Maserati shows off facelifted version of its big coupe in front of the New York Stock Exchange.
The stock market is constantly changing. Its mercurial nature makes the New York Stock Exchange a volatile place. Maserati saw it as the perfect location to show off the changes it’s made to the 2018 GranTurismo.
Since 2007, Maserati’s Viale Ciro Menotti factory in Modena, Italy has pumped out more than 37,000 GranTurismos and GranCabrios. Earlier this week, the automaker parked an assortment of its current and past vehicles, including the Ghibli SQ4 Nerissimo Edition, Quattroporte GTS GranLusso, Levante, and the Tipo 151 that competed in the 1962 Le Mans race, next to the cosmetically tweaked 2018 version of the GranTurismo.
The big coupe will be available in Sport and lighter MC trim lines, the latter of which Maserati showed off in NYC. The designers of the 2018 GranTurismo gave it a hexagonal “sharknose” grille (a la the 2014 Alfieri concept car), lower front air intakes that drop the coefficient of drag from 0.33 to 0.32, and a neater rear bumper design.
Under the hood, the naturally aspirated, Ferrari-built 4.7-liter V8 generates 454 horsepower and 384 ft-lb of torque. All of that is routed through a ZF six-speed automatic. In Sport form, the 2018 GranTurismo can hit 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph. The MC version can get to 62 in 4.7 seconds and top out at 187.
Inside the four-seater cockpit, there are Poltrona Frau leather seats with integrated headrests; Alcantara and leather upholstery is also available. Music comes out of the Harman Kardon Premium Sound system’s speakers. A new, high-res 8.4-inch touchscreen provides access to the Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto-compatible infotainment setup. The redesigned center stack features a forged aluminum double rotary knob and a button cluster for controlling the GranTurismo’s driving modes that’s been repositioned low down, next to the shifter.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
