2013 Maserato Quattroporte: Official Details Released

In less than a month, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the world premier of the latest version of the Maserati Quattroporte luxury sedan will take to the stage.  Along with the release of the first official photos of the automobile, here is a roundup of what we know about the vehicle so far:

Updated Styling

The 2013 Maserati Quattroporte offers a sleeker and more attractive exterior design, with a new front fascia that gives it a dynamic edge over the departing version of the car.  Even with a larger platform than before, the Quattroporte has lost 200 kilograms of weight, which should translate into improved handling and acceleration.  The interior of the car has also been completely redesigned, and Maserati has included a lengthy list of luxury features as well as a new telematics system.

Two Motors Will Be Available

A pair of very different drivetrains will be offered by the Italian automaker when the Maserati Quattroporte goes on sale:

•    A 3.0-liter Pentastar V6 that will make use of twin turbochargers to produce 404 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque;
•    A 3.8-liter V-8, also featuring two spinning snails, that will churn out 523 horses and 479 lb-ft of twist.

An eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard with each motor, and both drivetrains were developed by Ferrari's engineering team.

One Fast Sedan

The Maserati Quattroporte will certainly deliver when it comes to straight-line speed, with the V6 version allowing the car to hit 96 km/h from a standing start in just 5.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 307 km/h.  The eight-cylinder model cuts 0.4 seconds from this figure, but doesn't add any top end to the equation.