Courtesy of Automotive Rhythms www.automotiverhythms.com
Maserati has chosen the New York Stock Exchange as the venue to unveil the model year 2018 GranTurismo MC. With its restyled exterior in “Grigio Granito†color and refined black leather interior, the GranTurismo MC (short for Maserati Corse) makes its world debut today at the Experience Square, right at the main entrance of the NYSE.
Maserati CEO Reid Bigland will ring the closing bell of the stock market at exactly 4:00 pm EDT (10:00 pm CET) today.
Maserati will line up its entire range next to the restyled GranTurismo MC in front of the New York Stock Exchange building: a black Ghibli SQ4 Nerissimo Edition with a black/red interior (an exclusive version for the US and Canada markets, which debuted in the New York Auto Show last April), a blue “Passione†Quattroporte GTS GranLusso with a Zegna Silk interior and a white 350 hp Levante with a black/red interior, the first SUV in Maserati’s century-long history.
Alongside the modern Maserati cars, busy New Yorkers will have the unique opportunity to admire a sensational sports coupé representing Maserati’s racing heritage: the blue Maserati Tipo 151 – one of three ever built – that participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1962.
GranTurismo is a genuinely Italian car concept pioneered by Maserati. The GranTurismo model is the latest Maserati designed by Pininfarina and since its launch in 2007 it has evolved into one of the most iconic GT cars ever built. The 4-seater coupé is considered the ultimate expression of Maserati’s passion, technology and craftsmanship and remains unique thanks to its timeless design and comfortable 4-seat interior.
Maserati has produced more than 37,000 GranTurismo and GranCabrio models in the historic factory of Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena and relaunches the iconic model for 2018 with an elegant and aerodynamically efficient restyling, refined interiors and a state-of-the art infotainment system.
The streamlined GranTurismo range comprises two well defined versions, the Sport and the MC – the latter on display in New York. Both versions are equipped with the naturally aspirated 4.7-litre V8 engine, hand-built by Ferrari in Maranello and capable of producing 454 hp. A six-speed ZF Automatic Gearbox is attached directly to the V8 powerhouse.
The Maserati Design Center team in Turin approached the MY18 restyling by treating the timeless design with utmost respect. The car’s new ‘sharknose’ hexagonal grille is inspired by the Alfieri Concept and adds a three-dimensional effect to its frontal view.
Together with the new, lower air ducts, the grille helps improve the airflow distribution and reduce the aerodynamic drag from 0.33 to 0.32. The rear bumper has also been redesigned with an emphasis on the natural elegance of the iconic GT coupé and cabriolet, featuring a neater design with twofold layout for the Sport and MC versions.
The performance figures of the GranTurismo have been improved compared to the previous model year. The GranTurismo Sport accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8Â seconds and reaches a top speed of 299km/h while the lighter MC version makes it to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 301km/h .
The interior of the GranTurismo offers unparalleled comfort for four adults, thanks to the individual Poltrona Frau leather seats with integrated headrests. The iconic Italian coupé is also available with Alcantara and leather upholstery.
For 2018 the GranTurismo features a new, high resolution 8.4†capacitive touch screen and Harman Kardon Premium Sound system. The state-of-the art infotainment system is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring functions, while the redesigned central console accommodates a user-friendly, double rotary knob, made of forged aluminum. The button cluster for the car’s driving modes is repositioned on the lower central console, next to the gearshift lever.
