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2008 Maserati GranTurismo Preview

Since the turbocharged 3200 GT of the late '90s, the two-door, four-seat grandtourer has been an integral part of Maserati's small but soulful range. The new GranTurismo, first seen at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, seeks to take things to the next level by combining unsurpassed luxury and performance with new levels of technology, build quality and most importantly, reliability. Compared to other European GTs, Maseratis have been perceived to be fragile and temperamental, an image that, despite a reputation amongst current owners for dependability, is hard to shake. Maserati has made the right changes to improve perceptions, by introducing a certified pre-owned program to enhance resale values as well as extend the basic warranty to four years or 50,000 miles, comprehensive, and word about the it's newfound reliability

Maserati's GranTurismo embodies tradition, passion and technology. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is starting to spread.

Out of all the magnificent vehicles that Maserati could have drawn from for inspiration when penning the GranTurismo, the brand chose to go back to the first production vehicle, the 1947 A6 GranTurismo, but the styling and technology behind it are completely modern. Some of the finer details can beseen in more recent Maserati cars, with a wedged profile similar to the outgoing Coupe, the wide nose grille akin to the MC12 super/race car, and fender vents from the

GranTurismo's tail has flush-mounted tailpipes and LED tail lights. (Photo: Maserati)

Quattroporte. Up front the GranTurismo features adaptive xenon headlamps, while the rear of the car features full LED tail lamps including cornering and main brake lights. The car might look a little nose heavy in photos, but in the metal it's a beautiful and striking automobile that's sure to turn heads wherever it goes.

Under its skin, the GranTurismo is based off a modified version of the Quattroporte architecture that has been shortened in both wheelbase and length. Nevertheless it's still a much bigger vehicle than the one it replaces particularly in wheelbase which measures 116.1 inches, that unbelievably is actually longer than

Interior is luxurious, spacious and modern. It's also trimmed with plenty of leather. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

a standard wheelbase Audi A8 let alone its more natural competitors such as the Aston Martin DB9 or Jaguar XKR. To create a comfortable ride when cruising and a firm yet controlledride when enthusiastically driven, the GranTurismo utilizes the Skyhook electronically controlled adaptive damping system.

The long wheelbase plays an important part in the way that the vehicle is laid out, including the balanced weight distribution allowing both engine and cabin to be placed further back, as well as the space to accommodate four adults in comfort. The interior itself looks like an evolution of the outgoing car's dashboard, thickly padded with leather and a bowed shape around the console. With ten different colors of Poltrona Frau Italian

6-speed automatic transmission is standard from launch. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

leather to choose from, plus different hues of carpeting, not to mention various wood and metal trims to choose from, the interior of the GranTurismo can essentially be customized in dozens if not hundreds of different ways to perfectly suit the buyer. Even the trunk can be customized with different colored carpets. Speaking of which, it might be small in terms of volume but the most can be made of it through a five-piece luggage set designed by Salvatore Ferragamo. And for those occasions where 18 holes are involved, theGranTurismo can still swallow two sets of golf clubs.

The front midship mounted engine measures 4.2 liters in displacement equal to that of the outgoing model, though Maserati was able to extract 405 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, an overall improvement especially considering 75-percent of peak torque is available from just 2,500 rpm. From launch

Headlamps swivel and are xenons. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the GranTurismo will be available with only one transmission, a 6-speed automatic that comes equipped with metal and Alcantara-lined paddles in place of the sequential “Cambiocorsa”, or “DuoSelect” gearbox. Besides being super smooth, this particular automatic gearbox, co-developed with ZF over a two-year period, shifts quickly and has less lost power compared to other transmissions. The gearbox is distinctive in that no other automatic in the world can cope with such high engine speeds.

Even though the GranTurismo has a torque converter,it's still capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 177 mph, though rumor has it that a higher performance model with a more driver-focused character like the previous GranSport will be available with the same 450-horsepower 4.7-liter V8 engine as equipped to the limited production Alfa Romeo 8C.

In the unlikely event you'll tire from hearing the engine rev, there's an 11-speaker Bose surround

A fine grand tourer indeed. (Photo: Maserati)

sound audio system for playing your favorite tunes. In fact, Maserati has equipped the GranTurismo with one of the most advanced infotainment systems on the market, which includes a 30 Gb hard drive to store music and maps for the navigation system. It even comes with the next generation of Bluetooth handsfree integration for cell phonesthat's capable of reading text messages aloud. The system was a collaboration between Microsoft and Fiat, called “Blue and Me”.

Pricing information has yet to be disclosed, but expect the GranTurismo to start at around $110,000, which is marginally more expensive than the outgoing GranSport. Deliveries are expected to take place during the final months of this year, just in time for Christmas, although don't expect it to become as familiar a sight on the roads as Porsche's 911, as production volumes will be limited. Nevertheless, with Maserati back on its game, buyers will have yet another distinctive proposition in the Grand Touring class for those looking for something different than the usual BMW 6-Series or Mercedes-Benz SL-Class roadster.

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