Maserati Confirms Plans for Conventional Automatic in Quattroporte

MODENA, Italy – Maserati SpA makes it official, saying it will offer a conventional automatic transmission in its Quattroporte high-performance sedan, with plans to roll out the feature at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Sources told Ward’s last January that a full-fledged automatic was on the way.

The new 6-speed, reportedly coming from German automatic transmission specialist ZF Friedrichshafen AG, will not replace the Formula 1-type automated manual offered now but sell alongside that unit.

The new transmission is expected to offer smoother shifting than the DuoSelect automated manual, which has not been popular with some would-be buyers in the U.S. It also is expected to enhance road behavior, providing the car with a well-balanced 49/51 weight ratio, front to rear.

The long-awaited enhancement is seen boosting sales of the 4-door Maserati worldwide, but especially in the U.S.

Pricing has not been revealed, and Maserati isn’t saying if the specifications of the 4.2L V-8 will change. It currently puts out 400 hp and 339 lb.-ft. (460 Nm) of torque.

Meanwhile, Maserati is expected to roll out its all-new Maserati Coupe at the Geneva auto show in March. The all-new coupe, also designed by Pininfarina SpA, is derived from a short-wheelbase version of the Quattroporte platform.