Maserati GranTurismo

[Schmitt_Design]

So, what do you think. My opinion is it is sooooooooo much better than the older models. They're really stepping it up. Heres some facts.

Dressed in boldly sculpted couture curves that shame a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, built on a shorter wheelbase (by five inches) version of the Quattroporte's acclaimed front-mid-engine, rear-drive chassis, and powered by the familiar 4.2-liter V-8-with power increased from 394 horses to 399-the new Maserati GranTurismo is exotic and glamorous, inspiringly original, and deliciously unconventional. It's the second all-new Maser in less than five years, and America is its Number One sales target.

Concealing four full seats behind two gracefully swooping doors, the GranTurismo combines the opulent accommodation of a Bentley Continental GT with the price of a well-optioned BMW M5, while promising a carefully honed poise, balance, and deftness either German might envy. It may lack their huge firepower, but as Quattroporte owners already appreciate, deft dynamism reaps the richest rewards for discerning drivers.

</IMG>

Most expected Maserati to deliver a direct replacement for the decade-old GT: a two-door 2+2 coupe to tempt a few thousand discerning enthusiasts a year from their default purchase of a Porsche 911. The GranTurismo is emphatically not that car, and for good reason, as Maserati technical director Jean-Luc Brossard and head of vehicle engineering Paul Fickers explained when we met them at Maserati's Modena HQ.

"When I joined Maserati in 2003, it was a time to reflect on the company's position and to define our objectives for the GranTurismo," says Brossard. "We knew from our customers that the new coupe needed to be elegant and sporty, but that it should also offer comfort and space, so we decided on a bigger, full four-seater car.

"We had also found that, where our customers used to drive 5000 miles per year or less, they now cover 20 or even 30,000 miles in a year. Consequently we've been working hard on improving durability and quality so that we're a genuine alternative for customers who previously would only consider a Mercedes or BMW."

</IMG>

Where does the GranTurismo fit into our world? Right at the heart of it, judging by the looks and promise of sharpened and more sporting dynamics. Tipping the scales at about 4150 pounds, the GranTurismo is approximately 110 pounds lighter than the Quattroporte sedan, nearly 500 pounds lighter than a Mercedes CL, and over 1000 pounds less than a Bentley Continental GT. The Maser has great stance, too; wide for its length. Fitted with the latest generation of Sachs's Skyhook active damper technology, the GranTurismo has switchable suspension settings, Normal and Sport, and Fickers says the spring and damper settings are 30 to 40 percent firmer than on the Quattroporte. The initial production run, which starts in the summer, will be of GranTurismo Automatics (with paddle-shift) and a DuoSelect version to follow soon after.

</IMG> First Look: Maserati GranTurismo Coupe


GetDiggUrl( location.href );
Bigger but cheaper than an Aston Martin DB9, classier, lighter, and more exclusive than a Bentley or Benz, the GranTurismo is a hard car to pigeonhole. A preemptive strike on Porsche's forthcoming Panamera perhaps?

</IMG>

"Porsche's turnaround is one of the industry's great success stories, isn't it?" Brossard notes. "But such success doesn't happen overnight. Everything came from a clear and detailed strategy, some of which would have been initially conceived ten, fifteen years earlier. Of course, markets and economic climates change along the way, but Porsche made the right early decisions and preparation, now it's enjoying the success.

"I wouldn't say we're like Porsche-Maserati is a different brand and company-but we've looked at what we need to do, the resources, human and financial, we need to expand, the kinds of cars we should make. And now we're working to that plan."

So what of the future? Where does Brossard see Maserati's sales, and what does the company need to achieve them?

"Our sales are growing by roughly 30 percent per year," he says. "We expect to produce between 7000 and 7500 units by the end of 2007: 5000 Quattroportes, the rest GTs. The capacity of our Modena factory is 10,000 units, which we hope to reach by 2009. To continue growing, and to make Maserati a truly healthy company, a third model is essential [tantalizing pause], although obviously I'm not going to tell you what that is just yet!"

Ivano Cornia is entering his fourth decade as a Maserati test driver. "I'm nearly 60, but I never think of retiring. Why should I? I've got the best job in the world. Only a test pilot's job is more exciting."

</IMG>

Things have changed a lot during his tenure: Maserati's R&D team now totals around 70 people, with four dedicated test drivers and eight engineers who work on effecting changes to the test cars. The test and development regime has moved up to levels never dreamed of in the 1960s.

Maserati is a relative newcomer to the Nrburgring, having incorporated it into the test program only four years ago, but it's now an important element of every new model's development. Some manufacturers play down the significance of high-speed lapping, preferring to emphasize the Nordschleife's value as a durability-testing venue. Encouragingly, this isn't a line you'll hear from Cornia.

"We don't go to the Nrburgring to test for durability as much as to fine-tune the handling. During development of the GranTurismo, we wanted to create a better-performing, more driver-focused car than the Quattroporte. It still has four seats, but we never forgot we were creating a sports car. Our main goal was to achieve the best possible performance from the car, but in the most accessible way. The Nrburgring Nordschleife is perfect for this." The GranTurismo will be the most development-tested car in the company's history.

Brossard, Fickers, and Cornia openly acknowledge that the GranTurismo has to work if Maserati's long-term survival is to be secured. They do so with the kind of nervous anticipation born from the heartfelt belief that they have a great car on their hands. If the dynamics live up to the spectacular aesthetics, the Trident's future finally looks bright.

</IMG>