2008 Maserati is preparing a large coupe based on the Quattroporte saloon and meant to compete against luxury GTs such as the Mercedes Benz CLS or Bentley Continental GT. Spy photographers have caught in tests at Nurburgring a large Maserati coupe very similar to the Quattroporte. Overall proportions and visible design details clearly point that this future coupe is closely based on the Maserati sedan.
We can then guess that Maserati has chosen to diversify their offer by producing a large size classic coupe, a true granturismo to compete against the Merc CL-Class, BMW 6 Series, Aston Martin DB9 & Co.
The spec sheet is rife with fodder: Relative to its Porsche 911-fighting Coupe/Gran Sport predecessor, Maserati's new GranTurismo is over 14 inches longer, an inch wider, nearly two inches taller, and-mamma mia!-550 pounds heavier! Supersizing to the Quattroporte sedan architecture afforded Pininfarina room to package a roomier rear seat under a sleeker fastback roof with classic long-hood, short-deck, flying-wedge proportions. The headlamps and the optional 20-inch Trident-spoke wheels riff on Pininfarina's Birdcage concept car. Mechanically, the car is a Quattroporte automatic with 4.8 inches sawed out of the wheelbase and 2.6 inches off the tail. The drivetrain and "Skyhook" adaptive suspension are tailored to the GranTurismo's sportier mission. Press the dash button marked "Sport" and throttle responsiveness increases 20 percent, the dampers stiffen to curtail body roll and float, and the transmission shift logic becomes more aggressive. A separate "Ice" setting blocks first-gear launches and forces upshifts at 3000 rpm.
Outside there's a choice of 19 body colors and two wheel designs in three finishes.
The Quattroporte comes in three trims: Executive GT, Sport GT, and Sport GT S. Rear-wheel drive comes standard.
