Bilstein shocks

Bilstein shocks

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fin

Original Poster:

41 posts

223 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Hi guys, is it possible for a 2008 Quattroporte Automatica to have Bilstein shocks as standard? Thanks

Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Yes, the 2007/2008 4.2 pre-facelift Sport GT S Automatica had single rate Bilstein shocks instead of Skyhook suspension. It was also lowered by 25mm at the rear and 10mm at the front. It had larger 360mm front “dual cast” brake disks and Brembo 6 pot callipers, it was a more driver focused car and the sportiest of the pre facelift QPV’s.


fin

Original Poster:

41 posts

223 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Fab, exactly the info I was looking for. Does it also have the red paint in the Trident logo on the front grille? Cheers Tim

Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
FYI - here is a review of the Sport GT S Automatica from 2007:

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/maserati...


Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Yes it should have red paint within the front trident. It should also have black rather than chrome window surrounds, body colour door handles and assuming it’s not been changed then the exhaust tips should also be black. 20” wheels were standard along with red 6 pot callipers, the default interior was carbon trim with leather and alcantara although I believe this could be specced differently.

The prefacelift QPV Sport GT S Automatica is a pretty rare beast with only 667 built globally and (I believe) approx. 40 in the uk.

Are you looking at one to purchase?

fin

Original Poster:

41 posts

223 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Mmmm, the one I'm looking at has chrome handles and chrome around the windows. It just doesn't state whether it's an Executive GT or Sport GT. I know what a Sport GT looks like but I just wondered if it was possible Bilsteins were standard after the tail end of 2007 or do Executive GT models have Skyhook as standard.
I asked the guy who's selling and he said it has Bilsteins but I was just trying to verify this.

Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Note that the Sport GT and Sport GT S are different models. Of the prefacelift cars only the Sport GT S Automatica had the Bilsteins as standard and this model is visibly a bit lower when compared with other QPV’s including the Sport GT. The black window trims, black exhaust tips and body coloured door handles were definitely a feature of the Sport GT S and I can’t imagine that someone would have spec’d it with chrome but you never know. If you can see underneath the car the Bilsteins are obvious as the shocks are yellow whereas the Skyhooks are silver - another surefire way of telling is to remove the plastic engine cover to expose the shock mounts, if it’s got Skyhooks there will be an electrical wire coming out of the top of the shock whereas the Bilsteins have no such wire.

Both Sport GT (of which most but not all had the F1 gearbox) and Executive GT should have Skyhook suspension, only the Sport GT S had the Bilsteins - unless of course it’s some crazy Italian parts bin special from the factory where they just used up whatever they had as they stopped producing the pre-facelift cars!

Edited by Harvey_Tim on Tuesday 29th October 16:00


Edited by Harvey_Tim on Tuesday 29th October 16:20

Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Text below is taken from the 2007 press release:


MASERATI QUATTROPORTE SPORT GT S

Maserati presents a world premier at the Frankfurt International Motor Show: the Quattroporte Sport
GT S, the ultimate expression of the Trident’s sedans’ sportiness. Developed for drivers who demand
the unparalleled handling of a thoroughbred sports car even in a luxury sedan, the Quattroporte
Sport GT S stands out as a gratifying and thrilling driving experience.

SUSPENSION AND SET-UP

The Quattroporte Sport GT S introduces single-rate dampers that were specifically developed and
calibrated to further enhance the vehicle's dynamic balance. Thanks to new stiffer springs and
dampers the car's set-up was lowered by 10 mm in front and 25 mm in rear. This drop and greater
rigidity in the suspension have led to a noticeable reduction in the roll and pitch angles, and the
weight transfer and a slight increase in lateral acceleration. In everyday driving, this translates into
limited movements in the body of the car, with significant improvements in terms of agility, as well
as travel speed through and traction coming out of curves.
Set-up characteristics have been optimised by the implementation of tyres with a revised mix and
structure; the rear tyres have a larger ground footprint, which now measures 295/30 – R20 in place
of the standard 285/30 – R20.
The new tyres further improve road holding and ensure greater precision and steering
responsiveness.

BRAKING SYSTEM

The Quattroporte Sport GT S debuts the innovative dual-cast brake disc developed in collaboration
with Brembo.
The structure of the dual-cast brake disc — made of two materials, cast iron and aluminium — helps
optimise the performance of the braking system, improving the feeling at the pedal and increasing
resistance to fade even at the highest temperatures.
Differently from traditional cast iron discs, the dual-cast disc consists of a cast-iron braking surface
and an aluminium hat, making it possible to combine the advantages of heat-resistance provided by
cast iron with the lightweight properties of aluminium. In particular, the use of aluminium, which is
generally 20% lighter than cast iron, made it possible to increase the diameter of the front discs —
360 mm — while maintaining the same weight.
In addition to improving the performance of the braking system and reducing the fading effect, other
advantages created by the dual-casting of these two materials include greater driving comfort, less
wear on the discs and pads, and better component performance.
The braking system in the Quattroporte Sport GT S also features new mono-block six-piston
aluminium front brake calipers, ABS, which prevents the wheels from locking up when braking, and
EBD for better distribution of braking force between the front and rear wheels, both integrated with
MSP stability control.

EXTERIORS

Visually, the Quattroporte Sport GT S stands out from other models for its more aggressive look ,
which underlines the vehicle's sporty nature and dynamic flair. The black-chrome mesh grille, a
characteristic element of sporty Maseratis, is combined with a series of small but significant aesthetic
elements: the side window trims and the two double exhaust pipes are also black, whilst door handles
are in the same colour of the body of the car.
The exterior outfitting of the Quattroporte Sport GT S is completed by the Dark-Chrome paint on the
20", seven-spoke rims, giving the car a character that is unique in the Quattroporte range and making
this vehicle instantly recognisable.
The colour of the rims stands out against the brake calipers, which come standard in red, and are
also available in five other colours as an optional: Black, Silver, Titanium, Blue and Yellow.

INTERIORS

The special configuration of the cabin, ground-breaking in its combination of elegance and
sportiness, celebrates the sporty bent of the Quattroporte Sport GT S through the meticulous
selection of materials used in this latest evolution of the Maserati flagship.
The interior finish also reflect the exclusivity of this model, which features carbon-fibre with aluminium
treads that inject radiance and depth to all interior surfaces. Carbon-fibre finishing enriches the
mouldings, the centre dashboard, and the gear shift knob. The pedals are lightweight aluminium, as
found in competition vehicles. The new front seats offer an advanced level of lateral containment
and are distinguished by the new design of the seat and backrest. Thanks to a more cosseting shape,
they ensure an excellent level of comfort as well as support for the upper body and legs in sporty
driving.
Interiors of the Quattroporte Sport GT S combine the traditional Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara,
two materials that represent the best expression of Italian craftsmanship. The central sections of
the seats, door panels, and the rim of the sports steering wheel are upholstered in Alcantara,
available in five colours (Beige, Pearl beige, Grigio, Nero, and Blu Trofeo), offering customers more
ways to personalise the vehicle and giving the interior a sporty touch. The new colour Rosso Corallo
has also joined the range of leather options.

fin

Original Poster:

41 posts

223 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
Thanks Tim, I'll just need to ask more questions. I don't know why I haven't asked whether it's an Executive GT! I guess it probably is and therefore I assumed Skyhook suspension but he said Bilstein, so that's thrown me a bit. Anyway, thanks for your replies, I appreciate it.

Harvey_Tim

9 posts

291 months

Tuesday 29th October
quotequote all
My guess is that it will have Skyhook suspension.

Anyway good luck if you progress with it, they are great cars.