Automatic For The People
ZF Shifts Maserati ForwardWhen Maserati forges partnerships, it does not merely seek out organizations that outperform or companies that are best-in-class. It selects only those companies that develop exceptional products which it believes will improve the marque and appeal to the same exclusive clientele that are drawn to the Trident. The German ZF Group, maker of the world’s finest automatic transmissions and a supplier to the best premium manufacturers, is a perfect example of this rare marriage of performance and exclusivity.
ZF describes its customers as “real movers and shakers” who “aim high”. This shared customer perception combined with a shared track record for producing high-quality products made Maserati’s choice to add a ZF-designed Automatic to its Quattroporte sedan a simple one. The results have proven prophetic - both the performance of the new Quattroporte and its reception by automobile industry authorities have been extraordinary.
 ZF’s specialist Driveline Technology division exists to satisfy the unique needs of individual vehicles by offering transmission technology that is flexible, precise, comfortable, reliable and economical The very latest pinnacle of achievement in the car transmission sector is the 6-speed automatic transmission developed for Maserati and characterized by close ratio steps that make the driveline more responsive to the torque characteristics of the engine. It is this hydraulic torque converter-empowered nexus in innovation that provides smooth gear changes and enables high-speed shifting for a truly luxurious ride, thus elevating the performance of the new Quattroporte Automatic in keeping with its status as a luxurious grand tourer and a high-performance sports sedan.
 Consistent with the belief that each Maserati owner is selective in their own way, the Quattroporte Automatic can also be driven in a manual fashion using the console shifter or optional column-mounted paddles. Relying on the prodigious torque of the engine, the tall sixth gear acts as an overdrive to drop engine speed, further improving fuel consumption and reducing interior noise at high speeds, allowing smooth, crisp changes at a class-leading 7200 rpm. Additionally, two gear change modes styled “Low Grip” and “Sport” allow Maserati owners to further customize their driving experience without sacrificing the sporty driving characteristics of the 400bhp Maserati V8 and the incomparably tuned chassis.
The ZF-developed Quattroporte automatic provides further benefits in improved weight distribution. This is due to Maserati’s placement of the front longitudinal 6 speed automatic gearbox directly connected to the engine and transmission shaft connected in two pieces by omnichinetic joint and a rear self-locking differential connected to the rear under-bodywork. Thanks to this lay-out, weight distribution is still optimal and unmatched in the sedan segment: 49% front; 51% rear.
Many unbiased automobile industry sources have lauded the Maserati Quattroporte Automatic – the key product of the Maserati-ZF partnership. Left Lane News reported that the automatic six-speed ZF gearbox in the Quattroporte Automatic “ensures smooth, fluid gear changes while still allowing for rapid shifts, improving driver comfort.”1 Automobile magazine is even more enthusiastic about the new Automatic praising Maserati’s achievement in automobile engineering excellence. Its excitement is founded on “the amount of engineering needed to put a conventional automatic transmission in” which involved a “re-packaging of the underside of the car”. It believes that these key changes will reward driving cognoscenti, and especially those who demand an automatic, with “additional comfort and drivability.”2
Lastly, American Auto Press heartily endorses Maserati’s adoption of an automatic to provide a choice for those who prefer one. “For starters, the gearbox was designed by German autobox-maestros ZF, who supply pretty much the entire six-figure luxury sedan crowd with six-speed automatics,” It concludes its glowing review with emphasis, describing the Automatic’s new weight distribution as “unmatched by anything else of its size and luxury quotient.”3
The international media will be given a preview of the Quattroporte Automatic at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2007, and the car will go on sale worldwide by the end of that month. Contact your local authorized Maserati dealer today to experience first-hand the luxury and exclusivity of the revolutionary ZF-powered Maserati Quattroporte Automatic.
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