Vehicle Description
2005 Maserati Gran Sport Coupe 2+2 One of only 2,432 Gran Sports
made in 20054.2L dry sump DOHC 32-valve V-8 engine with VVT, 90?
between cylinder banks, aluminum block and heads and ported fuel
injection (code F136 R)Six-speed Cambiocorsa electrohydraulic
manumatic transmission with paddle shifters Grigio Touring Silver
exterior and Nickel Gray two-tone leather interiorPower
rack-and-pinion steering, power four-wheel and cross-drilled disc
brakes, electronic climate control, cruise control, power windows,
power locks, power front seats, power mirrors18-inch factory
14-spoke alloy wheels and tinted glassDual front and side driver,
passenger airbags and anti-lock brakes Gran tourers comes in all
shapes and sizes but few come prettier than this Maserati Gran
Sport Coupe, also known as the 4200 GT. Finished in Grigio Touring
Silver, the car?s paint and trim are in overall excellent
condition. Its body is straight, the lights and windows are clear
and intact, the engine bay is extremely tidy, the battery appears
new and the body-colored bumpers fit tightly to the body but there
are a few clear coat blemishes on the front bumper. The car
features Xenon high-intensity discharge headlights. This Maserati
rolls on Michelin Pilot Super Sports radials, size 255/35ZR19 in
front and 265/30ZR19 in back. Each tire is mounted on a factory,
14-spoke polished alloy wheel. The tires are in very good shape,
with plenty of tread while the wheels are in excellent order.
Inside, the GranSport was fitted with wide, highly contoured,
two-tone Nickel Gray sport seats, which required a slimmer center
console (constructed in carbon fiber) and elastic door pockets.
Carbon fiber was also used to for the dashboard trim and on the new
thick-rimmed steering wheel. The power mirror and the clock are
inoperable. On the coup?, the upholstery materials were leather and
technical cloth on the seat centers, backs and dashboard fascia.
The Coup? and Spyder came standard with an infotainment system
present on the center console that combines audio and climate
controls. An optional GPS navigation system and hands-free GSM
phone were also available as options integrated into the
infotainment system. Additional optional equipment includes xenon
headlights, upgraded audio system and CD changer, electrochromic
rearview mirror, rear parking sensors, seat heaters, and cruise
control. Various interior trim packages were offered, including a
leather headliner featuring a grosgrain pattern, and either a
carbon fiber kit or Briar wood kit sporting wood portions of the
steering wheel, door trim, and shifter. Purchasers could even order
custom Maserati luggage, made to match their car's interiors. The
4.2L 32-valve, DOHC V-8 engine with variable valve timing has a
crankshaft with a crossplane design. The engine operates at a
compression ratio of 11.1:1 with the eight cylinders configured in
a 90-degree V design. The cylinder bore diameter is 3.62 inches and
piston stroke length is 3.15 inches. The engine shares many of the
design features of modern racing engines, including dry sump
lubrication, a pump assembly located outside the crankcase and four
valves per cylinder. The engine uses chain-driven, twin-overhead
camshafts that provide valve actuation in less than 0.15 seconds,
with the intake cams being controlled by variable valve timing. The
crankcase and cylinder heads are made from an aluminum and silicon
alloy, giving the engine a relatively light weight of 406 pounds.
The exhaust, equipped with bypass valves, was also specially tuned
to ?growl? on start-up and full throttle. Driver convenience
features include power rack-and-pinion steering, power four-wheel
and cross-drilled disc brakes, electronic climate control, cruise
control, power windows, power locks, power front seats, power
mirrors Backing the motor is a six-speed electrohydraulic manumatic
transmission using paddle shifters. The Cambiocorsa (Italian,
meaning ?race change?) version is a 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 sports cars. The system
allows the driver to choose between four different operating modes:
Normal, Sport, Auto and Low Grip. Each of these programs is
selected by means of console-mounted buttons, corresponding to
different types of operating mode. By switching between the Normal
and Sport modes, the driver can select between different electronic
stability control settings and, if installed, different active
suspension settings. Normal mode provides a more comfortable ride,
whereas Sport mode stiffens up the suspension and provides fast
gear shifts of around a quarter of a second. The Automatic mode
electronically handles shifting of the transmission but allows the
driver to rapidly revert to manual using the F1-style paddles. The
Low Grip, or Ice mode, allows for smooth starting and gear changes
on snow and ice. The transmission is of a transaxle type and
located at the rear of the vehicle with a standard locking
differential. It is integrated in with the differential, unlike its
predecessor. Reverse gear is operated electronically and can
sometimes need a little finesse getting it into gear. Safety
features include dual front and side driver and passenger airbags
plus anti-lock brakes. The Maserati Coup? and Spyder both have a
light alloy double wishbone suspension. The rear suspension is
fitted with a toe-in regulator bar which enhances the precision of
the drive train and provides 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. Perhaps the most highly regarded
option is a computer-controlled suspension damping system called
?Skyhook,? with a 0.4-inch lower ride height. This adaptive damping
system uses coil-over shock absorbers and a set of six
accelerometers that continually monitor the movement of the wheels
along with the car's body and transmits this information to a
control unit. The vehicle's computer analyses this data and
coordinates it with the Cambiocorsa transmission and other Maserati
safety systems. Skyhook then calculates and recalculates the data
at least 40 times per second and instantaneously adjusts each shock
absorber accordingly. When placed in the Sport mode, the suspension
firms up for better cornering. The Maserati GranSport is a sportier
version of the Coup? that was first unveiled at the March 2004
Geneva Motor Show. It featured improved aerodynamics, retuned
suspension, engine and transmission and a sportier interior. Frank
Stephenson, newly appointed Director of Ferrari-Maserati Concept
Design and Development was responsible for exterior and interior
redesign. The Maserati Coup? is a true four-seater capable of
comfortably seating two adults in the rear seats. It has a
wheelbase of 105 inches which is about three inches longer than the
rival Jaguar XK8 and 12 inches) longer than a Porsche 911 (996).
Overall vehicle length is 178 inches, width is 72 inches and height
is 51 inches. Total curb weight is 3,682?3,704 pounds. The design
is similar to the preceding 3200 GT but the boomerang shaped
taillights were replaced in favor of more conventional units. The
Coup? and Spyder were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign,
who also designed the Ghibli, mid-engined Bora, Quattroporte III
and the 3200 GT as well. Interior design was commissioned to Enrico
Fumia and was based heavily on the 3200 GT's interior, restyled in
1999. The cars were built at the Viale Ciro Menotti plant in
Modena, Italy. Competition to this Maserati in 2005 included Aston
Martin?s DB9, BMW?s M3, Chevrolet?s Corvette, Ferrari?s 360,
Jaguar?s XK-8, Lotus? Sport Exige, Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG and
Porsche?s 911 Turbo Coupe Tiptronic S. If you want a late-model
gran touring coupe, you would be har
