06.06.2004 Maserati came to the Motor Show Live, which wrapped up today, brimming with confidence as they officially presented the Quattroporte & GranSport in the UK for the first time

Maserati came to the Motor Show Live at the Birmingham NEC, which wrapped up today, as a marque brimming with confidence and aiming to go places.

Now under the direction for highly rated former Ford Europe CEO Martin Leach, the sportscar maker presented the Quattroporte saloon and the beefed up Coupe variant, the Gransport, to the British public for the first time.

A luxurious sporting saloon with the heart of a sportscar, the Maserati Quattroporte has recently gone on sale in the UK. It delivers sensational, refined performance with an on-the-road price of £69,995 including a three-year 'peace of mind' service package. 

The award-winning V8-powered four-door saloon has a uniquely balanced weight distribution, 47 per cent front - 53 per cent rear, and responsive handling that cannot be beaten in this class. The Quattroporte showcar was finished in Blu Sebring, but no two cars need to be the same as customers can choose from a host of exterior and interior colours.

The Maserati Lifestyle Service is now available to all Quattroporte owners. A dedicated consultant is available 24/7 (by phone, fax or e-mail) to provide a tailor made service, bringing Italian style to customers worldwide. The finest Italian products, including clothes, perfumes, wines and foods are just a phone call away.

Owners will also be able to book tickets, make hotel and travel reservations and receive information on various subjects, including currency exchange rates, passports and visas, weather forecasts, art exhibitions, concerts, sporting events and fashion shows.

Second UK debut was the new GranSport, the latest addition to the Maserati range. It aims to be a sportier, edgier alternative to the Coupé and offers more power and even sharper handling in a model focused on delivering the highest performance. The Blu Mediterraneo GranSport at the NEC looked especially purposeful with its deep front spoiler, airflow-controlling side sills, discreet bootlid spoiler lip, chrome grille, lowered ride height and larger, 19" Trofeo racing-style alloy wheels. 

In addition to these newcomers, a Coupé Cambiocorsa and a Spyder GT completed the road range, the two stalwart models finished in Grigio Touring and Grigio Nuvolari respectively. 

To represent the new chapter in an evocative sporting history that is about to be written, Maserati brought the MC12 , for its first appearance in the UK, a brief breather in an intensive test program that kicked off in January.

The MC12 is a real aggressive looking racer, with its flowing, contour hugging bodywork cut with huge air intakes, wild wind-tunnel inspired sweeps, a massive racing rear wing and a large rear splitter. The twin big-bore exhausts have recently been repositioned on either side of the aerodynamic, body-length carbon fibre undertray.