At the Brisbane International Motor Show Maserati was introduced by Maryanne Dalziel, National Marketing Manager for Australia and New Zealand.

A dazzling display of new high-performance machines on four wheels and two took centre stage as the 2008 Brisbane International Motor Show (BIMS) got underway. And at the forefront of this line-up is the Maserati GranTurismo, being seen in the country for the first time in right hand drive and Australian specification.

The GranTurismo is already the fastest selling Trident car in Australia and more than 150 customers have already put their names down for the 4.2 V8 engined two-door sports car. At the Brisbane Motor Show the brand was introduced by Maryanne Dalziel, National Marketing Manager for Maserati Australia and New Zealand.

Half the 20-odd vehicles debuting in Brisbane were aimed at the red-hot performance enthusiast, although there was a splash of green from two exhibitors announcing environment-friendly initiatives. The show was officially opened by Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce and will run for 10 days at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Bank.

As well as the GranTurismo there have been Australian or Queensland premieres of the BMW 135i Coupe, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Ford Performance Vehicles F6X SUV, Toyota TRD HiLux, Volkswagen Passat R36, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Suzuki Hayabusa and  GSX-R750 and Kawasaki ZX-10R and Ninja 250R, all of which set an exciting theme for the first international motor show of the 2008 Australian season.

Economical diesels including the new Fiat Ritmo and two Citroens, plus hybrid-powered cars, also took their place, but the environmental headlines were snared by Saab and the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland. Swedish brand Saab announced the first local supply of 85 percent ethanol fuel for its BioPower models and the RACQ said it would introduce carbon offsets for its 700 fleet vehicles.

An estimated 400 new cars and motorcycles from 30 manufacturers – plus 23 classics valued at up to $780,000 in the inaugural Shannons auction - are on display in truly spectacular settings. Mitsubishi’s stand occupies two floors, while Volkswagen and Skoda flew out a specialist crew from Germany just to assemble their stand. Private lounges on some stands are reserved for potential buyers of luxury cars.

Exhibitors are also enticing visitors with special sale deals and appearances by sports celebrities. V8 Supercar drivers Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Russell Ingall, James Courtney and Paul Morris are on autograph duty tomorrow, along with Olympic swimmer Jessica Schipper and motorcycle racers Shawn Giles and Robbie Bugden. Footballers, netballers, riders and racers will return at various times over the next nine days.