Maserati is seeking to
establish itself on the Thai market, and build its
reputation in a country where high performance Italian
sports cars are held in the highest regard. Last year
its sister Fiat Group niche brand Ferrari successfully
relaunched itself in Thailand and Lamborghini also has a
loyal following here. That leaves the Trident brand with
much work to do, but with a growing product range and a
strong sense of Italian fashion values in the county's
beating capital Bangkok the ingredients are all there
for the house of Modena to carve itself out a place.
Emphasising the close link between the well-known
Italian brands, Ferrari and Maserati, as well as Fiat
and Abarth, the Trident's local importer has come up
with a unique offer to galvanise interest: with every
Maserati model purchased during an offer period the
buyer will receive for free an Abarth 695 Tributo
Ferrari, the limited edition spin off of the Abarth 500,
itself the high performance branded version of the
Car of the Year award winning Fiat 500.
That offer
covers the GranCabrio, Quattroporte Sport GT S,
Quattroporte Executive GT 4.2, Quattroporte Executive GT
4.7, GranTurismo and the new GranTurismo MC Stradale.
It's an offer of some substance too as the Abarth 695
Tributo Ferrari costs a cool 2.99 million Baht in
Thailand.
The 'pocket rocket'
Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari was first shown in public in
the halls of the Frankfurt IAA in the autumn of 2009,
and it is being assembled in strictly limited numbers.
It is powered by the Abarth 500's potent 1368cc
turbocharged engine, which is uprated to produce a
blistering 180 HP at 5500rpm and 230 Nm torque at
3000rpm, meaning the tiny car can accelerate from 0-100
km/h in under seven seconds and reach a top speed of 225
km/h. However, despite the substantial performance hike,
the "T-Jet" engine can still return a very impressive
43.3 mpg on the combined cycle.
"Paddles" fitted behind
the steering wheel betray the specially-developed
electro-hydraulic "Abarth Competizione" gearbox which
comes with the option of manual and automatic modes.
Another feature of the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari is the
"Sport" button mounted on the dashboard which, when
activated, switches the car immediately into a more
responsive mode, adjusting the setting of the gearbox,
ECU and steering, all at the same time, sharpening up
the drive. The suspension has been upgraded with new
dampers as has the braking (with new Bembo 4-pot
calipers) while it is fitted with the Scorpion's 'Record
Monza' variable back-pressure dual-mode exhaust
Standard equipment
includes five airbags, electronic stability programme
(ESP), torque transfer control (TTC), power steering,
automatic climate control, Xenon headlights, Blue&Me
hands-free infotainment, Abarth-branded leather steering
wheel, "Abarth Corsa by Sabelt" seats (10 kg lighter
than the standard seats) and 7x17-inch alloy wheels shod
with 205/40 tyres. Visually the Abarth 695 Tributo
Ferrari is identified by its "Corsa Gray" wheels and
similar-finished air intakes, dedicated badging, kick
plates and stripes, while inside the highly trimmed
interior is also given a racing feel with a new
instruments and trimmed seats while the footwells now
fitted with aluminium plates.
A special party, dubbed the "Year of the Rabbit", which
took place in the boutique showroom of Maserati Thailand
on the second floor of the upscale Siam Paragon shopping
mall in Bangkok, launched this offer. Held to coincide
with Chinese New Year the venue was decked out with a
Chinese theme and the special offer was introduced by
Mr Chula-Payap
Srikancgana, the president of Maserati Club Thailand
who, as the CEO of CEO of Asia Insurance Thailand, is
one of the city's leading business figures. Guest of
honour was the Italian ambassador to Thailand, His
Excellency Mr
Michelangelo Pipan.
Forming the automotive
backdrop to proceedings was the GranTurismo, GranCabrio,
and of course the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari in "Rosso
Corsa". Originally, the special edition Scorpion car
wasn't going to be available in right hand drive,
however last year a change of heart saw the Turin
factory embark on a production run of 152 units destined
for the UK (at a cost of GBP29,500) and the cars to come
to Thailand under this offer are drawn from this
limited-edition batch. Also on display in the showroom
at Siam Paragon during the "Year of the Rabbit" party
was an array of Maserati merchandise and accessories.
by
Bella
Usasuksawas
