The 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo S looks absolutely beautiful from all angles. BusinessWeek.com has all the scoop on what’s going down under the hood. If your interested in picking one of the bad boys up the price tag starts at $115,000.
New 4.7-liter V8 engine with 433 hp
Electro-actuated six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters
Six operating modes: manual normal, sport, sport in MC shift, auto normal, auto sport, and ice
Top speed: 185 mph; zero to 60 in 4.9 seconds
High performance (huge) Bembo brakes
Transaxle layout with weight balance of 47% front, 53% rear equals great handling
Special 20-inch wheels and wheel covers
Dual-level exhaust system
The GranTurismo S’s Pininfarina exterior has a few discreet modifications:
An integrated spoiler on the luggage compartment door
New-design side skirts add to aerodynamics and flow
Big oval exhaust tailpipes
Adjustable exhaust sounds, from race-car deep and throaty on a race track, to subtle and special, like Pavarotti hitting a high C
Grille and headlamp area are black and somewhat mysterious-looking and cool
Inside the GT-S, it’s lush and luxurious:
Fine leather is used throughout: looks great, feels good, even has a nice fragrance
AluTex, an aluminum-coated fiberglass adds a high-tech modern look to the trim
Fully adjustable seats are very comfortable
Fully padded and semi-oval steering wheel is easy to handle
Nice, big paddle shifters are easy to work and add to driving joy
Good-looking, easy-to-work knobs, buttons, and controls
Understandable, quick-to-change (when needed) navigation system