Two Centennial Edition Maseratis for SA

Granturismo And Grancabrio Centennial 4. Image: www.quickpic.co.za

Verene Petersen, marketing manager of Maserati in South Africa, commented: "We expect more demand than we can fulfil for this special edition; however customers who receive the car can be certain to have a truly exclusive Maserati. It's a pleasure to celebrate the centennial of Maserati with them in this extraordinary way."

Both models will feature three special, new three-layer colour schemes in addition to the four already available for the MC Stradale. There is a wide choice of wheels too, with four special finishes for the MC and Trophy designs. The medal-shaped centenary logo, available in two finishes, matt Smoke grey and Charcoal grey, depending on wheel design and colour, is displayed on the wheel caps.

The Centennial Special Edition features a wide range of interiors too. Each of the seven exterior finishes is combined with a specific interior finish. The leather upholstered seats boast a particularly aggressive look with a contrasting decorative insert based on the three colours (red, white and blue) of the seat profiles. The motif also extends to the headrests and surrounds the embroidered trident logo.

The traditional colours of Bologna

Special three-layer paint finishes include Magma red and Inchiostro blue, two colours that emphasise the sporting nature of the MC versions of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio.

These two colours are a modern interpretation of the colours of the Maserati shield and also represent the traditional colours of the town of Bologna where the company was founded in 1914. The combination of colours found in the interiors also reflects the three-tone finish of the body and wheels. The black leather of the seats and dashboard is offset by the red, white and blue of the full-length seat profiles and by stitching in a colour that mimics the laser-engraved details on the wheels. The same colour combination appears on the leather-covered steering wheel. The sporting appearance of the interior is enhanced by carbon fibre inserts on the dashboard, seat surrounds and by a kick plate on which the celebratory centenary logo takes pride of place. The same interior colour scheme is also available for the Pietra grey exterior finish.

The interior colour scheme, associated with the three-layer Inchiostro blue body finish, contrasts white leather seats and dashboard with Santorini Blue inserts and stitching.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale Maserati Centennial Special Edition is powered by the 460hp, 4.7 litre V8 that first appeared in the GranTurismo Sport, combined with a robotised, six-speed MC Race Shift gearbox that guarantees superb performance and a top speed of 303km/h. Active safety is guaranteed by Brembo carbon ceramic brake discs. In keeping with Maserati philosophy, the new GranTurismo MC Stradale also benefits from the advances made on the previous model in terms of reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The GranTurismo MC Stradale and GranCabrio MC Centennial Editions will be offered alongside the current Maserati range.