Maserati GranTurismo S: Power & Style

Motoring Channel Staff - 27/February/2008

Modena, Italy — When Maserati showed off its all-new GranTurismo sports car at the Geneva Motor Show in 2007, the jaws of car lovers everywhere hit the ground.

The new look was a revelation showcasing a hard-edged but sophisticated Italian design.

However, the car has since had questions asked of its sporting intent - did it concentrate too much on luxury, was it too heavy, and therefore is it too soft to be a true sports car?

Answering its critics, Maserati has revealed the GranTurismo S, the car that jaded motoring journalists everywhere are going to want to drive.

Maserati insists the new model "...shifts the emphasis onto performance and driving enjoyment."

One year after the GranTurismo (GT) made its debut, the GT S will again bow at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008, sporting a stunning new design, a stronger V8 engine, new brakes, and sportier interior finish.

Engine

Gone is the 4.2-litre V8 that output 302kW (405hp), to be replaced by a larger 4.7-litre 8-cylinder unit. 

The new engine now outputs about 328kW (440hp), a significant increase which results in much faster zero to 100km/h acceleration run. Previously the Maserati GranTurismo took 5.2 seconds to reach 100km/h from rest - the GranTurismo S is expected to slash that time by three or four tenths, taking the magic number to around 4.9 seconds.

The previous 4.2-litre engine output 460Nm of torque @ 4750rpm, but the Italian sports car maker has not released the full spec sheet yet. We'll have to wait until the Geneva auto show begins.

Maserati's new engine is mated with a new semi-automatic gearbox that also improves acceleration.

The gearbox is an "electro-actuated" contraption with "fast MC-Shift" technology that improves shift times over the standard GranTurismo models. As the company explains, the gearbox is arranged in the transaxle layout typical of high-performance sports cars.

On the road, the Maserati GT S will be faster, louder, more responsive and a potentially more serious sports car in every respect.

Design

Sporting a new set of large seven-spoke alloy wheels, the GranTurismo has a more grounded image than the standard version. 

This is thanks to the new look side skirts while other subtle changes to the design include dual ovoid exhaust pipes while identifying the new Maserati as a true sports car. 

There's also red highlights on the trident badge on front grille.

Maserati says the GranTurismo S "is characterised by a number of aesthetic modifications that, although discrete, are highly effective and make the car body appear sportier without abandoning the sleekness of the lines masterfully designed by Pininfarina."

The interior has also been looked into, adding Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara upholstery, which apparently "reflects the sporty flair of the Maserati GranTurismo S". New sports seats with improved lateral bolsters have also been added.

Chassis

Though nothing was mentioned in the press release about suspension changes, Maserati did confirm that a new braking system will be added to the GT S.

First seen on the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S, this high performance brake package makes use of huge 6-pot aluminium mono-bloc Brembo calipers.

These whopper calipers bite front brake discs made of both iron and aluminium, using what the Italian company terms dual casting which is supposed to increase braking performance.

Related articles:
- Maserati Chicane Concept (2008)
- Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S (2007)
- Maserati Quattroporte: Maseratirundum (2007)
- Maserati GS Zagato (2007)
- Maserati GranTurismo (2008)
- Maserati MC12 Stradale (2005)
- Maserati Quattroporte (2004)
- Maserati 3200GT Assetto Corsa (2001)