Maserati engines and the large cabin are at the core of the Quattroporte's design. Dominated by a long, powerful nose and a concave Trident grille a clear link is created to both current and historic Maseratis.

The newly-developed direct-injection engine family boasts a 523 hp/ 524 lb-ft 3.8-litre V8 and a 404 hp/ 410 lb-ft 3.0-litre V6, both of which are twin-turbocharged, designed by Maserati Powertrain and assembled by Ferrari at their plant in Maranello. All versions come equipped with the latest eight-speed automatic transmission developed with ZF.

The V8 is the fastest, most powerful and efficient four-door Maserati has ever built, reaching 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and achieving a top speed of 191 mph.   The V6 twin turbo Q4 All-Wheel Drive variant is capable of a top speed of 177mph.  The "Q4" system is capable of redistributing the torque instantly from full rear wheel drive to a balanced 50/50 distribution between front and rear wheels when more traction is needed.

The all-new architecture retains the Quattroporte's exquisite handling with near 50:50 weight distribution, double-wishbone front suspension and a state-of-the-art five-link rear suspension.   New standards of quality in design, development, fabrication and process controls are employed in the entirely new plant building the Quattroporte, however traditional hand-crafted design continues inside and out of the Quattroporte's cabin.

Interior luxury leaps forward technically, too, with features like a touch control screen, adjustable pedals, WLAN-based WiFi and an optional 15-speaker, 1280 Watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system.

In 1963, Maserati established the benchmark for the luxury sports sedan. The new Quattroporte continues to elevate the standard of high quality engineering, supercar performance all within the space, luxury and daily driving ability of a sedan.

About Maserati: Maserati produces a full line of two and four door models legendary for their spacious handcrafted luxury, thoroughbred performance and everyday usability. In 2013, Maserati introduced an all new full-size Quattroporte and the mid-size Ghibli sport sedan. The flagship Quattroporte GTS leads the charge with a 523 HP twin turbo V8 while both the Ghibli and Quattroporte are available with All Wheel Drive, a competition bred twin turbo 404 HP V6 and an adaptive 8 speed automatic transmission. The two door GranTurismo line continues with several variants of coupes and convertibles which combine elegance and comfort for four with a six speed automatic transmission to keep the legendary Maserati performance and exhaust note close at hand. Maserati automobiles and merchandise can be found at retailers across North America. Information on Maserati can be found at www.maserati.us, 1-800- My-Maserati or for press information www.media.maserati.com.

SOURCE Maserati North America