Maserati's all-new GT coupe will make its official debut at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, but we caught it this weekat the ring testing alongside a Porsche 911.
The GT coupe is clearly Maserati's benchmark for performance, handling and refinement.
But ignore the extra set of door 'handles': the rear 'doors' are just fake and are there just to distract onlookers and spies. But we are reminded of one fact about the new GT and Spyder: they will be based on a shortened version of the platform of the latest Quattroporte saloon.
The GT is a 2+2-seater, and said to be much roomier than its predecessor thanks to a longer wheelbase - barely shorter than that of the Quattroporte - and redesigned suspension and transmission. It will have double-wishbone suspension with the Skyhook adaptive damping system, and the rear-mounted Cambiocorsa clutchless gearbox, as used in the Quattroporte. Power will come from the Ferrari-developed 5.0-liter V8, derived from the current car's 4.2-liter unit, and with new cylinder heads and induction system to give an estimated 470bhp.
The Spyder, which will be launched slightly later in the year, will also be offered with the 4.2-liter V8. The Spyder will, for the first time, have a folding metal hard top which will retract down to behind the seats.
Brenda Priddy