Maserati GT Quattroporte (Q4) 2008-2012

Between 2008 and 2012, Maserati released version after version of the GranTurismo without ever settling on what kind of car it wanted to be — until the limited McStradale variant broke 300 km/h and answered the question for good. A Ferrari-designed V8, three different transmission strategies, and a stopping distance measured in single-digit car lengths are all part of the story. Read on to find out how a comfortable Italian coupe turned into one of the quickest GT cars of its era.

Most grand tourers pick a lane: comfortable cruiser or genuine performance car, rarely both at once. Maserati spent five model years refusing to pick, releasing version after version of the same basic coupe with just enough changes to make you wonder what the engineers were actually chasing. By the time the lineup settled down, one variant had become the fastest production GT car Maserati had ever built to that point, and getting there took a Ferrari-designed V8, three different transmission strategies, and a limited-edition trim so extreme it barely resembled the car it started as.

A Ferrari Engine Under an Italian Grand Tourer

The Maserati GranTurismo debuted as a 2+2 coupe at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, and its base engine wasn’t really a Maserati unit at all — it was a 4.2-liter, 259-cubic-inch V8 of Ferrari design, producing 405 PS, or 399 horsepower, paired to a ZF six-speed automatic. Underneath, the car ran a double-wishbone front suspension with a multi-link rear, a setup Maserati specifically engineered to deliver what the company called comfort in harmony with speed and driver enjoyment, rather than tuning purely for lap times. That badge-sharing arrangement with Ferrari, common across Maserati’s lineup during this era, gave the GranTurismo a genuinely exotic drivetrain wrapped in a body built for four adults and a weekend’s worth of luggage. It’s a pairing that still shows up in spec-sheet debates among enthusiasts today, since few other manufacturers were willing to let a rival brand’s engine define an entire model line.

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The S Version America Almost Missed

Maserati built the GranTurismo S from 2008 through 2012, but North America only ever received the 2009 model year of it, making it something of a blink-and-you-missed-it variant on this side of the Atlantic. The S swapped in fixed-setting steel damper suspension, with a skyhook adaptive system available as an option, and stepped up to a 4.7-liter, 286.3-cubic-inch V8 producing 440 PS — 434 horsepower — at 7,000 rpm, initially paired exclusively to a robotic six-speed sequential semi-automatic gearbox. Starting in 2009, buyers could instead choose the more conventional ZF six-speed automatic, and the car picked up under-door rocker skirts, 20-inch wheels, and Bluetooth with iPod integration as standard equipment — small comfort touches bolted onto what was otherwise a serious performance upgrade.

The Track-Focused Concept Nobody Could Actually Buy

In 2009 and 2010, Maserati offered the limited-production Gran Turismo Concept MC, a version built with six-point seat belts, a larger fuel tank, and carbon fiber shocks — equipment that has almost nothing to do with daily comfort and everything to do with track days. Braking duty went to large rotors with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in back, clamping down on 18-inch wheels. It’s the kind of spec sheet that reads more like a factory race car than a grand tourer, and it previewed just how far Maserati was willing to push this platform once it stopped worrying about ride comfort. Maserati never published exact production numbers for the Concept MC, and its rarity today makes it one of the most obscure variants in the entire GranTurismo family tree, even among owners of other special editions.

Carbon Fiber Everywhere the Sport Line Could Fit It

The 2009 Gran Turismo MC Sport line took the Concept MC’s track intentions and made them buyable, with carbon fiber spoilers front and rear, carbon fiber mirror housings, and carbon fiber door handles on the outside. The interior went further, wrapping the steering wheel rim, paddle shifters, instrument panel, dash, and door panels in the same material. A dedicated handling package added Maserati’s Stability Program software, stiffer springs, heavy-duty shocks, and a lower ride height — and that same stability software ended up standard across the entire Maserati lineup by the end of 2009, meaning this sport-focused special edition quietly influenced every other model the company sold that year.

A Facelift That Found More Power Without a New Engine

The Granturismo S was replaced in 2012 by a new S version carrying the same 4.7-liter engine, now reworked to produce 460 PS — 454 horsepower, a modest but real gain over its predecessor without a displacement increase. The update brought a unique front fascia, revised headlights, newly styled seats, and a sportier steering wheel, while the transmission hierarchy flipped: the ZF six-speed automatic became the standard gearbox, with the sequential semi-automatic demoted to an option. It’s a subtle but telling shift — Maserati’s engineers had apparently decided the smoother automatic suited most buyers better than the sharper, jerkier sequential unit, even on the performance-oriented S trim.

The McStradale Broke 300 Km/h Before Anything Else in the Lineup

Announced in 2010, the limited-edition, two-seat GT-MC McStradale carried the 4.7-liter engine tuned to 450 PS, or 444 horsepower, with a diamond-like coating applied to high-wear components like the cams and followers, and a weight reduction of 110 kilograms compared to earlier versions despite matching their fuel consumption. It became the first GT model in the lineup to reach 300 km/h, with a claimed top speed of 301 km/h, or roughly 187 mph. Buyers could choose a robotized six-speed transmission that shifted its behavior — suspension, traction, even engine sound — depending on whether the car was in normal or manual shift mode, effectively giving one gearbox two distinct personalities.

Stopping From Highway Speed in 33 Meters

The McStradale’s aerodynamic package included two splits in the hood, a front splitter, and a rear air dam, all working together to generate genuine downforce rather than just looking aggressive. Braking came from Brembo hardware with carbon-fiber rotors roughly 60 percent lighter than steel equivalents, clamping 20-inch wheels wrapped in custom Pirelli PZero tires developed specifically for this application. The result was a stopping distance of just 33 meters from 100 km/h, a figure that put the McStradale in territory usually reserved for dedicated track cars rather than anything wearing a Maserati grand tourer badge. Few grand tourers from this era can make that claim, and it’s a big part of why the McStradale is the version collectors chase hardest today.

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