Maserati has chosen this week's 10th Beijing International Auto Show in China for the Asian debut of the new Granturismo S. Wang Zhizhi, the star player of the Chinese national basketball team, also wanted to know all about the Maseratis on his visit to the stand.

Maserati has chosen this week's 10th Beijing International Auto Show for the Asian debut of the new Granturismo S. China is a market of growing importance for Maserati, the seventh in the world and the second in Asia.

In 2007, deliveries to Chinese clients amounted to 210 units, almost twice the number of units delivered in the previous year, and three times that of those delivered in 2005. In the first three months of this year, 82 Maseratis have been already delivered to Chinese customers, doubling the sales volume in relation to the same period of 2007. Maserati is distributed in China by a network of eleven points of sale.

Roberto Ronchi, the CEO of Maserati S.p.A., was present in Beijing for the Asian debut of the GranTurismo S. The press and a select group of guests listened as Ronchi explained Maserati’s precious new arrival in detail during his speech. The GranTurismo S was shown in Nero Carbonio (Carbon Black), the example that is fitted with the 4.7 litre V8 engine. With an output of 440bhp which means that the the GranTurismo S reaches the highest top speed ever achieved for a standard road going car: 295 km/h.

On the stand that measured over 400 square metres was the model that has already won international approval: the 4.2 version of the GranTurismo. Completing the display was a Sport GT model of the Quattroporte Automatic in Blu Nettuno (Neptune Blue) and an Executive GT version in Bianco Eldorado (Eldorado White).

While the first two days were reserved for the press, from 22nd April the show opened to the general public are already flocking to catch a glimpse of the Maseratis on display. Wang Zhizhi, the star player of the Chinese national basketball team, also wanted to know all about the Maseratis.