MASERATI

The luxurious sports car is one step ahead in impeccable craftsmanship and has kept its racing DNA intact.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The luxurious sports car is one step ahead in impeccable craftsmanship and has kept its racing DNA intact.

Italian president Sandro Pertini chose the Maserati Quattroporte as his official state car in the 1980s.

Maserati was born of a pedigree steeped in racing history. After working in the flourishing automobile industry in the early 20th century, the Maserati brothers – Alfieri, Bindo, Mario, Ettore and Ernesto – opened the Officine Alfieri Maserati in the heart of Bologna, Italy, in 1914. 

The company built two-litre Grand Prix cars for Diatto, a racing team and carmaker, and started racing under the Maserati name in 1926. In that same year, it won the Targa Florio, an open road endurance automobile race.

Since then, Maserati has claimed over 100 races in more than a century of racing across all motorsport categories in which it contested. It won the prestigious Indianapolis 500 twice, in 1939 and 1940, and the 1957 Formula 1 drivers’ world championship with the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, before leaving the series at the end of that decade. Maserati also won races in the World Sportscar Championship between 1953 and 1961. In the modern era, the Italian luxury sports car maker won five FIA GT team and four driver’s titles in a row from 2005. 

The racing DNA is embedded in the Maserati family of cars. Top speeds range from 270kmh for the Quattroporte 3.0 V6 Turbo to 300kmh for the GranTurismo MC 4.7 V8. But it is more than just engineering finesse. It is also about exquisite art and craftsmanship that is steeped in the Italian tradition of appreciating the finer things in life. “Maserati is a pioneering brand with over 100 years of heritage in building some of the finest automobiles in the world,” says Nick Syn, director of Tridente Automobili, the official importer of Maserati in Singapore. “Its racing DNA has never changed since 1914 and beneath its luxury, elegance and peerless style, drivers will always find this: The adventurous heart of a pure Italian gran turismo.”

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The Levante Trofeo is the second most powerful SUV in the market, with the ability to sprint from zero to 100kmh in just 3.9 seconds. 

To be sure, a Maserati is built for comfortable long-distance driving, whether the model is the Ghibli sedan, Quattroporte executive sedan, GranTurismo sport, GranCabrio sport with a soft open top, or the Levante SUV.  

The V8 Trofeo, the latest addition to the Levante series, will arrive in Singapore towards the end of the year. “It will be the second most powerful SUV in the market,” Syn points out. “The Ferrari-assembled twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 provides the Trofeo with 590 horsepower at 6,250rpm, allowing it to make the dash from zero to 100kmh in just 3.9 seconds.” 

WE ARE OFFERING OUR CUSTOMERS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE TO CONFIGURE THEIR MASERATI CARS ACCORDING TO THEIR TASTES AND EVEN PERSONALITY.

NICK SYN, DIRECTOR OF TRIDENTE AUTOMOBILI 

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Maserati cars blend speed with timeless, elegant design and customisable interiors.

First produced three years ago, the 2019 version of the Levante – which includes the limited edition Vulcano, in addition to the Trofeo – embodies Maserati’s Q4 intelligent all-wheel drive system. The system employs a network of advanced sensors to determine the optimal quantity of power to be distributed to each wheel for unprecedented control and handling. The Q4 can also alter the torque split, from 100 percent rear-wheel drive to 50-50 between the front and rear wheels in 150 milliseconds. Its eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox delivers improved comfort, faster gear shifting, better fuel consumption and increased refinement. The system enhances the driver’s experience, even when grip is poor. 

In striving for motoring excellence, Maserati has established itself in the luxurious sports car segment. In the 1980s, the marque received presidential status, when Italian president Sandro Pertini chose the Quattroporte model as his official state car. The late opera legend Luciano Pavarotti’s love affair with Maserati since 1965 also gave it that sheen of celebrity-dom.

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The One of One programme allows customers to design their car interiors with components by top Italian names.

The Italian carmaker has taken this aura of exclusivity to another level. At the Geneva Motor Show this year, a customised version of the Levante, One of One, made its debut. It introduced a programme where each car’s interior could be tailor-made to a customer’s taste by the Centro Stile Maserati styling house, with materials and components coming from Italy’s top fashion and furniture houses such as Ermenegildo Zegna, Giorgetti and De Castelli. The customisation process is done via a multi-touch screen and an interactive table, showing how the marque is using technology to enhance its luxury offerings. 

“This is where we are right now with the latest technology,” says Syn. “We are offering our customers a unique experience to configure their Maserati cars according to their tastes and even personality. 

“Whatever they choose, the seven brand values that represent Maserati – heritage, diverse offerings, passion for details, Italian design, performance, exclusivity and its signature sound – will always be incorporated.”