The Coupe and the Sedan:
Sneak Peeks at the New 2+2 Ferrari and Maserati Quattroporte

By Erik Nielsen
Pictures copyright and courtesy Ferrari/ Maserati

Feeling some heat from the competition, Ferrari and Maserati have decided to release photos of the replacement to the Ferrari 456M and the new Maserati Quattroporte before the cars are officially released at the auto shows.

The new 2+2 is widely rumored to be named the 460, but knowing Ferrari, if enough people start calling it that, they'll end up changing the name. From a design standpoint, the car incorporates several features that were included in the 1954 Paris Auto Show 375 MM special, (SN 0456 AM), especially the fender lines. The car features an extended hood that is reminiscent of the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, but the indents on the sides carry over as a revision of the 456. The rear of the exterior continues the theme seen on the 550/575M Maranellos with a modified Kamm tail. The tops of the round rear lights are exposed a la the Enzo. Let's hope that the air intakes on the real car don't look like a smiling catfish.

The interior is a refinement of a long line of V12 2+2's dating back to the 365 GT4 2+2. The seats are more of a carbon fiber shell, which look great in a Challenge car, but are a bit of a stretch in a super-luxury coupe. The instrument cluster looks vaguely familiar to the 360. The car seems to be a fresh interpretation of the line dating back to the 250 GTE. Expect the shock to be an all aluminum construction like the 360's.

Maserati upped the ante by releasing actual photos of the new Quattroporte which represents the first redesign of the classic sedan since Ferrari's bosses have been calling the shots. The car will be officially released at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, but with other high end sedans hitting the streets now, Maser needed to get the ball rolling on the marketing side to add something else for its fans to consider waiting for.

The car features three chrome ports on the sides that are a feature of Ferraris from the 50's, and unfortunately, the new Buick as well. The overall shape follows the same line as the current coupe. The front grill contains Poseidon's trident on a horizontal slat grill. And like other Quattroportes, the tridents are continued again on the C-pillars. The headlights are Xenon projectors and are subtle in their design. The car will use a 400 hp V8 (sound familiar to Ferrari fans?). And one of the selling points will be the degree of customization available.

Will this car be a success? The most serious competition will be the new Mercedes-Benz E55. And, while the Mercedes does not have the same styling and panache, it does have a new V8 pumping out 469 horses and the $76,000 price-tag will present a major challenger.

Velocetoday.com will cover the launches of both cars.