> Auge

The Auge is a cold wind which blows along the Azure Coast: it's the new air which announces the change of the season. Such a thing would have been my car  when I've conceived it. But the Auge is also a  wind which pervades the boundary lands whit the parfumes of the hinterland, a renewal message which takes with itself the consciousness of what we've been, to come to understand what we are now. Therefore not only a modernised answer of style for a possible new taste of nowadays, but a careful analysis of what has been and from what the Maserati style can be composed: the corporate identity. But my research could not have been considered completed without a serious analysis of the methods which have been used in order to govern the creative and productive process. If it is true that to make design it has meant to respect the dogma “shape-function”, I think that nowadays to this rule is indispensable to add the concepts of methodological plan and economic-productive plan. So Auge is the attempt to answer, without expecting to have given the definitive answer, to the question of how those cars that belong to that product group called “production of niche” have to be and how they have to be made. But as for such kind of production is meant to be nowadays, we could assert that the method in examination would adapt better to one lower measure of the niche, in the automotive case, to the group of the specially built ones, which were very famous in the ending of Fifties. It is not only a nostalgia for the fantasy expressed in those years or the wish of “dolce vita”, but the conviction of having to modernise the methodology of making a project to agree to a market that asks, in all the ambits, more and more diversified products, but with the best guaranteed qualitative standards which has a high-quality product made in serious way. In order to guarantee these contents, Auge has had as a plan, since from the phase of briefing, to catch up, with the application of techniques of “carry over” which have also allowed the control of the development costs, the homologation for the use of the vehicle on road, that is the full respect of all ergonomic, functional qualitative ties. To arrive to the obtained aesthetic result, has meant to try to recover the naturalness of the creative walk, placing the computer-science means of the systems of designation to the end of the process, like single instrument of control not of drawing avoiding, as often it happens, the risk to create a too much mathematical shape: the passage of the hand of the man provokes to a natural dimensioning and control of the superficial ones that unintentionally, but punctually, is perceived from who is observing, often donating the magic of an object that does not age prematurely because is completely revealed in its appearing.

> design

The will to create a “granturismo” which could be similar to 5000 GT with special auto body, which were created from the Italian masters on ending of Fifties, takes to the result of a sedan car, equipped with two long doors that allow the access to the four comfortable seats, and of a recognisable shape as a Maserati that takes inspiration from the small spiders created in the post-war period (among whom there’s the "Birdcage"), which were appreciated a lot from the fans of Maserati. The auto body has been made with aluminium and carbon fiber: the first one composes the doors and the front and posterior flanks, which are subject to reviews for the putting to point of the " games " between sheets, the second one is employed for the cowlings and the bumpers. All the body hides the frame of a modern Maserati “Quattroporte Evoluzione” with a V-8 3200 cc. Engine, automatic 5-gears, suspensions and brakes (Brembo) directly taken from races on traks. The outside is characterised from great wheels (MOMO) which, by their dimension (20 inches), help to slim the flank and to proportionate the volume of the car. The line of straight belt, true dynamic sign, rooms until to being excuse for the unusual positioning of the posterior lights. It also marks being born of the transparent volume of the inside: it’s totally made with glass and it accommodates two " blades " in brushed brass sheet to cover the tubular structure of the roof, which have been intentionally create to be in sight like a symbol of the most skilful abilities to the " panel beaters " to model the metals. They represent, moreover, the book review of one artisan profession the most diffuse time, still today precious, but in phase of complete dismissing. The large front and posterior air inlet, technically necessary in order to hold under control the temperatures of the motor space and to increase the performances of held (ground effect), are aesthetically strong signs that go to increase the character of the car. Two small reversed “nacas” placed on the flanks endured after the bonnet, and act as extracting machines of the contained warm air in the motor space, becoming also a pleasant aesthetic particular, and are a citation of the similar openings placed on the posterior flanks of the cars of the house to get the engine warm. The car introduces itself with one livery which is characterised with the effect of chromatic contrast of the brass, a warm colour which has always been used from on the special cars produced from Maserati, and with the intense cold effect which has been obtained employing one particular developed silver varnish which has been developed for this model (PPG). The will to arrive to the definition of a folder colours which collected the typical colours, has allowed to experience other effects of two-colour print: the “Dragon Red”, coupled with aluminum blades, has been used for the presentation of the model in race version.

> cockpit

Unusually, the doors do not have opening handles: they open by means of a remote control placed in the clock of the pilot (La Vallèe), through whom it is provided also to the insertion of the satellite alarm Global Technology). Therefore as for the realisation of the auto body two various technological ways have been used, one close to the past, the other to the future, also in the inside of the car we find the development of this topic. The cockpit offers four comfortable seats encircled from the most valuable materials: the skin made with Connolly handwork (Havana skin colour) and the signed Prima Classe woven for the seats, walnut wood and glazed brass for mouldings. Everything is made to respect the chromatic tradition of the brand. The dashboard is dominated by the very complete typical instrumentation of Maserati cars, now with silver settings and indices of aeronautical derivation: also the commandos of the functions are in the typical valuable materials of the special cars Thirties, ivory, cameos, coral and lapis-lazuli, which are been carved by the most skilful craftsmen specialised in the seed-hard stone working (La Vallée). Hidden and rendered visible only from the presence of the three monitors, here is the second aspect of the duality of this cockpit according to the art of travelling: the multimedial system (Alpine and Philips). Every passenger is in a position to approaching individually or in sharing with the others occupants, to general information and functions like: audio, Television, DVD, satellite navigator, telephone, connection to Internet, video games, portable computer, rear television camera. During the long travels it is possible to use refrigerator which is in the tunnel between the two front seats. If you have left with good weather in order to be surprised by the rain, in the pockets of the front panels door, there are two small umbrellas (Prima Classe). The cockpit is enclosed in a completely transparent cover that allows the passenger to catch the external panorama, donating also that sense of typical freedom of the spiders. The transparent roof is made with the technology of the glass-room, in other words the connection of two tempered glasses to high absorption of infrared and ultraviolet beams, from which the air is removed in order to avoid the transmission of the heat, of the noise and the of the formation of the typical condenses with the low temperatures. In the rear boot, there’s a complete set formed by four cases and a “porta abiti”, a bag in which there’s the spare wheel (inflatable type) and the bag in which there are the tools for little repairs (Prima Classe).

engine:  front longitudinal dohc 3200cc 8V 90°, 32v
ignition:  Multipoint electronic injection Weber-Marelli, electronic ignition with single coils
turbo:  2 IHI turbochargers, water cool, intercoolers
transmission:  rear wheel drive, 5-speed gearbox
brakes:  vented discs allround with ABS
maximum power: 450 bhp 

chassis:  aluminium with carbon-fibre
tyres:  front: 245/45ZR20, rear: 275/35ZR20
dimensions:  length: 4550mm, width: 1920mm, height: 1330mm, wheelbase: 2550mm