Maserati Quattroporte gets power-up

To ensure its thunder isn't completely stolen by the upcoming Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide, Maserati will use next month's Detroit motor show to unveil the Quattroporte Sport GT S -- a new range-topper for the enduring sedan line-up.

Ambitiously billed as "a real driving machine in the guise of a luxury saloon", the Sport GT S cops a range of tweaks to boost its performance envelope and visual appeal.

For starters, Maser's labcoats have doctored the mapping of the sonorous 4.7-litre V8 engine to boost its output from 317kW to 323kW. In addition, the sports exhaust is controlled by pneumatic valves for a "deep, throaty and captivating sound".

The gearshift management software has also been fiddled with, and Maserati is boasting of "new features designed to increase driving enjoyment", but doesn't specify exactly what these are.

One can expect crisper handling dynamics as a consequence of uprated front and rear suspension system featuring new single-rate dampers and stiffer springs that lower the big Maser's ride height.

Of course, no range-topper is complete without the requisite visual cues and, with this in mind, the Quattroporte Sport GT S is distinguished by a new black grille with concave vertical fins featuring the Trident logo with red accents. The grille is flanked by new headlights in metallic titanium finish.  

There's also a new "shadow line" at the front and rear, which includes black finishing around the doors, body-coloured door handles and black twin oval exhaust pipes.

Inside, the flagship sedan features new M-design seats with perforated Alcantara and leather upholstery and 'Titantex' trim -- a "titanium coloured" composite material.

The new Quattroporte Sport GTS is due on sale in Australia and New Zealand in the third quarter of 2009, and prices and specifications will be announced closer to that time.

Getting back to Maserati's Indianopolis 500 connection, the Italian marque posted wins at 'The Brickyard' in 1939 and 1940 with the 8CTF, which was a development of the iconic Tipo 8CM -- regarded by many as the definition of the 3.0 litre pre-war Grand Prix car.