Quelle:
http://www.italiaspeed.com
Maserati and Alfa Romeo to collaborate closely
Although the Spyder will continue to use a modified version of the M139
platform, Maserati’s future will see close collaboration
with Alfa Romeo. As Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero di
Montezemolo told journalists towards the end of June, a
Maserati crossover is in the works with the aid of Alfa
Romeo technology.
Logically this would imply the use of the Premium platform,
and for Alfa Romeo this could provide the Kamal SUV project
(or similar) with a clear cast future. A new low-cost
Maserati sportscar is also being studied by Pininfarina with
a targeted retail price of 80,000 euros, which will
undoubtedly fully exploit the technological synergies of the
two brands. It is unlikely that this particular project
the drawing boards, however, with the GT
Wagon project currently having superiority over funds.
Similarly, budget is available for Alfa Romeo projects, with
the recently completed Alfa 159, Sportwagon, Brera and
Spider models having consumed a lot of it. As a result,
projects including the Alfa 147 replacement (Progetto 940)
have been prolonged until income from the 159 and Brera is
generated. An appearance of the Alfa Romeo 147 replacement
in late 2006 is highly unlikely now.
week ago, Maserati were actively testing prototypes at the
legendary Nürburgring in Germany. These prototypes included
a Quattroporte bearing a new engine, and a white GranSport
fully loaded with measuring equipment. The question that
arises is whether the engine lurking under the GranSport’s
bonnet is fitted with Uniair to boost power from 400 bhp to
somewhere in the region of 450 bhp. Using Uniair technology
also improves fuel economy by around 15%.
Well-informed sources have recently mentioned the preference
of a Maserati-derived 4.3 litre V8 engine by Alfa Romeo for
their 159, Sportwagon, Brera and Spider GTA models.
This engine - which is an evolution of the 4.244 cc GranSport
unit - will be fitted with Uniair (which was recently
showcased in the CRF Sportiva Latina at the Barcelona Motor
Show) and will allegedly pump out 440 bhp at 7000 rpm with
505 Nm of torque. The engine has similar dimensions to
Alfa’s V6 and only weighs 183 kg. With minimal
modifications, open to after market tuning specialists, the
Maserati V8 has the potential to deliver well over 500 bhp.
An out-bored, in-house high output variant, for use in
possible future Alfa Romeo Supercars and the 169 GTA, is
also under development, and will yield approximately 500 bhp.
A benefit of this V8 engine over the initial plan to use a twin turbo
version of the 3.2 JTS V6 is the reduced torque (505 Nm
compared to the Biturbo 3.2 V6’s asphalt-ripping 680 Nm),
enabling the possibility to not only have a 6-speed
automatic transmission but also manual and Selespeed options
as well. Another problem with the serial Twin Turbo 3.2
litre V6 engine, which has been actively tested under an
Alfa Romeo 166 prototype, lies in the power-band, with
maximum power being achieved at only 6000 rpm.
True to the Gran
Turismo Allegerita tag, these high performance Alfa’s will
be lightweight: the 159 GTA will have a 130 kg weight
reduction. The V8-engined GTA’s will retain AWD, as the V8
engine is to be mounted transversely similar to the old
Lancia Thema 8.32. Part of the weight saving objective could
be achieved through using high-performance parts such as
Brembo CCM (Composite Ceramic Material) brakes. These alone
weigh 30% less than alternative cast iron discs, and are
currently used on high performance cars such as the Ferrari
F430 Offering top end performance is a prerequisite in future Alfa Romeo’s, strongly understood by Alfa Romeo engineer Paulo Massai, who
believes that future cars should offer more power than their
competitors. Centro Ricerche Fiat also play a crucial role
in this respect, having developed the Uniair system, as well
as a high performance adaptive rear differential which will
feature on the more powerful models. Another recent design,
which may be used on future GTA cars, is a retractable front
spoiler mounted aerodynamic barrier, offering additional
braking in a method similar to that of the Mercedes-McLaren
SLR. Clearly, future GTA models will surpass the 250 km/h
limit imposed on their German counterparts, requiring all
the stopping power available.
hehehehehe 
