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2003 Maserati Trofeo

2003 Maserati Trofeo
A heady mix of unique abilities marks the Coupé out from the crowd, with class-leading performance in cosseted luxury.

The purity and elegance of unmistakably Italian styling and cutting edge technological content combine to perfection in the lines of the Maserati Coupé, a car that is capable of encompassing the very best that Maserati has to offer in refined racing technology and yet present it all in a classic, ageless style.

Design2003 Maserati Trofeo
At the heart of the Coupé's design is the front-engine tradition of which Maserati has historically been one of the most authentic and authoritative proponents.

This marque culture produces distinctive, highly individual cars that transcend fashion, and is perfectly expressed in the elegant lines and muscular stance of the all-Italian design developed by Italdesign Giugiaro.

The Coupé boasts an agressive bonnet and clean, strong lines, with the new grille dominating the central part and the redesigned bumpers enhancing the overall sportiness of the whole ensemble.

The Coupé's graceful bodywork reflects the same soft aggressiveness in the rear, now characterised by the new design of the bumpers and big side air vents covered by the classic fine mesh grille in black.

Classic exterior lines frame a cabin designed to cocoon both driver and passengers in an interior that perfectly reflects the Coupé's muscular exterior forms.

The Coupé's Maserati GT heritage is evident in a host of details with styling cues ranging from the shape of its nose to the big front grille, the historic oval shield, the 'lightning' logo on the C-post, raised details on the seats, and classic oval clock on the fascia.

Interior

Sportiness combined with uncompromising luxury: the Coupé's cabin is designed to marry the volumes and lines of a thoroughbred sports car with comfortable seating for four adults.
Quality materials, handcrafted details and an elegant finish create the kind of exclusivity that have always characterised the Marque and the whole Trident concept of the GT.

A body-hugging driver's seat makes it virtually impossible to resist slipping behind the wheel, while sumptuous leather upholstery cocoons passengers in a cabin that combines classic and high tech features to perfection. The traditional analogue instrumentation facing the driver is now white on a navy blue background. Its controls are intuitive and immediately clear.

But the Coupé also boasts the Maserati Info Centre.

It is equipped with an optimised 5.8 inch colour display at the centre of the fascia. This integrated unit controls the sound system with single CD player as standard, the on board computer, and the climate control system. On request, the Info Centre can also include a GPS satellite navigation system, a GSM telephone module and CD changer.

Passengers have plenty of room at their disposal too and a comprehensive array of accessories means that on board comfort is excellent.

The Coupé's specially designed front seats are equipped with all-electric adjustments, while the thought devoted to the needs of rear passengers by the Trident designers is obvious from the addition of easy entry system, a central arm rest and convenient air vents.

An overall sense of roominess, the inclusion of differently-sized side storage pockets and a spacious 315-litre boot, large enough to take two golf bags or the made-to-measure luggage set (both available on request) make the Coupé the perfect GT for longer trips too.

Technology

2003 Maserati Trofeo
The engine powering the Coupé is an awesome 4244 cc eight-cylinder, 90-degree 'V', aspirated engine.

It is light, powerful, and like most advanced racing engines, has a dry sump lubrication and pump assembly outside the monobloc.

The performance of this spectacular engine is enhanced by timing gear featuring two overhead, chain-driven camshafts per bank, four valves per cylinder driven by hydraulic tappets and inlet camshafts equipped with continuously variable timing.

Other features include is also equipped with integrated Bosch ME7.3.2 ignition and injection systems and an accelerator with electronic 'Drive-by-Wire' throttle control, while the microprocessor control units (MCÚ) interact with the other systems via high speed CAN (Controlled Area Network) line to optimise operation of the engine.

A mighty 390 hp at 7000 rpm and spirited 452 Nm of torque at 4500 rpm mean that the Coupé delivers breathtaking performance, power and flexibility.

The result is an exhilarating drive and an engine that passes all known present and future anti-pollution standards. ( posted on conceptcarz.com) Generous torque at all speeds ensures maximum driving pleasure in everyday use and incredibly gratifying responsiveness in sportier situations.

This beautifully engineered power unit produces stunning performance. The Maserati Coupé will accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds and continue until it reaches its maximum speed of 177 mph (285km/h). It will sprint 1,000 metres from standstill in under 24 seconds.

Suspension

Designed to combine excellent dynamic handling with sumptuous comfort, the Maserati Coupé light alloy double wishbone suspension with anti-dive and anti-squat geometries, offers a combination of superb performance and uncompromising comfort.

The rear suspension is fitted with a toe-in regulator bar which enhances the precision of the drive train, assuring optimal tyre grip at all times and perfectly balanced cornering. The front suspension layout incorporates 'anti-dive' features to prevent nose-diving when braking. The suspension system is completed by front and rear anti-roll bars.

To further enhance dynamic characteristics, Maserati and Mannesmann-Sachs developed the optional Skyhook adaptive damping system, one of the most advanced of its kind. This system, via a set of sensors, continually monitors the movement of the wheels and car body, and transmits this information to a central unit. By analysing this data, the control unit determines the road and vehicle running conditions and instantaneously adjusts each damper accordingly.

The Skyhook radically improves ride quality in that it perfectly and 'actively' controls the damping rate and hence the vehicle response in all conditions, producing maximum effectiveness in true comfort. And it does so up to 10 times faster than other systems available on the market.

In addition to this automatic adjustment, the driver can also choose different operating modes at any time: Normal and Sport. The former ensures that every bump on the road is beautifully absorbed and maximum comfort is maintained at all times, while the latter is more performance-oriented. In both cases, a flatter set-up, more direct, precise steering and new tyres with improved lateral grip make driving even more accurate and fun.

Source - Maserati
The Maserati Coupe and Spyder were produced from 2001 to 2007 when they were replaced by the GranTurismo. These grand touring automobiles offered four seats for the coupes and two seats for the roadster version. The coupe and spyder, both commonly referred to as the 4200GT, were based on the 3200 GT which was sold in Europe, but not in the United States. The name '4200' was a representation of its 4.2 Liter engine size.

Maserati tasked the vehicle's design for the Coupe and Spyder to Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign. Giugiaro had also designed the Maserati Ghibli. The interior design was handled by Enrico Furnia and the cars were built at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant in Modena, Italy.

Maserati unveiled the Spyder at the 2001 Frankfurt Auto Show. The coupe made its introduction at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show. Sales in the United States began in March of 2002 for the Spyder, followed by the Coupe going on sale in May.

Near the close of 2004, the Coupe and Spyder was given a slight facelift. In the front was a slightly larger grille with its lower edge pulled slightly lower into the lip of the front bumper. The new grille was given horizontal bars and there was a new air outlet featured on the lower rearmost sides.

Both the Coupe and Spyder had side driver and passenger airbags as well as seat belt pre-tensioners. riving stability is provided by Maserati Stability Program (MSP) which became standard on the 2004 models and controls the engine and brakes to help the driver control the vehicle in extreme driving situations. At all four corners were high-performance Brembo brakes with light-alloy four-piston calipers and cross-drilled ventilated discs.

The 4244cc engine developed 385 horsepower and offered 332 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission was a six-speed that was available either as a GT (manual stick shift) or CC (Cambiocorsa) using paddle shifters. The GT version was given a foot-operated clutch, whereas the Cambiocorsa (Italian for 'race change') had a electrohydraulic manual transmission that uses a Formula One-type gearbox with hydraulic operation and electronic management operated by F1-style paddles behind the steering wheel, similar to the system used in Ferrari vehicles. This system allowed the driver to switch between Normal and Sport modes.

GranSport
In 2004, at the Geneva Motor Show, Maserati introduced the GranSport version. It had special 19-inch wheels, a Skyhook active suspension with a 0.4 inch lower ride height, the Cambiocorsa transmission, aerodynamic body cladding, and a chrome mesh grille. The exhaust system was tuned to make a deeper, 'throatier' sound on start-up. The engine still displaced 4244cc but was developed to produce 395 horsepower.

Trofeo
The Maserati Trofeo was the racing version. Power was from the stock engine but uprated to 414 horsepower due to a revised engine mapping and a modified free-flowing exhaust that uses a baffle-free muffler. The vehicle weight was reduced and many non-essential elements were removed. There was no soundproofing, air conditioning, and no leather seating.
A Trofeo racing series was organized for the Maserati enthusiasts, with a per-race rental charge of about $20,000.


By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2012

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