Maserati has presented the Quattroporte and GranSport at ''Mito e velocità'', an important showcase for Italian enterprises held at the Moscow Riding School, opposite the Kremlin.

The Emilia-Romagna region and its producers are important exhibitors at the "Mito e Velocità - Creatività, bellezza e innovazione italiana" (Myth and velocità – creativity, beauty and Italian innovation) event. The exhibition is part of an extraordinary Made in Italy promotional programme supported by ICE and favoured by the Ministry of Production to push Italo-Russian cultural and economic exchange. The exhibition, has been realised in collaboration with ANFIA (Associazione Nazionale fra Industrie Automobilistiche) which aims to promote Italian technological excellence in the automobile field and its related sectors, in particular components, logistics, biotechnology, ICT, aerospace and high speed.

Over a year of initiatives and events, culminated in the opening of the trade fair on 27 January, with the inauguration at the exhibition centre of the Moscow Riding School, in front of the Kremlin, of "Mito e Velocità" ('Legend and Speed'), a show strongly dedicated to Italian automobile technology. For almost 3 weeks, "Mito e Velocità", organised by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade together with Anfia, the Italian Association of automobile factories, has presented the Russian public with the technology, knowledge, manufacturing experience and inventiveness of the Italian car and motorcycle industry. The name of the show refers to the thrill of "speed", and the "legendary", excellence of Italian products.

The show, which repeats the event held in September 2004 in Shanghai on the occasion of the first Grand Prix organised in China, represents the culmination of an extensive programme of initiatives which began in Russia in January 2005. The programme is aimed at developing and consolidating the economic relationships between Italian companies and official bodies and various sectors of Russian society, in particular the world of business, schools and universities, the media, the financial system and institutions. At the same time as the show dedicated to Italian cars, there will in fact be many other events. These include seminars, aimed at promoting Emilia Romagna's advanced mechanics industrial district, car design, car components, the Italian machine tools industry and the sector of Italian scientific and technological research, within the framework of increased collaboration with Russia. But there have also been important forums dedicated to information and communication technology, environment technologies, to the Italian expertise and excellence in the aerospace and biotechnological fields and in the sector of technical fabrics.

There has been an historic, cultural and artistic journey through dynamism, modernity and velocity. Included here will be an elegant Maserati Quattroporte. The Emilia-Romagna region has had a strong presence with a 300m3 space created in association with Confindustria Emilia-Romagna. This area focused on the excellence of the motoring and advanced mechanics of the region, one that has long blended the winning combination of tradition, creativity and innovative technology. This is symbolised by the House of Modena.  Visitors to the zone have enjoyed a tour of the automobile, motorcycling, engine building and advanced mechanics sectors. Maserati, naturally, is among the companies from Emilia-Romagna who haven taken to Russia an example of their produce. The Trident company has appeared with the flagship Quattroporte and a fantastic GranSport.

Moreover, economic relationships between Italy and Russia continue to flourish, and there are prospects for promising new business opportunities for Italian companies. In the five years between 2000 and 2004, Italian exports to Russia doubled, reaching levels of €5 billion. And it is predicted that by 2007 Russia's overall imports will grow by almost 40%, reaching an overall value of over €100 billion. Thanks to the excellent business relationships already existing, Italian companies intend to take advantage of these opportunities with increasing efficiency, becoming one of Russia's leading suppliers.