Paris 2010: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale is not an Italian DJ, but is an upgraded super coupe

Maserati can produce some gorgeous automobiles. The Maserati GranTurismo is no exception, in fact we'd place it in the give-up-your-first-born-to-own-one category of beautiful. In addition to its looks, the GranTurismo is a powerful and luxurious grand touring machine that causes both eyes and ears to strain for more as it goes by. The 430-horsepower GranTurismo S was the king of the trident-wearing coupes, until today. Taking the stage at the 2010 Paris Motor Show is the all-new Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale ratchets up the excitement by pushing power output to 450 horsepower. The chassis has been tweaked and the body slightly updated for increased aerodynamics. The MC Stradale manages to increase the levels of downforce without causing a noticeable increase in drag. The result is an elegant two-door that's begging for track time.

Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

There are pros and cons to two erstwhile rivals sharing the same roof. On the one hand, they can share resources, but on the other, they have to be careful not to step on each-other's toes. Sharing corporate space with Aston Martin meant that Jaguar had to clip its own wings when it came to the XKR for years, as evidenced by the more powerful versions that have come out since the two split.

There's no doubt that Maserati has benefited tremendously from its association with Ferrari, but that has consequently meant that the Trident marque has had to adopt a different approach, catering to a more luxury-oriented market than the raw performance of its big brother on the Prancing Horse. But that doesn't mean they can't push the envelop just a little, and that's what you're looking at here.

Called the MC Stradale, this ultimate version of the GranTurismo bridges the gap between road and race models in the same way the revolutionary Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale did in its day – and as the all-conquering 430 Scuderia did subsequently. To get there, Maserati's tuned the chassis, aero and engine to more closely resemble the levels attained on racing versions like the MC Trofeo spec racer and the GT4 competition model.

Modena claims increased downforce without a commensurate increase in drag, while the engine has been boosted to 450 horsepower as compared to the 430 in the existing GranTurismo S. That's about all the Italians have released at this point, but you're cordially invited to read the brief press release after the jump and check out the images in the gallery below as Maserati prepares the GranTurismo MC Stradale for its debut at the Paris Motor Show next week.

[Source: Maserati]

Maserati Quattroporte gets served up Novitec Style.

Anytime German auto tuner Novitec gets its hands on an exotic car you know that good things will happen. They’ve done multiple Ferrari’s, Audi’s, Porsche’s and BMW’s along with just about every other high-end manufacturer out there, and with this they’ve managed to build a reputation as one of the best exotic car tuning companies in the business. It now seems Novitec has gotten the bug to play with Maserati’s as it has just released a complete package for the Quattroporte S and Sport GTS.

By supercharging the engine from the Maserati GTS Novitec has managed to increase power from a base of 440 hp to a whopping 600 hp. This means 0-60 times of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of around 195 mph. Also keep in mind that this is still a big 4 passenger grand touring car. For $36,000 you get one supercharger, water-cooled inter-coolers, reinforced V-ribbed belts, fuel injectors and everything else you’ll need to make your once fast Maserati a whole hell of a lot faster.

Source: Motorator.com

Ugur Sahin dreams up Aston Martin Gauntlet concept

Some of you might remember Ugur Sahin. He's a designer, specializing in grand touring cars that make our mouths water. Starting with already beautiful designs, he somehow manages to make shapely Chevrolet Corvettes and Ferraris look even better. From the Corvette Z03 to the Ferrari Dino and Ferrari-599-based USD GT-S Passionata, he's created some of the most exotic and graceful shapes we've ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on.

The latest automaker to earn Sahin's attention is Aston Martin. His latest design, the Gauntlet, blends some of our favorite design cues into a wholly unique package that's simultaneously sensual and brutal. Study the images and you might see a bit of One-77 in the mix, along with a dash of DB AR1, or perhaps you are carried back to the old DB3S, a car that Ugur mentions specifically as inspiration for the Gauntlet.

There's also some Maserati GranTurismo mixed with a little Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione as well, but we're definitely not complaining. It's a terrific design that has us wishing that Aston is looking at Sahin's designs for the next DBS and V12 Vantage. For those who still lament the loss of the Vanquish, with its broad shoulders and studly swagger, this might be the car for you. It's definitely earned a spot in our dream car garage.

Russian designer pens Maserati Kuba concept

It was only a few years ago, but how quickly we forget. Maserati actually toyed with the idea of building a crossover back in 2003, even going so far as to unveil a concept for the project called the Kubang GT Wagon at the Detroit Auto Show. The shape was penned by Giugiaro's ItalDesign, but project was scrapped, preserving the Trident marque's chastity in the eyes of many a purist. Now, an ambitious designer out of Russia has revived the idea with a concept he calls the Kuba. Sound familiar?

The brainchild of Andrey Trofimchuk Simeonych, the Maserati Kuba design study is, well...an intriguing take on what a Maserati crossover could look like. Only it doesn't share any design themes with any Masers we can think of. Nor does it have any theoretical specifications attached, though surely a platform and powertrain could be found from the growing Fiat/Chrysler automotive empire.

To our eye, it would look more suitable as a vision for what a future aircraft-engined Veritas sport-ute could look like, or maybe even a weird Citroën concept of some sort (is there any other kind?). Then again, maybe not. It's a love-it-or-hate-it affair, so have a look for yourself in the high-res image gallery below and share your impressions in our comments section.

[Source: CarDesign.ru]