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400 HP V8 ENGINE
The Maserati GranSport’s normally
aspirated 4,244 cm³ V8 has all the structure of the most advanced racing engines
with dry sump lubrication and twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank with
four valves per cylinder hydraulic tappets. The intake cams also feature
variable phase timing.
Its maximum power delivery has been upped from the original 390 hp to 400 hp
too, thanks to special development work to reduce internal attrition and careful
work on the intake manifolds and valve seats. The engine has been combined with
a sports exhaust system that is instantly recognisable, thanks to the unusual
design of its twin chrome exhausts and was designed to give enthusiasts that
instantly recognisable deep, full-bodied rumble. Thanks to an electronically
controlled pneumatic valve system, even more can be made of the exhaust by
pressing the “Sport“ button on the central console too.
CAMBIOCORSA TRANSMISSION
The Maserati GranSport is available only
with the six-speed electro-hydraulic transmission in which the gears are changed
using paddles mounted behind the steering wheel, a feature that further enhances
the car’s sporty personality. The Cambiocorsa systems allows drivers to choose
between various gear shifting modes (Normal, Sport, Automatic and Low Grip), and
in the case of the Maserati GranSport , is controlled by specific software. Even
with respect to already very highly developed Coupé Cambiocorsa system, the
Sport mode in the GranSport offers 35% faster gear changing on average and also
boasts automatic heeling and toeing to make dropping down a gear even faster.
Thanks to the new Cambiocorsa software, the Maserati GranSport can sprint a
whole kilometre from standstill in a breathtaking 23 seconds flat.
The gear shift ratios are specific too, with the adoption of a sixth gear
that is 5% longer, which, in combination with its more powerful engine and
improved aerodynamics, allows the Maserati GranSport to improve on the already
blistering speeds of the Coupé, delivering a dizzying top speed of 290 Km/h.
As with the other models in the Maserati range, the driver can choose between
two levels of gear changing. Normal mode is more comfortable and typical of
Grand Tourer driving, while with a touch of the Sport button on the central
console they get to feel the true power of the car. The Sport mode delivers much
faster gear changing, a deeper exhaust sound and less invasive use of the MSP
stability and traction control system. The optional Skyhook suspension system,
which offers continuous damping control, is also affected by the driver’s choice
of Normal or Sport modes. For more comfort-oriented driving, there is even an
Auto button which puts the gears in full automatic mode so that the driver need
do nothing more than sit back enjoy the thrilling experience of driving a
Maserati. However, the Sport function can still be activated in this mode.
DRIVER-ORIENTED TECHNOLOGY
Needless to say, the Maserati GranSport
boasts all of the many excellent technological and safety features offered by
the Maserati Grand Tourers, but with some very important refinements. The car
has the same sophisticated set-up as the Coupé Cambiocorsa: a Transaxle layout
with the gearbox rear-mounted in unit with the differential, stability and
traction control (MSP) integrating ABS, ASR, MSR and EBD functions, which the
driver can deactivate if desired, independent front and rear suspension with
double wishbone geometry, which can be integrated with the Skyhook system on
request, the Skyhook adaptive damping system which instantly adapts the damper
calibrations to suit the driving and road conditions and allows the driver to
choose between two different settings (Normal and Sport).
The fact that the set-up has been lowered by 10 mm and the adoption of the
19” wheels and tyres with a specific profile (front 235/35 19”, rear 265/30
19”), characterised by a smaller slip angle, have lowered the centre of gravity
and hardened the set-up of Maserati GranSport, making it even more agile and
responsive to the steering wheel.
The Brembo brakes with alloy titanium-coloured four-piston callipers with
differentiated diameters and large ventilated cross-drilled discs (front 330 mm;
rear310 mm), also further enhance the dynamic characteristics of the car.
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