Maserati introduced the GranTurismo at the 2007 Geneva International Motor Show followed by the GranCabrio in 2009 at Frankfurt. Fast forward to today and we have the GranTurismo Zelda, a special model to commemorate the end of production of Maserati’s beloved grand tourer.
Yes. Very much like the 2020 Audi R8, the Maserati GranTurismo is also saying goodbye. But unlike the Audi, the GranTurismo is exiting in an unforgettable way.
How? By having a magnificent chameleon paint job.
Zeda marks both the beginning and the end
Back then, The GranTursimo represented a significant milestone for the Maserati brand. The GranTurismo blends sporty performance with the attributes of a luxurious grand tourer, and many say it’s the modern iteration of the magnificent 1947 Maserati A6 1500.
And after twelve glorious years, the GranTurismo Zeda is – according to Maserati – the bridge connecting the past, present, and the future. The futuristic color-shifting exterior finish is designed and expertly applied by the craftspeople at Centro Stile Maserati.
Looking at it from various angles, it’s like the car is shedding a new skin, which is hopefully pointing towards electrification. From the rear, the paint changes from light satin to a full burnished metallic effect.
But from the midsection to the front, the paint is shifting from a darker finish all the way to Maserati blue. Even the blue paint seems to be evolving to create an energetic and playful vibe.
Maserati is updating the Modena plant
You see, Zeda is the last GranTurismo. As production ends, work begins in updating Maserati’s Modena plant. The complete renovation and retooling of the factory are meant to accommodate the newest lineup of Maserati vehicles including a high-performance car and a new super sports model, which are expected to arrive by 2020.
According to Maserati, work has also started on the construction of a new and modern paint shop. It has a convenient viewing area where customers can watch their new vehicles being painted during the assembly process.
German carmaker Volkswagen is doing the same thing in its Zwickau manufacturing facility, one of VW’s biggest and most historic assembly plant – which now serves as the home of VW’s first-ever all-electric ID.3. Does this also mean Maserati is preparing the Modena factory for the next onslaught of new EVs wearing the trident badge?
Apparently, the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio are 100-percent electric
Here’s an excerpt from Maserati’s latest press release about the GranTurismo Zeda:
The new GranTurismo and GranCabrio, to be produced at the Turin manufacturing hub, will herald a new era of electrification for the Maserati range of cars, constituting the first models to adopt 100% electric solutions in the history of the brand.
Based on that statement, it seems the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio are the first Maserati models to get an all-electric powertrain. Is the Italian carmaker talking about the Maserati Alfieri electric concept vehicle we saw a year ago? Considering the Alfieri is a two-door and four-seat GT car similar to the current GranTurismo Zeda, it seems our theory is not as preposterous, after all.
Of course, it’s better not to get ahead of ourselves. But the link between the Alfieri and the next-gen GranTurismo is simply hard to ignore.
Maserati GranTurismo Zeda has a Ferrari-sourced V8 engine
Barring the brilliant chameleon paint scheme, the GranTurismo Zeda is still the GT car we all know and secretly love. It still has a naturally-aspirated 4.7-liter Ferrari V8 motor producing 460-horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque.
And yes, it still has that glorious exhaust burble which is unique to Maserati.
Maserati failed to mention the pricing and equipment options for the GranTurismo Zeda, but we’re expecting it to start around $160,000 including the morphing paint job.
