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Are there mods for the 2002 coupe???

10K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  RickBullotta 
#1 ·
Right now I am 25 and driving a cobra. As my income increases, I'd like to drive a more prestigeous car. I am looking at around a 2002 Maserati coupe, but while 390 horsepower is nice, it's not that nice. I can't find anything for turbochargers or superchargers for this car. Does anybody know if these are available anywhere and also a price? Thanks.
 
#8 ·
This is a highly tuned engine, if you try to apply forced induction you have to buy new pistons to drop the compression, new custom exhaust manifolds, different exhaust, intake modifications, plumbing, turbos, injectors, fuel pump, pressure regulator, plus ecu programming, not to mention drivetrain changes. On an Italian car that this kind of modification is not often done to, its gonna be expensive. 20k is a good deal. By the time you're done its probably easily closer to 30k.

Take a look at the highly tuned W12 NA that audi uses, vs the W12 twin turbo in the Bentley continental, and look at the performance number differences.

The W12 is essentially two VR6's which is a very efficiently tuned engine to begin with. The Bently engine only makes like 50-60hp more than the NA version, and I think like 80lb-ft of torque more, however across a much broader torque curve. This is because just to start pushing the boost through the motor, you have to drop the compression from 11:1 to closer to 8:1 generally. Just doing that loses a good amount of power, but add the boost and you make that up, and with smaller turbos get a nice fat torque curve. Sure you could run bigger turbos, with a really open exhaust system for some really high horsepower numbers, but your torque would drop off, and it would be a rediculous car to drive.
 
#9 ·
OK, here is the thing. I LOVE the maserati, but I don't want to have a beautiful sleek italian sports car being blown off the street by some lightly modded 03-06 cobra making 450-500 HP. I'd like to get around 450-500 HP in the maserati without some loud obnoxious exhaust mods, but if the car is already very fine tuned, that may be a little difficult to accomplish.
 
#12 ·
If all you want is straight line speed from the lights then I'd suggest going for something to modify. If handling and track performance is what you want than the Maserati is the machine. Suspension systems on most of the high HP US cars are archiac. I.e. the Corvette still uses leaf springs!
 
#14 ·
kit5pt0 said:
OK, here is the thing. I LOVE the maserati, but I don't want to have a beautiful sleek italian sports car being blown off the street by some lightly modded 03-06 cobra making 450-500 HP. I'd like to get around 450-500 HP in the maserati without some loud obnoxious exhaust mods, but if the car is already very fine tuned, that may be a little difficult to accomplish.
I encourage you to buy the Maserati. These V8 coupes are being raced professionally in the U.S. and elsewhere with the only major modification being weight reduction (do a google search for Maserati Trofeo to read more).

You should do routine power upgrades like ECU reprogram and sport exhaust to increase HP by 5-10%, but more importantly, put the Coupe on a weight reduction diet. (If you want to race 450 HP Mustangs and the like I assume you won't miss air conditioner, radio, rear seats, etc.) The car will still look like a modern Roman chariot.

Along these lines, it would be interesting to hear from members what weight reduction mods they have done to their modern Coupes and Gransports. In this forum the focus seems more on power increase than weight reduction (probably for a reason).
 
#15 · (Edited)
CDF said:
Along these lines, it would be interesting to hear from members what weight reduction mods they have done to their modern Coupes and Gransports. In this forum the focus seems more on power increase than weight reduction (probably for a reason).
Just by removing the midpipes/resonators (which are rediculously heavy) with some straight aluminum ones and the exhaust you'll get alteast a 20lb weight saving.
 
#16 ·
Don't forget that you're also shedding about 250 pounds with the Maserati. That's like getting another 6-8% horsepower!
 
#17 · (Edited)
Weight loss diet

Loosing 20lb on a 3700lb (9kg on 1680kg, i.e. 0.5%) car doesn't seem like it could make much difference to performance.

By this measure you should have a skinny wife/girlfriend or even better no wife/girlfriend at all ;-). You could also keep the 88 liter (=66kg = 4%) fueltank as empty as possible. A sparewheel will probably set you back 10kg+.

Considering that these cars are doing 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in less than 5 seconds, which is up there with the best in class, I hope nobody has ripped out those beautiful leather seats or anything crazy like that!

What would be interesting to know what you actually gain in performance (not just 0-100, but track speed) from 1% reduction in weight. Unlikely to be a 1% for 1% trade-off?

- Toffe
 
#18 ·
Uh, I think it is closer to 250 pounds, (120 kg), but not certain. There there should be a nearly proportional increase in performance - not 100%, but not 50% either. Power/weight is not the only indicator of raw performance, of course. Aero considerations greatly affect straight line speed (which is all a Mustang owner would care about :) ).
 
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