Maserati Granturismo (2007) first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae

First Official Pictures

20 February 2007 01:02

Maserati GranTurismo: the lowdown

Maserati has finally revealed its new GranTurismo coupe, the replacement for the ageing Coupe/Gransport. As you can probably tell from these first photos, the newcomer is based on the existing Quattroporte saloon. The similarities go further than just the tasty curves - the new coupe will share most of its running gear with its GT sister, including the same 4.2-litre V8. There are a few subtle differences hiding beneath those muscular shoulders and gaping grille, too. The V8 has been tuned to yield a further 5bhp over the Quattroporte's 400bhp, and Maserati claims the Ferrari-built V8 comes with a more distinctive, sporting growl.

Maserati has worked hard to give the GranTurismo a 49/51 weight distribution; its wheelbase is 126mm shorter than the donor Quattroporte mechanicals, and the suspension is tuned differently, too. It is heavy though - not surprising since it is bigger than the Gransport at 4880mm long, and tipping the scales at a meaty 1880kg. The GranTurismo will be offered with an automatic gearbox equipped with what Maserati calls an adaptive control system, that adjusts itself according to the driving style and the conditions.

By Jack Carfrae