Maserati Grand Turismo S Auto - details ahead of Geneva

Maserati Grand Turismo S – now gets the ZF 6-speed auto ‘box

The Maserati Grand Turismo S is a seriously under-rated car. It is in many ways the bargain of the supercar (-ish) world, with not just some serious discounts on new prices but some astonishing deals on used.

It looks fabulous – lots of gorgeous curves – and is everything you could want from an Italian Grand Tourer. Inside is a good place to be as well, and there’s even enough room in the back for a couple of normal sized people for short journeys.

And in many ways this is a much better bet than a Ferrari. Much the same kudos, but a much lower price. And be in no doubt; people feel the same about Maseratis as they do about Ferraris, so you’ll get all the glory for driving a fantastic Italian machine, and you won’t be marked down as the driver of a flash, common-or-garden Ferrari!

But up until now you could only get the auto ‘box on the 4.2 – the 4.7 got the slightly dodgy electro-actuated ‘box, which never really suited the car. So as this is more a GT than a supercar, the ZF 6-speed auto should suit a treat, as it does the Quattroporte GT S.

The Maserati also gets a few styling cues to distinguish it, including beefier sills and new wheels. You also get BlueTooth thrown in and an optional iPod connector.

But there is more news on the Maserati Grand Turismo S front – a Spider version. Although apparently it won’t be a Spider, as that is reserved for 2-seaters, so instead it will be the Maserati Grand Turismo S Convertible.

The Grand Turismo S Auto will launch at Geneva ’09 next month, and the Convertible at Geneva in 2010.