Page 61 - PROTAGONIST 109

PROTAGONIST / LIFESTYLE

(4.97 metres long and weighing in at 100 kilos less), but it still } And finally it’s SUV time
maintains that sporting drive and exuberance, not to mention
hold and stability, we have come to expect from a Maserati. THE NEW LEVANTE
The wealth of power ranging from 410 to 530 horsepower COMPLETES THE RANGE
is also nicely discharged into the ground in the rear-wheel-
drive version. The automatic Zf eight gear shift (with specific Back in 2003 there was already talk of a Maserati SUV
Maserati software) and steering wheel commands are worthy with the debut of the Kubang concept car.
of note. Unlike other systems, it maintains the selected gear Now the production model has arrived: Levante.
without undesired changes when it reaches the limit. With the performance that distinguish the Maserati DNA,
Levante is available with two V6 3,000 cc petrol
Not bad when we consider it withstands load torque, in engines (350 and 430 hp), and a 275-hp diesel. Prices from
the case of the V8, totalling 710 Nm. Yet those driving 72,000 dollars or 72,000 euros, depending on
a Maserati also want souplesse and above all driving the market. Now all that remains is to wait for the Ferrari SUV...
comfort, which are not only expressed by the silence while
driving, but also the fine materials used for the interiors. Wood,
carbon fibre, leather and silk are all possible in the Quattroporte
and Ghibli, with the noble yarn becoming an exclusive interior by
Poltrona Frau with inserts in 100% natural silk fibre Herringbone
Zegna on the seat, and silk jersey on the doors and roof. It
represents the new benchmark in vehicle customisation and
has summoned the Ermenegildo Zegna Group into the fray.
The Trivero company needs no presentations; nor do its yarns,
particularly its wool. “The biggest problem was convincing them
to put silk in a car, because it has a feminine connotation,”
explains Gildo Zegna, the Group’s MD. “It was my idea. We
already worked on a Ferrari Testarossa and Lancia in the past.
And we’re already thinking up new materials for the future...”

Here above, the new Levante. Top, Quattroporte passing in front of Grand hotel des Iles Borromées at Stresa. “John Elkann introduced me
to Marchionne,” explains Gildo Zegna of Ermenegildo Zegna Group’s MD. “To my idea of silk for Maserati interiors, he was
enthusiastic: “What? Silk? Wow!” For Wester “Maserati and Zegna are aimed at the same clientele, so we have created a new level of business.”

61N. 109 / PROTAGONIST