Maserati GranTurismo: New Power, New Passion

Motoring Channel Staff - 20/Mar/2007

Geneva, Switzerland — Is this the car that will sway even the most ardent Ferrari owner? With a dynamic new design that propels the increasingly popular Italian sports car maker into the modern era, this car is already making waves just weeks after its debut in Switzerland for the Geneva Motor Show.

Though it's not quite as quick as a Lamborghini Gallardo or a Ferrari F430, the new GranTurismo from Maserati has its sights set on vehicles like the Porsche Carrera 911, the BMW M6 Coupe and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. And while those three vehicles are often labelled as beautiful sports tourers, Maserati has created something quite capable of outshining them.

Design

Styled by Pininfarina, the famous Italian house of design, the new car evolves the style created by the Maserati Coupe, taking the overall proportions of its ancestor and adding an even more lithe and sinuous look.

The front end of the new vehicle has a more contoured design, one that evokes images of classic Ferraris. Maserati says that the new 2008 GranTurismo was inspired by the lines of the Pininfarina Birdcage 75th concept car, which was a very flat looking thing, and a highly conceptual exercise in design.

Leaving behind the design of the Coupe that preceded this model, the new GranTurismo is a much more appealing car, and it's not just the front end that has been completely altered. The rear of the car has also been given a new brake light design, which features a triangular design, which flows through to the cars lower apron and quad exhaust surrounds.

According to Maserati, this sophisticated new style clearly indicates this is a thoroughbred sports car, but never goes over the top with its design - calling it always well-proportioned and elegant.

Unlike the top end exotic cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo, which only seat two people including the driver, the GranTurismo gets four seats, and the Italian marque says its sporty new model is suitable for everyday use, with sporty handling and a range of creature comforts.

Chassis

But before we look at the interior, the dynamics of the car suggest it will create a level of progression compared to its precursor. Though it's quite lengthy, measuring 4881mm front front to rear, and is expected to be a relatively heavy, Maserati has ensured it is well balanced with a front to rear weight distribution of 49:51. 

Ensuring its has strong cornering abilities, the positive weight distribution combines with the cars large 19-inch alloy wheels, which can be optioned up to 20-inch if the buyer wishes. 

Engine

Maserati explains that gear changes will be taken care of by an automatic gearbox which comes with "self-adjusting controls" which adapt the gear change to the driving style and conditions, and this is connected to the marque's Ferrari-sourced V8 engine.

Displacing 4.2-litre, the 8-cylinder engine is mounted at the front of the car, driving the rear wheels in a traditional sports car layout. The powerplant is a revvy unit, making 302kW (405hp) @ 7100rpm, and peak torque of 460Nm is generated when the engine hits 4750rpm.

This compares well with the previous 4.2-litre V8 motor which output 287kW and 451Nm.

Maserati says that its V8 engine is not all high revs and has an easy-to-explore power delivery, insisting that 75% of the cars maximum torque is developed at 2500rpm. This will improve the cars driveability and ease of use in urban conditions.

Straight line performance is somewhat down on its precursor, with a maximum speed is 285 km/h, and it accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds (the Maserati Coupe managed a 4.9 second zero to 100km/h dash).

But as Maserati explains, the GranTurismo is also a car which pays attention to comfort, materials, details, and has room for up to four people. Once seated inside, the Maserati GranTurismo does not disappoint, says the Italian car company, claiming the ample exterior dimensions are matched internally, which will guarantee all four passengers maximum comfort, even on long journeys.

Interior

Though interior dimensions remain the knowledge of only Maserati's designers, it says there's now more room for rear passengers than the average for the segment and with the use of prestige materials, such as premium leathers, woods, and metals, the car's steep pricing will be warranted.

Maserati explains that the interior is divided longitudinally by the centre tunnel, which ideally distributes the available space between the passengers on the left and right sides. The dashboard lies horizontally and features right along its top a decorative 'V' shaped element, the distinctive feature of the Maserati marque, and by drawing attention to the top part of the dashboard this helps create a sporty feeling of sitting close to the floor.

The attention to detail exudes from a number of features such as the subtle chrome inlay that elegantly decorates the buttons on the dashboard and steering wheel, the Trident logo hand-crafted on the seat headrests, the Alcantara trim lining the back of the gear change paddles, the leather belt fitting and beautifully handcraftedfront seats.

The basic material used is Poltrona Frau leather, a true expression of Italian craftsmanship, both as regards the rich quality of the raw material used and the traditional processing techniques adopted. The Poltrona Frau leathers used for the interior trim of the Maserati GranTurismo are the product of a thorough selection process, designed to ensure the highest quality and pleasurable contact with the natural material. The refined processes that they undergo add durability, strength and practicality to the attractive appearance and soft-to-the-touch quality, claims the Italiansports car maker.

Other features of the new GranTurismo include adaptive headlights. According to Maserati, the dual-xenon lights can be enhanced by the rotation function which improves illumination of the road and surrounding areas during low light and night time driving, and hence improves driving safety whilst travelling at night on very winding routes.

Luggage Accessories

Already Maserati has signed on a boutique luggage maker to design a matching set of bags for potential owners of the GranTurismo.Salvatore Ferragamo is the company behind the accessories, and will interpret the outstanding class of the brand new GranTurismo with a sleek luggage set made from exclusive high-quality materials.

It will be a 5-piece luggage set (a large case, a weekend bag, beauty case, suit holder and dual-function shoe case with removable divider) and will probably add thousands to the price of the car. Their design will be inspired by the contours of the new GranTurismo radiator grille, in a set that will adapt to even the most individual style and will be made to order with two different materials and four different colours.

History

Maserati’s 'gran turismo' tradition began in 1947, at the Geneva Auto Show, where the Modena car manufacturer presented the A6 GranTurismo styled by Pinin Farina, at the request of several customers. It was the first road going Maserati and 58 vehicles were produced by the Italian company. The car’s technical features and original, cutting-edge style were enthusiastically received by the motoring press.

Ten years later, in 1957, once more at the Geneva Auto Show, Maserati presented its first standard gran turismo, the '3500 GT'. This was the car that would transform Maserati into a fully-fledged car manufacturer, while the production of road going vehicles took priority over racing cars. A total of 1,983 '3500 GT' models were produced in seven years.

The name of the new model — Maserati GranTurismo — is no coincidence. Once again, the Maserati-Pininfarina team has produced an exciting car whose construction, unique and inimitable style sets it apart from the competition.

Related articles:
- Maserati MC12 Stradale (2005)
- Maserati Quattroporte (2004)
- Maserati 3200GT Assetto Corsa