Maserati Sells 1,000th Quattroporte Sports Sedan in Britain

Five years after its market debut in 2004 and Maserati has announced that it has just registered the 1,000th Quattroporte in the United Kingdom. Do the math and that comes to an average of 250 cars a year which is insignificant by usual standards but for Maser to issue a press release on the matter, we're guessing it must be good enough for the company. The 1000th car, a Quattroporte Sport GTS in Blu Oceano with Sabbia leather interior, was delivered yesterday by Maserati GB's Head of Sales Peter Denton, to its proud new owner John Burton.

Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S - Updated Photo Album

While on Maserati's site, we found a bevy of new photos of the Quattroporte Sport GT S that we haven't shared with you. To refresh your memory, the Sport GT S is the high-performance flagship model of the Quattroporte range and it was revealed in its facelift form for the first time at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The sportiest Maser saloon is powered by a 4.7-liter V8 engine that produces 433HP. Mechanical updates over the 'S' model include revised gearchange mapping, stiffer springs and lower ride height plus a more sonorous sport exhaust.

The Sport GT S version of the Italian firm's Porsche Panamera rival also features unique styling elements such as the new black grille with red accents and matching black chrome finish around the doors while inside there are new sports seats and a "titanium colored" composite material dashboard trim.

Maserati Quattroporte Limo: Too Much of a Stretch...

These days it seems like no vehicle is safe from the procrustean-bed of limousine companies - not even the Maserati Quattroporte which in normal form is one of the most stylish sports sedans money can buy. The same can't be said for its 10-passenger limousine offspring that's up for hire by a Miami-based limo company called "Padilla Car Collection". The firm claims that this is the only stretched version of the Quattroporte in the world - thank God for that...

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Link: Padilla Car Collection

Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione Recalled Along with Maseratis in the US

A few dozens of extremely fortunate American owners of one of the world's hottest sports cars, the Alfa Romeo 8c Competizione, will have to return their Italian beauty for a quick fix after it was discovered that certain models were manufactured with incorrectly torqued front and rear suspension upper and lower ball joint nuts. The recall also affects MY 2008 Maserati Gran Turismo and Quattroporte which share the same platform with the Alfa.

Overall, 7,912 Maseratis and Alfa 8c Competiziones will be recalled in the States. While the Italian automaker did not reveal specific numbers, we do know for a fact that only 84 Alfas were allocated in the U.S.

Maserati said that the incorrectly torqued ball joint nuts may loosen with consequent steering wheel vibration, a growing metallic noise and progressive loss of driving precision in the transients. According to the Italian automaker, continued use of the vehicle in these conditions may lead to damage of the suspension lever, which in the long term and depending on vehicle usage, may cause the ball joint/suspension arm to break.

The firm's dealers will inspect the torque of the front/rear upper and lower ball joint nuts and, if necessary, replace the suspension arms and hub carrier. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Concerned U.S. owners may contact Maserati for more information at 1-201-816-2600.

Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT-S Premieres in Detroit

The sportiest to-date model of Maserati's Quattroporte range made its worldwide debut at NAIAS. The technical changes to the new Quattroporte Sport GT S compared to the 'S' model concern the mapping of the V8 4.7-litre engine which now produces 433HP, the new gearshift management software, the stiffer springs and lower ride height as well as the more sonorous sport exhaust system.

The Italian firm's designers also went ahead and made a few subtle changes to the sport sedan's exterior and interior. These include the new black grille with concave vertical fins featuring the Trident logo with red accents, the new headlights, in metallic titanium finish, the new M-design seats with perforated Alcantara and leather upholstery and finally the "titanium colored" composite material dashboard trim.