When Pininfarina’s Jason Castriota designed the gorgeous Maserati Gran Turismo it represented a return to form for the Modenese carmaker and put Maserati firmly back on the radars of exotic car buyers, with a Ferrari engine under the bonnet and better quality construction than ever before in the company’s century-long history. Unfortunately Castriota (who is also known for the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Rolls-Royce Hyperion) designed the Maserati way back in the mid-2000’s for the model’s launch in 2007 where the Gran Turismo was first shown off at the Geneva motor show. Ten years later the car’s still doing duty on Maserati showroom floors the world over and refuses to give in – for example during the entire first quarter of this year the brand sold 54 Gran Turismos in the US. Not 54 thousand, obviously, not even 54 hundred. Just 54.
Over the entire decade-log run so far though, the company has actually managed to sell some 37,000 examples of the Gran Turismo models (if we include its drop-top sibling, the Gran Cabrio), and Maserati is persevering with the nameplate having just unveiled a slightly updated 2018 model, so it’s not over yet. At least not until the planned Maserati Alfieri, first seen at the 2014 Geneva motor show, comes along to replace it.
Before any of that however, before even the 2018 Gran Turismo reaches Middle Eastern shores, the Italian brand’s official UAE importer, Al Tayer Motors, has livened up the Maserati corner of the showroom in Dubai with the addition of the just-released ‘Special Edition’ model which is limited to 400 examples worldwide in Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio form.
“The UAE is one of the few Middle East markets able to present a small number of units of this limited edition Gran Turismo to our Maserati aficionados,” said Hossam Hosni, Vice President of Maserati at Al Tayer Motors. “It is a rare opportunity to own a car with a classic design and now in a distinctive colour.”
Speaking about the car’s main feature, Hosni points out the special Rosso Italiano three-layer paint for the exterior, a colour commemorating the blood-red Maserati 250F that raced in the Formula 1 championship during the 1950s with the ‘Maestro’ Juan-Manual Fangio behind the wheel.
Inside the car, the special edition model gets Poltrona Frau leather and plenty of personalisation options such as contrasting stitching. Naturally carbon fibre abounds in the cockpit too, and a metal, numbered plaque on the centre tunnel declares the car’s limited status.
This rare Gran Turismo, as well as the upcoming, updated 2018 model, suggest that Modena’s other famous carmaker still feels there’s plenty of legs left in the old girl.
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