Autoblog

Spy Shots: Maserati GranTurismo drophead spotted

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Maserati

The Maserati Granturismo Cabriolet, a formerly mythical car known only in whispers and press reports, has finally been caught testing by Ms. Brenda Priddy and crew.

The drophead's powerplant and transmission are suspected to be the 433 hp V8 from the Granturismo S mated to the six-speed automatic from the Quattroporte GTS.

No one has been able to pin down whether the roof will be a soft- or hard- top, however. With the exception of Mercedes-Benz and parent Ferrari, every other competitive car uses a soft top, but we really wouldn't be surprised to see a folding metal unit.

If reports are accurate, you can look forward to seeing the car at next year's Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: AutoWeek]

Spy Shots: Maserati GranTurismo drophead spotted originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 May 2009 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Novitec Tridente supercharges the Maserati GranTurismo S for 600hp

Noah Joseph — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Performance, Maserati

Novitec Tridente Maserati GranTurismo S - Click above for an image gallery

Some people believe in tuning exotics, some prefer to leave them alone. But everybody's got to respect Novitec. The German tuning house, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is one of the established names in tuning Italian exotica. The company's Novitec Rosso line is known for strapping superchargers to Ferraris to delirious effect, but a couple of years ago they turned out a decidedly low-key modification to the Maserati Quattroporte. Now the Novitec Tridente line is back at work on the GranTurismo S, producing the supercharged super-coupe you see here.

By adding a supercharger, tinkering with the ECU and replacing the exhaust system, Novitec has managed to coax out an extra 165 horsepower from the Ferrari-sourced 4.7-liter V8 for a whopping 600 ponies. Managing all that extra power is a retuned KW suspension gripping massing 20 and 21 inch wheels front and back, which team up with the carbon fiber body kit to add even more aggression to one of the industry's meanest-looking GTs. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Novitec Tridente Maserati GranTurismo S

[Source: GTSpirit.com]

Novitec Tridente supercharges the Maserati GranTurismo S for 600hp originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 May 2009 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Supercars, Maserati, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res image gallery of Maserati's MC Sport Line

Ferrari has the One To One Personalisation Programme, so it makes since that its sister brand, Maserati, would get one too. The Italian automaker unveiled its own customization program called the MC Sport Line today at the Bologna Motor Show, and this one is meant to amp up the sporting nature of its cars. Since the GranTurismo S is the model in Maserati's line-up, it was chosen to stand on display at the show wearing the functional bits and pieces from the MC Sport Line. GranTuriso S owners will be able to start ordering parts in early 2009 from the new line, which includes front and rear carbon fiber spoilers, side skirts, carbon fiber mirror housings, CF door handles and gloss black 20-inch wheels. Interior options include door sills monogramed with "MC Sport Line" that are made out of - you guessed it - carbon fiber, which is also the material of choice for the new steering wheel rim and panels that cover the doors, dashboard and central tunnel.

Aside from additional aerodynamic aid provided by the new spoilers and the fact that all these parts weigh less than their non-CF parts they're replacing, the only other functional hardware available from the factory is a new suspension setup that stiffens the springs and lowers the GranTurismo S by 10mm.

The Maserati GranTurismo S outfitted with the entire MC Sport Line catalogue seems like a no-brainer for someone with enough coin to be shopping in this segment, though Maserati has not yet revealed how much these new parts will balloon the car's substantial price tag.

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo S MC Sport Line

[Source: Maserati]

Continue reading Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S

Maserati unveils MC Sport Line customization program on GranTurismo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maserati considering adding a smaller coupe to lineup

Dan Roth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Europe, Maserati, Rumormill

More Maseratis can hardly be a bad thing - unless you're one of the unfortunates trying to maintain a BiTurbo without losing your shirt. Modern Masers are sumptuous and beautiful, quintessential expressions of the Gran Turismo idiom. The gloriousness of recent trident-wearing Italians has led to a boom in sales. Maserati is looking at increasing its profitability by expanding the model range downward. A smaller Maserati sports coupe priced in Porsche 911 territory could give sales a further boost, though the swooning economy may not help the exotic brand move units. The car would be based on a hacksawed version of the Gran Turismo's platform, leaving room for only two occupants. A spiffy Maserati in the $80-100,000 range is expected to be capable of moving more than 6,000 per year, powered by the expected V8s, and possibly a V6 for increased efficiency. Mortgaging the house for this vehicle is likely a bad idea, but another choice in the segment and price range that it's expected to occupy has us nodding in approval.

[Source: Autocar]

Maserati considering adding a smaller coupe to lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: Maserati GranTurismo S, in all its glory

Noah Joseph — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:02:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Maserati

Click above to view the Maserati GranTurismo S in hi res

The world was stunned when Maserati unveiled the GranTurismo at the 2007 Geneva show, but as beautiful as it is, critics said it wasn't tough enough to take down the competition. The folks from Modena were evidently listening, and one year later laid the beefed-up GranTurismo S on us, complete with 440-hp engine straight out of the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

We brought you a slew of images before and during the show, but now Maserati has been kind enough to grace us with a whole mess of new shots. You know, just in case you didn't want one enough already. Check out the images in our high-resolution gallery by clicking the thumbnails below. Your desktop will thank you.

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo S

[Source: Maserati]

Pics Aplenty: Maserati GranTurismo S, in all its glory originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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S'Wonderful: Maserati releases video of new GranTurismo S

Noah Joseph — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Maserati

Click above to view video

There's really only one thing Maserati could have done to make us want its GranTurismo more than we already did. And from the looks of things, they hit the nail right on the head with the GranTurismo S, the more powerful, more hardcore version of the sport-luxury tourer that the Trident marque unveiled recently at the Geneva Motor Show. In the video after the jump, witness awe-inspiring footage of the GranTurismo S playing ever so gracefully along snaking roads and slow-motion splashing puddles. We're keeping a space in the Autoblog Garage perpetually free in anticipation of this one.

Gallery: Geneva 2008: Maserati GranTurismo S

[Source: Maserati via Carscoop]

Continue reading S'Wonderful: Maserati releases video of new GranTurismo S

S'Wonderful: Maserati releases video of new GranTurismo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva '08 Preview: Maserati confirms GranTurismo S

Noah Joseph — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Maserati

Following yesterday's reports, Maserati has released official details and images of the new GranTurismo S ahead of its unveiling in Geneva next week.

As reported, the S version benefits from the same 4.7-liter 440hp V8 engine which Maserati developed for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. The more powerful engine is mated to an electro-actuated MC-Shift gearbox mounted on the rear transaxle for optimized weight distribution and faster shifting times. The extra power is kept in check by the Brembo braking system first used on the Quattroporte Sport GT S, featuring front brakes with dual-cast iron/aluminum discs and six-pot aluminum calipers. As you can see from the official images we've added to the gallery below, the GranTurismo S also benefits from some subtle visual tweaks, including new wheels, and a leather & Alcantara-trimmed interior with sport buckets.

Given the impression the GranTurismo made at its debut at last year's show, we can't wait to get our lenses on the new GranTurismo S.

Gallery: Geneva 2008: Maserati GranTurismo S

[Source: Maserati]

Continue reading Geneva '08 Preview: Maserati confirms GranTurismo S

Geneva '08 Preview: Maserati confirms GranTurismo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva '08 Preview: 440hp, twin-clutch Maserati GranTurismo S

Noah Joseph — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:53:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Maserati

Click above to enlarge and view more

Right from its unveiling at last year's Geneva Motor Show, we were instantly smitten with the Maserati GranTurismo. It's one of those rare designs that, not unlike an Armani suit, manages to embody both elegance and aggression at once without sacrificing either. Unfortunately, its driving dynamics have been lamented as regrettably sedate, but emerging reports suggest that the Trident marque plans to turn things up a notch with a more performance-oriented version of the GranTurismo at this year's Geneva show.

The reports are spurred on by these teasers released by Maserati suggesting the following specs: two plates, 1/10th of a second, 4.9 seconds, 35 meters, and an "S" designation. From these details we can surmise that the Maserati GranTurismo S may adopt the more powerful V8 from the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - itself another gorgeous GT based on Maserati underpinnings - boosting displacement up to 4.7 liters over the stock GranTurismo's 4.2 and power to 440 hp up from of 405. A dual-clutch gearbox will replace the smooth-shifting but torque-converting ZF six-speed automatic in the standard GranTurismo, possibly moving to the rear transaxle to improve weight distribution. Brembo brakes, subtle visual enhancements and some interior touches are reported to round out the package. All the upgrades will enable the sport model to hit 100km/h (62mph) in 4.9 seconds and come back to a standstill in 35 meters. Maserati is expected to confirm all of this tomorrow ahead of the car's debut next week, and we'll be on high alert for both. In the meantime, you can check out Maserati's teaser specs, a leaked magazine scan and two images which AutoExpress obtained prior to the vehicle's launch, all in the gallery below.

Gallery: Maserati GranTurismo S teasers

[Source: World Car Fans and AutoExpress]

Geneva '08 Preview: 440hp, twin-clutch Maserati GranTurismo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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