GranTurismo: In Detail Exterior Design

Over the years, GranTurismo has evolved to become one of the world’s most iconic sports cars. It is also, of course,a Maserati design classic –a resolutely sporty luxury coupé with a uniquely timeless elegance.

According to Marco Tencone, Head of Maserati Design, there is good reason for this: “GranTurismo was originally considered acourageous design, even for Pininfarina standards. This helped it remain contemporary throughout the years. In fact, the boldness ofthe initial design was adopted by other luxury brands in the following years.As a result, the car still looks fresh today – it is a timeless design”.

The long front, muscular rear and defined lines suggest forceful forward movement – even at a standstill.

 

The nose of the GranTurismo, inspired by the Maserati A6 GCS of 1954, was designed to improve both aerodynamics and front brake cooling. The most recognizable exterior design feature, it has been elegantly restyled for 2018. The prominent oval grilleof the previous model is replaced by a larger, hexagonal ‘shark nose’with a discreetchrome insert. The characteristics of new grille are clearly inspired by the Alfieri Concept and add a three-dimensional effect to the front profile. They also help improve airflow distribution and significantly reduce aerodynamic drag. Additionally, the concave, vertical grille barsare restyled and resemble those seenon the Levante.

The lateral air ducts of the bumper, introduced in the MC Stradale and adopted by the entire GranTurismo range in 2012, are redesigned for 2018. They convey a sense of stability by visuallypushing theweight of the car’s nose towards the front wheels andhelp to optimize aerodynamic flow.

The central splitter is the element that most clearly distinguishes the two versions: the GranTurismo MC boasts a pronounced lip design that more emphatically emphasizes the sporting pedigree. The new front bumper and redesigned air splitter have led to a reduction in aerodynamic drag by no less than 10%,thanks to better flow distribution between the upper and lower sides of the car. The resulting Cd is 0.32, compared with 0.33 of the previous model.

The improved drag coefficient also pays off when it comes to maximum speed, which is slightly over 300km/h for the MC.Another benefit of the aerodynamicoptimization is a reduction inlift. This delivers excellent results in terms of high-speed stability. The front grille conveyor has also been enhanced, providing the necessary airflow to the cooling system, while reducing drag.

The headlights of the MY18 GranTurismo have the same profileand LED/Bi-Xenon functionality as beforebut went through a discreet, internal restyling that includes reshaped LED Daytime Running Lights, grooved housing in the Xenon headlamp areas and the Maserati inscription in low relief. To the rear, the high-tech triangular rear light clusters with 96 LEDs are carried over from previous model year. 

The Xenon clusters within the headlights incorporate Adaptive Light Control, which follows the movement of the steering wheel by up to 15degrees.The headlights of the MC, meanwhile, feature a darker finish.

GranTurismo : In Detail Interior Design

The central rear diffuser is specific to each version. The accent is on elegance with the GranTurismo Sport, with theoval exhaust outlets sited at the bumper’s edges. It’s decisively sportier on the GranTurismo MC, where thedynamically focused, roundtailpipesemerge fromwithin the transparentdiffuser itself.

The GranTurismo Sport is fitted with 20”Astro design silver wheels, black brake calipers and chrome line window mouldings.

Visually, the GranTurismo MC keepsthe more dynamic look of the outgoing MC Stradale. It sports the 20”Trofeo design silver forged wheels, titanium brake calipers, functional air vents on the front wings, black line window mouldings, MC side skirts and the carbonfibre bonnet in body colour with functional air vents for improvedhigh-speed downforce.While the bonnet contributes to better stability and improves cooling, it also means that the four-seat MC continues to be the fastest and lightest car in the Maserati GranTurismo range.

The elegant interior of the GranTurismo offers unparalleled comfort, thanks largely to its four Poltrona Frau® leather seats with integrated headrests. It harmoniously blends luxury and space with large-capacity performance, highlighting its authentic GT character without sacrificing day-to-day usability. GranTurismo is indeed a rarity in its class, given its ability to accommodate four adults in absolute comfort,and each inan individual seat.

The leather wrapped interior has been redesigned, echoing Maserati design traits by using the finest real materials, while subtle chrome rings around the buttons and stitched Trident logos on the headrests aptly illustrate the exceptional care given to each and every detail.

The 2018 modelfollows a new architectural philosophy, according to Maserati Head of Interior Design, Gianni Colonello: “We took the chance to redesign the interiors combining the craftsmanship appearance for the new instrument panel volumes with the updated infotainment elements. With the adoption of this approach the dashboard is now more clearly focused than before, comprising two, perfectly arranged areas: digital and physical.”

Taking its lead fromthe exterior design, the dashboard overall has a more sculpted design, especially on the passenger side, which isemphasized by stitched leather surfaces in pure haute couture fashion. All ‘tension’points in the interior feature double stitching,while the cut linesare single-stitched. According to the interior designers, this is a purely Italian approachmore commonly found in the high-fashion furniture and accessories industries than the automotive world. 

Maserati GranCabrio MY18: In Detail Exterior Design:

Since its debut in 2009, the GranCabrio has evolved to become one of the world’s most iconic cabriolets. Along with its GranTurismo sibling, it remains a Maserati design classic – sleek, sporty and ever sensational.

According to Marco Tencone, Head of Maserati Design, there is good reason for this: “GranTurismo was originally considered a courageous design, even by Pininfarina standards. This helped it remain contemporary throughout the years. In fact, the boldness of the initial design was adopted by other luxury brands in the following years. As a result, the car still looks fresh today, both in coupé and convertible form – it’s a timeless design.”

The long front, muscular rear and defined lines suggest forceful forward movement – even at a standstill.

“The proportions of the car, the length of the bonnet in relation to the volume of the cabin, is considered unique to this day. There is nothing like it,” says Giovanni Ribotta, the Maserati Head of Exterior Design who lead the small team responsible for restyling the GranCabrio.  

The lateral air ducts of the bumper, introduced on the GranTurismo MC Stradale and adopted by the entire GranTurismo and GranCabrio range in 2012, are redesigned for 2018. They convey a sense of stability by visually pushing the weight of the car’s nose towards the front wheels and also contribute to optimizing aerodynamic flow. 

The central splitter is the element that distinguishes the two versions: the GranCabrio MC boasts a pronounced lip design that more emphatically emphasizes the sporting pedigree. The new front bumper and redesigned air splitter have led to a reduction in aerodynamic drag by no less than 10%, thanks to better airflow distribution between the upper and lower sides of the car. The resulting drag coefficient is 0.33, compared with the 0.35 of the previous model.

The improved drag coefficient also pays off when it comes to the maximum speed of the GranCabrio, which is 289km/h for the MC. Another benefit of the aerodynamic optimization is a reduction in lift. This delivers excellent results in terms of high-speed stability. The front grille conveyor has also been enhanced, providing the necessary airflow to the cooling system while reducing the drag coefficient.

The headlights of the MY18 GranCabrio have the same profile and LED/Bi-Xenon functionality as before but went through a discreet, internal restyling that includes reshaped LED Daytime Running Lights, grooved housing in the Xenon headlight areas and the Maserati inscription in low relief. To the rear, the high-tech triangular rear light clusters with 96 LEDs are carried over from the previous model year. The Xenon clusters within the headlights incorporate Adaptive Light Control, which follows the movement of the steering wheel by up to 15 degrees. The headlights of the MC, meanwhile, feature a darker finish.  

The proportions of the GranCabrio are inspired by the historic Tipo 60/62 Maserati Birdcage and the Birdcage prototype of 2004. With its lean yet powerful profile, with muscular front and rear wheel-arches, it still looks refreshingly modern today. This is why the design remains unchanged for 2018. Key historic styling cues such as the triple air vent apertures in the front wings and the trademark, triangular C-pillars which house the iconic Saetta.

Maserati GranCabrio MY18: In Detail Interior Design:

badge, make the GranCabrio silhouette instantly recognizable and ever desirable.   

The classic side lines seamlessly connect the historically inspired front with the contemporary rear profile, which has undergone a barely perceptible restyle for 2018. The Turin Style Centre designers had one clear focus in this area – to further refine the inimitable elegance of the sports convertible.

With a neater, more curvaceous and more cohesive design, the rear bumper further accentuates the sense of stability, masterfully rounding off the car’s silhouette.

The central diffuser is specific to each version. The emphasis is on elegance with the GranCabrio Sport, with the oval exhaust outlets sited at the bumper’s corners. It’s decisively sportier on the GranCabrio MC, where the dynamically focused, round exhaust pipes emerge from the transparent central diffuser. 

The GranCabrio Sport is fitted with 20” Astro design silver wheels, red brake calipers and shadow line window mouldings.

Visually, the GranCabrio MC has a more dynamic look. It sports 20” MC Design shiny titanium wheels, red brake calipers, functional air vents on the front wings and MC side skirts. 

The elegant interior of the GranCabrio offers unparalleled comfort, thanks to its four Poltrona Frau® leather seats with integrated headrests. It harmoniously blends luxury and space with large-capacity performance, highlighting its authentic sports convertible character without sacrificing day-to-day usability. GranCabrio is indeed a rarity in its class, given its ability to accommodate four adults in absolute comfort, and each in an individual seat.

The leather wrapped interior has been redesigned, echoing Maserati design traits by using the finest real materials, while subtle chrome rings around the buttons and stitched Trident logos on the headrests aptly illustrate the exceptional care given to each and every detail.

The 2018 model follows a new architectural philosophy, according to Maserati Head of Interior Design, Gianni Colonello: “We took the chance to redesign the interiors combining the craftsmanship appearance for the new instrument panel volumes with the updated infotainment elements. With the adoption of this approach the dashboard is now more clearly focused than before, comprising two, perfectly arranged areas: digital and physical.”

Taking its lead from the exterior design, the dashboard overall has a more sculpted design, especially on the passenger side, which is emphasized by stitched leather surfaces in pure haute couture fashion. All ‘tension’ points in the interior feature double stitching, while the cut lines are single-stitched.

According to the interior designers, this is a purely Italian approach more commonly found in the high-fashion furniture and accessories industries than the automotive world.