New Maserati 470-500HP!

i think we have many sources that confirms a 4.7L V8, but not the 500hp figure. italiaspeed just posted that the 4.7L V8 will be in the Alfa Romeo 8C, as well as the QP. previous rumors say the 4.7L will be mated to a new auto tranny, while the 4.2L is mated to the duoselect unchanged.

 

i know the 4.7 liter engine is real, but was not told of any performance figures. the prototype was "around" modena in february.

 

Seems feasible given the 4.3L makes close to 500 hp. Although hopefully it won't include all the same expensive hardware. I'd just like to see the new coupe...

 

Here's the link for ItaliaSpeed. Good articles. Great looking 8C.

http://www.italiaspeed.com/

 

I was told last month, the Coupe/Spyder replacement will be an SL-type automobile, no longer will we have the choice of a two-seat Spyder and a four-seat Coupe.

 

If the Italiaspeed article is to be believed they mention an engine that's easier to maintain and cheaper to build. How can that possibly be a bored version of the current motor?

I have some ugly thoughts about what it might mean but I hope it's just an Italian non-Ferrari less expensive motor.

Bob S.

 

i honestly wonder about the 500hp 550nm figure. as a reference the 4.3 in the F430 makes 490hp and 465nm. hard to imagine ferrai will let maserati have the ones up. certainly 500hp+ is the benchmark now for sports sedan.

as far as full auto, it has nothing to do with laziness. on the Duoselect you can be lazy but the shifts are just terrible automatically. the hardest working QP drivers are already shifting with their fingers.

going back on topic, i am guessing the 4.7L V8 and the 8C chassis will find its way in various iterations: Ferrari Dino, Maserati Coupe/Spyder, and Alfa Romeo 8C. and the 4.7L V8 will also find its way to the auto QP.

 

ok...forget what I said yesterday. I'm hearing now that the Coupe replacement will be based on the QP/612 chassis (this may not be new news to most of you), following loosely on the theme of the 612, a large, comfortable GT automobile. It sounds like Maserati intends to put the Bentley CGT squarely in it's sight. The Spyder will be replaced as well but not as early as the Coupe.

 

I think the idea of going after the BCGT makes sense. Clearly there's a market there, and the Mercedes CL isn't viable.
Do you think it will be aluminum like the 612 - or just use the transaxle and rear weight bias like the QP/612?

 

it's great that they are elevating the ceiling. if the 612 is the ultimate V12 from maranello then the Maserati (QP) Coupe could take the V8 well. honestly, the QP itself is styled as four door coupe anyways. converting it to shortened 2 door coupe would be straightforward. i have heard that this will be a 2+2 instead of a 2 seater.

perhaps there will be a less expensive coupe/spyder that could be the 2 seater you mentioned, and there was rumor that it will be cheaper and even has V6's...

 

the coupe that was based on a shorted QP platform had been rumored and prototype spotted way before the alfa connections and brera production annoucement. this was initally the Coupe/Spyder replacement which was rumored now to be the Ferrari Dino.

the QP Coupe rumored is not this car. it is more like a rebodied QP into a coupe.

 

this is the swb "qp" prototype. we saw it in february, it was the rumored coupe, then potential dino replacement. it has been shelved as being to much like "ferrari" - ie, too expensive.
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i know a new coupe will eventually emerge, but i doubt that this mule will be the basis. they let me take extensive photos of it. if it wa sthe true new car, they wouldn't have left it out in plain sight, much less let us mess with it.