When Maserati broke the covers of the GranTurismo back in 2007, the world stopped and gawked at the sheer beauty that bore the iconic Trident. Sunning and elegant lines, plush interior and a pulsating naturally-aspirated Italian V8 with a soundtrack from the Gods, the GranTurismo was a total knockout.
However, after 12 years with only a minor facelift on the interior and exterior and not much else, the Italian beauty was no longer competitive and lagged far behind its peers. As production ended in 2019, speculation that Maserati was working on a successor for the GranTurismo started to light up. However, most of the spyshots and prototypes released have led only to the unveiling of the Maserati MC20 supercar; nothing has yet to be seen on the GranTurismo… until now.
Official images released by Maserati have shown a heavily camouflaged two-door coupe exiting the factory and having a meander around the streets of Modena. Ahead of the new Maserati launch, the prototype cars are undergoing extensive road and circuit testing across various weather conditions to collect data for the final setup.
According to official Maserati sources, the new Maserati GranTurismo will be the brand's first car to adopt a 100% electric solution. Sorry fans, no more raucous V8 for the GranTurismo. However, if the latest MC20 supercar is anything to go by, there may still be hope for burning dead dinosaurs.
The MC20 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine with 630hp. Dubbed the 'Nettuno', this is Maserati's first self-developed engine in over 20 years. It will be a shame if all the hard work isn't seen on more stunning Maserati's other than the range-topping MC20. While pure electrification is inevitable, it would be nice to hear the GranTurismo roar for one last time.
While the classic berlinetta shape of the GranTurismo still prevails, the front fascia of the prototype has undergone somewhat of a facelift. Headlights seem to have been derived from the MC20. At the same time, the gaping grille and side air intakes appear to be carried over from the outgoing GranTurismo model. The rest of the body is still heavily camouflaged, and it's most likely that there will be significant design changes before the final prototypes are ready for launch.
While it's not much to go on from official Maserati sources, the very fact that a new GranTurismo is looming around the corner has got us all amped up. Moreover, with the prospects that the Maserati GranTurismo will have a fully electric powertrain, it very well may be the first mass-produced high-performance EV coupe available for the top percentile. Exciting times indeed!