Think “Maserati” and “Burberry” and there are so many ways this could have gone classy. But this isn’t one of them. Seems some fool with too much oil money and not enough taste has plastered his Quattroporte in what appears to be perforated Burberry-plaid gift-wrap paper. If this were some sort of new camouflage on a test mule for the newly revised Quattroporte, we’d say it was effective (who could focus on the details in between the bouts of vomiting?), but somehow we don’t picture the Italians doing anything this horrendously tasteless. In fact, we’d encourage Maserati to track down the owner and repossess the vehicle immediately. Click on the thumbnails below to see more of the Burberry-spangled Maser… if you must.

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The big question that everyone was asking was whether this second-generation Quattroporte would continue with its current 400hp 4.2-liter V8, or get treated to the more powerful 4.7-liter 430hp unit which Maserati developed for the Alfa 8C and more recently shoehorned into the GranTurismo S. The answer is, yes. Like its two-door counterpart, the new Quattroporte will now be offered in two versions: the standard Quattroporte and the Quattroporte S. Both will come exclusively with the ZF-sourced six-speed automatic (jettisoning the clumsy sequential transmission that plagued the previous incarnation). Along with the new engine option, the Quattroporte has been treated to some new bodywork: the front grille and bumper have been reshaped and fitted with vertical slats to more closely resemble the GranTurismo’s, the front and rear light clusters have been restyled with LEDs, the fenders sharpened up, the mirrors slimmed down and the tail restyled more aggressively. Two new colors – a sandy beige and a maroon – are on offer, and the interior has also been ergonomically and stylistically refreshed, integrating the new Maserati Mutlimedia System.

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We know what you’re thinking: What I need is a Maserati lamp. To go in the automotive Mecca you call a living room, of course, already complete with items like Porsche and Aston Martin sofas, an engine-block coffee table and a Ferrari sound system. Fret not, our car-obsessed friend, for the Italian fixture craftsmen at Lumina have answered your prayers.

Inspired by the grille of the Quattroporte, the Maserati Lamp by Lumina is crafted from sheetmetal backed with opaline glass etched with the grille design through which the light shines. Officially licensed by the Modenese automaker, the lamp is even emblazoned with the Trident badge so your guests will know just where your loyalties lie. Follow the link to find out more.

(Source: Autoblog)

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Could this one-off design study for a Maserati coupé become a production reality? Designed by newly relaunched Italian coachbuilder Carrozerria Touring Superleggera, the A8 GCS Berlinetta is currently just an idea but Maserati is currently considering adding a new small coupé to its line-up, to be priced between £50,000 and £60,000.

More compact than the £78,605 Gran Turismo, the baby two-door would compete against lower-end Porsche 911s, pricier versions of the Mercedes CLK, Jaguar’s planned XE coupé and even the Nissan GT-R and BMW M3.

Maserati sees a considerable gap between the top end of the Brera coupé range from sister company Alfa Romeo and the 4.2-litre V8 Gran Turismo.

At one time there was talk of Maserati offering a ‘mini’ Quattroporte; this smaller saloon could share its core architecture and probably some drivetrains with the new Alfa 169 flagship. But insiders have concluded that the two models would excessively cannibalise one another’s sales.

Maserati boss Roberto Ronchi said that the firm needs a third model to continue making a profit, which it is, if on a modest scale.

An additional car would take Maserati’s production to around 15,000 units annually, about the maximum capacity of its Modena plant. Last year it made 7353 cars, a third more than during the previous 12 months, and this number should rise again in 2008 with growing sales of the Gran Turismo and the Quattroporte, and the limited-edition 8C that it is building for Alfa Romeo.

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After hearing Maserati was planning a new sportscar to rival the Porsche 911, Italian styling houses have been lining up to pitch their designs. Carrozzeria Touring has unveiled their A8 GCS concept at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the annual Mecca of class and performance on the shores of trendy Lake Como in Italy. Inspired by Pininfarina’s iconic Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta of 1954, the Touring concept presents a compelling mix of modern design and retro touches

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There are wagons, and then there are wagons. Most five-door family-haulers fall under the former, but once in a while something more shapely comes along and redefines the latter. If this image is something to go on, the Bellagio Fastback is definitely one of those rarities.

Created by the revived Carrozzeria Touring, the Bellagio Fastback is a wagon variant of the Maserati Quattroporte – itself already one of our favorite sedans and a beautiful point of departure. And from the looks of things, Touring has done a far more elegant job than the StudioM Cinqueporte we reported on previously. Carrozzeria Touring will be showcasing the Bellagio alongside its new Superleggera sportscar in a few days at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Italy’s glamorous Lake Como along with such elegant motors as the Bugatti Veyron Fbg by Hermes, BMW Concept CS, Zagato Bentley Continental GTZ and Cadillac CTS Coupe. Follow the jump for more information on the cars participating in this year’s Concorso.

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Maserati officials have confirmed the convertible version of the GranTurismo coupe will arrive in showrooms by March of next year and these new renderings give us a good indication as to what the final styling may look like with the top down. The introduction of the new model will help Maserati meet its ambitious goal of selling 12,000 cars per year by 2011 as well as continue the carmaker’s recent return to profitability.

Maserati is yet to confirm if the car will sport a traditional canvas roof or a new hard-top, but recent spy shots of a GranTurismo convertible prototype suggest it will feature a metal folding roof. Otherwise, the convertible should feature the same mechanical package as the coupe, although in fitting with its premium status the car could come standard with the new 434hp 4.7L V8 engine from the recently revealed GranTurismo S. This means it will likely get Maserati’s updated automated manual gearbox and Brembo brake package as standard.

Performance will be down on its coupe sibling as the convertible will require extra reinforcements due to its missing roof. Remember, the coupe already weighs in excess of 1,800kg so the extra weight of this reinforcement plus the complicated folding mechanism of the roof system could easily push the drop-top past the two ton barrier. At the end of the day however, the GranTurismo is all about style and as a poser’s car a convertible version is as good as it gets.

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Maserati, the Italian manufacturer of racing cars will present its new model, GranTurismo S at the Geneva International Motorshow. This new car has the highest speed as compared to all other Maserati productions.

On the design front, the vehicle has an integrated spoiler in the boot lid and new-design side skirts that helps the flows around the car. Maserati GranTurismo S also has specially designed 20″ rims, which resemble the Trident. Keeping in line with the Maserati tradition, the grille and the oval badge below the hood are embossed in red, while the radiator grille and headlight casings are in black.

Powered by a 440 HP and V8 4.7 engine, with a maximum torque of 490 Nm at 4750 rpm, the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 Km/h at 4.9 seconds with a maximum speed of 295 Km/h. With an electro-actuated gearbox with fast MC Shift, Transaxle layout, the GranTurismo S has brakes made with dual-cast technology.

An electro-actuated 6-speed gearbox paired with the 4.7-liter V8 engine and MC-Shift software, rules the new engine’s power output ensuring a gearshift performance. The MC-Shift software eliminates the extra time taken for acceleration, bringing it down to 100ms.

The engine and gearbox on the Maserati GranTurismo S are arranged in the Transaxle layout. The front-mounted engine and the gearbox are connected by a tubular element containing the driveshaft. This distributes the weight with 47 per cent over the front axle and 53 per cent over the rear axle.

The interiors are furnished in Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara (used for the steering wheel and centre of the seat with the option to extend to the whole of the headlining). Alternatives are also available to the standard leather to give it a more refined look.

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The students of the Instituto Europeo di Design unveiled their Maserati Chicane concept, which won out over rival designs to win sponsorship and a spot under the bright lights of the Geneva Motor Show to show their talent to the world. Certain details aren’t likely won’t make it to production, although wit design chiefs from Maserati and Fiat AG on the selecting jury, we wouldn’t be all that surprised to see some similarities when Maserati eventually unleashes its anticipated new sportscar.

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the Maserati Gran Turismo S was on it’s way to Geneva and we’ve finally had some time to caress it with our lens. Featuring the same 4.7-liter 440HP V8 engine developed for the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, this updated Maser won’t take a backseat to its pricier and swoopier cousin any more. Okay, maybe it will considering it actually HAS a backseat. The upgraded engine is mated to an electro-actuated MC-Shift gearbox mounted on the rear transaxle for optimized weight distribution and faster shifting times. Maserati even put a demo version on display with the car so we could see the improvements firsthand. Going is one thing, stopping another. To that end, Brembo has supplied an upsized brake package, the same one in fact, that is seen on the Quattroporte Sport GT S. It features those trick front brakes that are dual-cast iron/aluminum discs gripped by six-piston aluminum calipers. As you can see from the live images we’ve added to the gallery, the new wheels, badges and leather/Alcantara interior make this GranTurismo S stand out even when it’s standing still. We were just starting to see some of the “regular” GTs on the road, and now Maserati has upped the ante. Honestly, this is what the car should have been all along. Now they just need to develop the convertible to match the recently unveiled 8C pop-top.

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