Maserati Factory is based in Modena since 1937, when the Orsi family took over the Factory control and moved it from its original Bologna location. The facility, that now covers more than 40,000 m², was entirely renovated in the late 1990′s becoming one of the most advanced low-volume assembly facilities in the world as well as an historic landmark in the city of Modena. The production lines are extremely modern and technological advanced to provide top quality production standards, as well as to offer more ergonomic assembly processes to Factory workers. The Factory hosts twenty six workstations where all the Quattroporte and GranTurismo lines are built. Clients from all over the world can decide to take delivery of their Maserati at the Factory showroom designed by famed architect Ron Arad.

The load bearing body structure facilitates enhancing the safety of the new Maserati GranTurismo MC. The use of the latest technologies, on the other end, allows optimizing the car weight balance and performance. The structural part of the body is made of steel, the hood and front bumper are in aluminum, while the trunk lid uses the Sheet Molding Compound Technology and helps reducing the vehicle weight.

The Maserati GranTurismo MC features six airbags which system has four individual sensors located in the front and sides of the vehicle as well as on the control unit set near the central console. The Maserati GranTurismo MC implies a new generation of dual stage airbags for the driver and front passenger, which is always protected by airbags which adapt to the passenger’s size and stature.

Both the front and rear seat belts have electronically controlled pretensions and load the most modern limiters on the market. The system communicates with a sensor which is able to evaluate the severity of a collision and optimally inflates the airbags by taking in consideration the status of the seat belts (fastened / unfastened). An inertial switch is designed instead to stop the fuel pumps and help preventing fire breaking out in case of a violent collision.

In terms of active safety, the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) is available on all Maserati models and it can be activated simply by pushing the electric button located in the central tunnel which substitutes the conventional mechanical lever. In extreme situations, the EPB can be used when the car is moving: the system communicates with the Stability Control (MSP) and acts on all four wheels in order to provide rapid braking in case of an emergency condition (deceleration of 0.5g).

Very few car owners get excited about the fact that they need new tyres for their car. But the condition of a car’s tyres is a very important safety factor as the tyres keep the car attached to the road. A car owner is very seldom a tyre expert, and therefore it is important to know what to buy and where to buy. Here are a few tips on how to do it the right way.

Have an idea how long the car is going to be owned and how much mileage will be put on the car. Financially it’s not a really good idea to buy tyres with a 100,000 miles warranty if the car is going to be sold or traded in within a few months.

What type of driving? No need to look for racing type tyres in normal driving. Check the owner’s manual of the car for the recommend rating of the tyres, or ask a tyre retailer. Make sure the tyre that is capable of supporting the load the car might demand. Write down all the information from the tyres on the car right now, size, and speed rating, etc., if the intention is to just replace them with the same type.

The budget is also a factor. After all, most car owners would prefer to have cheap tyres fitted on their cars. This means that some factors have to be sacrificed, such as mileage warranties. But do not base the tyre purchase only on the lowest price. Remember, choosing the right tyre can be the difference between a near miss and an accident.

Never replace only one tyre! Always do it in pairs. It is important that both sides of the car have tyres of the same type, and the same wear. Also, it may be a good idea to discuss a possible discount with the tyre dealer when buying more than one tyre.

When the time has come to buy new tyres, there are many options. The most expensive option is almost always to deal with the car dealership. Dealers will offer original-equipment tyres and often charge a lot for mounting and balancing. This can cost twice as much as going to a tyre shop down the street. That local shop is almost certainly the best place for the average consumer to shop for new tyres. Prices are usually reasonable and the shop manager will help the customer find cheap tyres fitted for their vehicle. Keep in mind that any tyre selection is a balance between ride quality and cost. Don’t buy more tyre than needed. Consumers often overestimate their tyre needs. It’s the job of the tyre shop expert and the customer to select a tyre that offers the right balance.