Maserati approves Conti tires for its new luxury model

ERJ staff report (BC)

Hanover, Germany – Italian luxury car maker Maserati S.p.A. has approved 19-, 20- and 21-inch versions of the ContiSportContact 5 P tire for its new Quattroporte, reports Rubber & Plastics News.

The car firm's four-door luxury performance sedan is rated at 200+ mph top speed and a sticker price of $135 000 (€102 000) and up.

Continental A.G. said this is its first ever original equipment fitment with Maserati, the Modena, Italy-based luxury and sports car maker. In all, Maserati has approved two tires in each of three rim diameters, Conti said, since the Quattroporte uses different sized tires front and rear.

Maserati literature does not specify which other tire makers are approved for the 2014 Quattroporte. Conti describes the ContiSportContact 5 P, which is rated for speeds up to 198 mph, is its sportiest tire ever. It features an asymmetrical tread and offset tread blocks. The tires built for the Quattroporte are rated for speeds up to 198.4 mph and will be marked with the letters "MGT" to avoid confusion with other tires from the same series, Conti said.

Conti launched the SportContact 5 P in 2010 as its top-of-the-line performance tire, for both the OE and replacement markets.

The three sets of sizes are for the Quattroporte's various models. The base S and four-wheel-drive S Q4 models are fitted with 245/45 R19 and 275/40 R19, front and rear, Maserati said, while the more powerful GTS model uses 245/40 R20 and 285/35 R20.

Maserati also offers the 21-inch as a sportier handling option on the GTS model range, and allows customers to spec the 19-inch models for lower fuel consumption and quieter operation.

Maserati has targeted sales of about 7,000 to 8,000 units of the new Quattroporte in 2013.