Maserati continued its tradition of bringing Italian flair to the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where a GranTurismo earned top bid in the annual auction benefiting the Naples Children & Education Foundation.

Continuing a tradition which began in 2004 with the introduction of the four-door Quattroporte, Maserati has brought Italian flair and desire to Naples, allowing one lucky individual the chance to return from the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival yesterday with an even rarer vintage -- a 2008 specially customized GranTurismo luxury performance coupe. The deep metallic carbon black beauty has elegant beige interior with contrasting black stitching along with unique door sills reading "2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival 1 of 1."

The stunning four seat coupe offered for auction yesterday brought in a strong bid of $350,000, more than three times its base price. The 2008 auction benefited the Naples Children & Education Foundation, a collection of more than 20 individual charitable and educational programs that improve the physical, emotional and educational lives of underprivileged or at risk children in Collier County.

The 2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival was dominated by collections of truly rare vintages of wine donated by renowned U.S. and international wineries, as well as private donors. Auction packages included more than 70 exclusive lots, including exotic excursions, private dinners, luxury cruises, tickets to the Academy Awards -- as well as an opportunity to be one of the first to take ownership of the 2008 GranTurismo, Maserati's award-winning high-performance sports car.

According to Jim Selwa, President of Maserati North America, Inc., the Maserati GranTurismo has been created and handcrafted for those who appreciate true sophistication and want their car to deliver an emotional driving experience, day-after-day. "We are proud to continue our ongoing partnership with this world-class Festival, as like its participants, we share a deep passion for exclusivity and elegance -- while helping to make a difference to those involved with the Naples Children & Education Foundation."

The Maserati GranTurismo is a perfect blend of elegance and power, and similar to a good wine, it has been crafted with careful attention paid to every detail in its making. Featuring a powerful Ferrari-engineered 405-horsepower engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and a top-speed of 177 mph, the GranTurismo has a 60-year heritage with a legacy stemming from the 1947 A6 1500 GT Pininfarina, the first Maserati GranTurismo ever built. Today's version leads its class with thrilling performance, driving excitement and excellence in technology and hand-crafted quality.

Maserati North America, Inc., headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the exclusive distributor for Maserati-branded vehicles in the United States, including the Quattroporte high performance luxury sedan and GranTurismo high performance luxury sports car.