Mansory, an outfit
that has a worldwide reputation for outrageous styling
and tuning has turned its attention to Maserati for the
first time giving the GranTurismo sports coupé one of
its signature love it or hate it makeovers that are
designed to stand out from the crowd.
Mansory, from Brand in
Germany, is more well known for its lavish upgrades to high performance
and luxury models
from prestige brands such as Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin,
Bentley and Mercedes-Benz, while the company has even
tweaked the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and tackled Italian
sports cars in the shape of the Ferrari's 599 GTB
Fiorano. In working its own brand of styling on the
GranTurismo it becomes one of the very few tuners to
tackle the Modenese carmaker's latest coupé.
Visually Mansory has made a series of bodywork modifications
to the GranTurismo: there is a newly designed front
spoiler with a more discreet carbon-fibre spoiler lip
that aims to give the front end a significantly more
sporty appearance, as well as a carbon fibre radiator grille
that highlights the famous Maserati
trident in the centre. Additional air
inlets and outlets cut into the flowing
Pininfarina-penned lines of the sports coupé and enable the new light-construction
bonnet to regulate the temperature in the V8
engine compartment. The GranTurismo appears to be much closer to
the tarmac thanks to the drawn-down deep door-sills. The
carbon fibre spoiler lip on the boot lid and the carbon inlay
for the integrated exhaust pipe outlets fitted into the rear apron and a
diffuser complete the sporty makeover. All add-on parts,
which appear to be for cosmetic purposes rather than
making aerodynamic improvements, are
made from carbon fibre and are manufactured by Mansory
using autoclave prepreg processing.
To create
some extra focus to the new add-on body parts, Mansory uses
a progressive sport suspension in the front
and rear axles, which lower the vehicle's centre of
gravity by around 30 millimetres. Contact to the tarmac
is maintained by 255/30 R 20 front tyres and 305/30 R 21
tyres at the back. Mansory says it is the first manufacturer
worldwide to market forged wheels exclusively for
Maserati GranTurismo models. On request of the customer,
these wheels are sprayed in the colour of the vehicle
and decorated with black accents.
The Maserati GranTurismo and GranTurismo S also gain
a power increase under the bonnet from the tuner. A
performance-optimised ECU, an air filter with increased
air flow and a sports exhaust system with two
double-suction tail pipes all add up to enhance the
performance of the V8 aggregates by a claimed 30 HP each
(the production GranTurismo S produces 405 HP while the GranTurismo
S is rated slightly higher at 440
HP). At the same time, the torque is increased by around
a claimed 40 Nm when compared to the series models (GranTurismo
460 Nm at 4750 and GranTurismo S 490 Nm at 4750).
The interior features Mansory’s own interpretation of upholstery.
Quality materials have been processed in traditional
top-quality craftsmanship to add a more individual
touch. The leather used for the interior makeover,
Mansory claims, is hard-wearing yet
exceptionally soft. The chequered stitch in the
ornamental seams on the inside aims to make for elegance as
well as sportiness. There are also aluminium pedals and
new ergonomically designed sporty steering wheel.
