Spy Shots: Maserati GranTurismo running the 'Ring
by John Neff on Mar 26th 2007 at 3:28PM 
The Masarati GranTurismo was one of the most significant designs that debuted at this month's Geneva Motor Show. While many attractive autos were in attendance, the GranTurismo represented a giant leap forward for Maserati compared to the uninspiring lines of the current Coupé. It's bold and slightly overexaggerated, just like a six-figure car should be. While seeing the GranTurismo on display was a thrill, these spy photos that are hot off the memory card have us more excited. They were supposedly taken today in Germany where this uncamoflouged prototype was heading to the famed Nurburgring for some shakedown laps. With a Ferrari-designed 4.2L V8 pumping out 405 horsepower underhood, "testing" Maserati's new two-door has got to be the best way to start your work week.[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Paul 3:42PM (3/26/2007)
Aston called and wants their styling back, and Buick is missing their portholes. But, good looking car.
Oh, and I'd hit it!
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zach 3:44PM (3/26/2007)
actually, the tape surrounding the headlights and tail lights does a surprising amount to camo the exact lines of the car along with the blacked out wheels.
that said, great looking car.
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zeroSignal 4:11PM (3/26/2007)
What I don't understand is the following - why mask the car when it's already been unveiled to the world?
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James Valley 4:17PM (3/26/2007)
In fact, buick's portholes appeared in 1949...
But they only came back when Lutz saw them on the Maserati Quattroporte. Quoting an interview by the Boston Globe:
"What would be the design cue for Buick?
A combination of grille and very fluid lines. . . . We missed it on the LaCrosse, but all the others are going back to the Buick portholes [the gill-like, chrome-encircled rings above the front fenders just ahead of the firewalls that defined earlier Buicks] as a feature element. It will be sort of back to the future in that the six-cylinder models will have three portholes and the eight-cylinder models will have four portholes. I was opposed to the portholes but when I saw the Maserati Quattroporte stole our portholes, I said, 'That's it, now portholes go back on everything.'".
But Maserati's portholes came from the A6 1500, in 1946, a Pinin Farina design.
http://www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk/home5/maserati-A6.JPG
So I guess Buick copied it from Maserati, right Bob? ;)
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DPC car videos 4:19PM (3/26/2007)
I agree, this car is total Aston design with a different front face. Overall it looks much better then the previous Maserati sports car thanks to Aston Martin. And yes why are they masking the car I thought the car show pictures of this car was the real thing?
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DPCcars
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James Valley 4:27PM (3/26/2007)
I don't think the design has nothing to do with the Astons... Astons are smoth and simple, and the Maserati is barroque, full of details.
They are both GTs, with a front engine and rear transaxle, so, of course, they share the same architecture and proportions. But that's all, to my eyes...
About the mask: maybe these photos are not so recent: there's not much point in testing in the Nurburbring now!
On the other hand, the car was already shown, but it's not on the streets yet, so the mask makes some sense...
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Clinton 11:13PM (3/26/2007)
My guess is that masking has nothing to do with hiding the looks but rather protecting the car from flying debris during high speed testing.
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Barrie Lovelock 6:21PM (3/26/2007)
C'mon guys, what are we all saying. It's overstyled, non of the lines flow into each other, the rear lights look cheap, the grill is too aggressive, anyone would think a Yank designed it, oh sorry, one did.
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HotRodzNKustoms 9:16PM (3/26/2007)
I do like it, at least it looks like a 6 figure car now unlike anything else it competes with, except the Aston V8 Vantage, but somehow, I do not know why, the Aston just does not seem like the level of car the Maserati is to me.... might just be my jaded view.
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James Valley 4:56AM (3/27/2007)
Hi, Barrie Lovelock.
There are many schools of design. You obviously are favoring the teutonic "Bauhaus" design like the one of previous Audis, where all the lines are in understated and in concordance.
Italian design defendes "balance" instead of "geometry"; defendes that the lines should not all be in concordance so that there's an hierarchy; and the undestatement is an option, and long it doesn't limit the car's personality.
In this Maserati, excess is part of the theme: the "overstyling" is not only inevitable, but required!
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Barrie Lovelock 5:00PM (3/27/2007)
James, I accept much of what you say but I am not without sympathy for Italian design. I love my 07 Quattroporte Sport GT as much as my 1968 DB6 and more than my Porsche Boxster but the problem with overdesign is it propensity for a short life and all Maseratis should be classics for the right reason and not because they shout in your face ' LOOK AT ME I'M FAST AND AGGRESSIVE' but because they ooze brio, elegance and class. Had the end product looked more like Pinnins sketches I would be dribbling with desire but from what I have seem so far my wallet is safe.
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