Hot on the heels of its European debut, the GranSport Spyder is the star attraction for Maserati in Melbourne, alongside the Quattroporte Executive and Sport GTs. Unusually, the Spider has been revealed to Australian eyes prior to its market debut in Europe (even if its on-time arrival was a touch-and-go affair), and in equally good news, its Australian market launch should be only a matter of months away, as the targeted date for the model’s introduction here is mid-2006.

Edward Butler, General Manager of Maserati Australia and New Zealand, was keen to emphasise that 2006 will mark a significant year for the Trident brand in Australia. Quite apart from the new-model introductions, which it is hoped will continue the sales growth Maserati has enjoyed in recent years, this year also marks the 50th anniversary of Sir Stirling Moss’ victory in the 1956 ‘Olympic’ Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in a factory 250F, ahead of team-mate Jean Behra. Indeed, apart from Peter Whitehead’s Ferrari Supersqualo in third position, 250Fs occupied five of the top six positions in that race, with Reg Hunt, Stan Jones and Reg Parnell’s efforts helping to secure a fantastic result for the marque. To celebrate this superb result, it was announced that Sir Stirling will be reunited with his 250F over the Grand Prix weekend in the beginning of April; now owned by international historic racing driver and collector Peter Giddings, this exact car has only recently just completed a full restoration across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand.

To return to the present, however, and the GranSport Spider: launched at last year’s Frankfurt IAA, the Spider draws on most of the modifications of its brother, the acclaimed GranSport Coupe.
 

It features the same style of ‘surfboard’ side skirts, deeper front spoiler, 19” wheels inspired by the Trofeo race cars, and the same modifications to the free-breathing 4.2 V8, bringing it up to 400bhp. The interior of the GranSport Spider also sees the same modifications as in the Coupe equivalent, being dominated by carbonfibre, leather and Maserati-specific BrighTex fabric. Painted in a dramatic red, known as ‘Rosso Mondiale’ (a colour which is somewhat reminiscent of the livery seen on the old single seaters on which Maserati’s racing heritage is largely founded), it is mounted on a turntable, occupying pride of place on the stand.

Flanking the Spider are examples of Maserati’s latest additions to the Quattroporte range, the Executive and Sport GTs. Although these two models were revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney last year, this represents the first opportunity for Melbournians to observe these fine-looking cars up-close, with their market release now not far away.  Quattroportes are expected to account for 60 percent of Maserati’s Australian volume this year, and it is thus evident the important role these additions have to play. Finally, Maserati have complemented these three cars with two examples of its Coupe – one a Coupe Cambiocorsa in ‘Grigio Nuvolari’, the other a GranSport, painted in the same Rosso Mondiale as the Spider.

by Shant Fabricatorian in Melbourne