As the first examples of the new GranTurismo begin being delivered to dealers across North America the new Maserati sportscar has already started to collect its first awards in the United States.

The Maserati GranTurismo has been one of the most anticipated cars of recent years. Not only is it the first all-new Maserati since the introduction of the Quattroporte, but it is also a truly exceptional car – a stylish two-door with space for four, combined with terrific handling and performance.

At last, the wait is coming to an end. Following the official launch at the Geneva Auto Show in March and the highly anticipated first press test drives in Italy in May, the first GranTurismos are now being delivered to dealers in North America, giving even more people the opportunity to admire the Pininfarina design – at once sexy, stylish and aggressive.

On their way to showrooms the GranTurismo stopped by a few magazines to pick up some more accolades—no mean feat since it already has a trunk full of awards and praise. With a delightful play on words Robb Report declared the GranTurismo to be a “Gran Slam,” citing its strengths over other GTs to be its performance, style and rarity.

The GranTurismo also picked up Playboy’s award for the “Best Luxury Sports Coupe” of 2008. Each year the famous US magazine honours the cars that best combine a passion for engines, technological innovation and, obviously, unparalleled looks. The Maserati GranTurismo, described as being both "sexy in terms of its curves and its engine", took the ‘Luxury Sport Coupé’ category with ease.

Ken Gross, the well known author of the monthly's Automotive section, had the pleasure of driving the GranTurismo from Bolzano to Innsbruck. He praised the car's elegance, the fact that it is simple to drive, its precision and safety levels in all driving conditions. Gross defined the model as a "modern classic that only the Italians could create".

Playboy symbolises what today's men value, from pure seduction to more solid themes of dreams and aspirations, from elegance to the careful attention paid to having the right accessories. This award is particularly important as Playboy has a readership of 10 million. Also, an exclusive section of the magazine's website has been dedicated to the prize, viewed by a broad and varied audience. Consequently, the award has considerable resonance in all areas of the media.

With demand for the GranTurismo running at unprecedented levels, each dealer will initially have just one demonstrator available for test drives.

report: Maserati North America