2008 Maserati GranTurismo S Photos, engines & full specs

Just one year after the launch of the GranTurismo lineup in 2007, Maserati unveiled a new version of this elegant coupe at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and the new version came with more power under its hood.

Creating a legit successor for the Maserati Coupe was challenging, especially since Ferrari took the platform for that model to make the 2008 California. Moreover, it had to develop another vehicle in a very short period of time. The design and engineering teams burned the midnight oil and created the GranTurismo in just nine months. However, that led to some shortcuts, including using a platform shared with the Quattroporte model, which had already been on sale since 2003. Despite all these shortcomings, the automaker launched the GranTurismo at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. At the same event, albeit one year later, it unveiled the GranTurismo S. With more power under the hood and an upgraded suspension, this version fixed most of the flaws of the initial version.

There were hardly any visual differences between the GranTurismo and the GranTurismo S versions. Maserati wanted to keep the elegant look of the bodywork penned by Jason Castriota at the Pininfarina Design Studio, but it needed some minor changes to make it look different from its sibling. At the front, the broad grille was adorned by black vertical slats, albeit the Trident badge remained chromed, like on the rest of the Maserati range.

From its profile, the GranTurismo S was instantly recognized due to its six-pot red braking calipers and the cross-drilled rotors up front, placed behind the unique multi-spoke alloy wheels. Its three chromed vents from the fenders looked similar, though. Another small change was for the aerodynamically profiled side sills, which featured a front-to-back creased line. Out back, it was difficult to differentiate the two siblings since both sported a quad-exhaust system with round pipes neatly integrated into the lower side of the bumper. As a final design touch, at the back, the automaker added a tiny lip spoiler on the trunk's lid.

Inside, the Alcantara and Poltrona Frau leather upholstery was unique for the GranTurismo S. In addition, the side passenger fronted a badge unique for this version of Maserati's Gran Tourer. Between the high-bolstered front seats, the automaker placed a center console that housed the new automated transmission gear selector and two cup holders. The center stack, on the other hand, had the same infotainment system as the regular GranTurismo. Another unique feat of this version compared with its regular brother was the black background for the instrument panel instead of the silver one.

But the real magic happened under the hood. There, Maserati dropped a new 4.7-liter V8 engine, which was hand-built by Ferrari's technicians in Maranello. It was paired with a new electro-actuated transaxle gearbox, providing faster gear changes, and it was designed by Graziano transmission specialist for the famous Ferrari F430. Besides the standard metallic suspension, Maserati also provided a Skyhook one featuring adaptive dampers.