Maserati GranTurismo Zeda goes out in style

It’s no secret the long-lived Maserati GranTurismo will finally be retired this year after 12 years on sale and, to celebrate, Italy’s trident brand has revealed the limited-edition Maserati GranTurismo Zeda.

Marking the final day of GranTurismo production in Modena in December, Maserati says the Zeda special takes its name from the last letter of the Modena dialect alphabet and points to a new beginning with the next-generation GranTurismo to be built in Turin.

"Zeda is the bridge which connects the past, the present and the future," says Maserati. "It means ‘Z’ in the Modena dialect, it pays tribute to Maserati’s roots and reminds that there is a new beginning for every ending: Maserati starts for ‘Z’ in anticipation of a new GranTurismo."

Featuring a unique – and from some angles seemingly unfinished – paintjob, the Maserati GranTurismo Zeda finally sounds the death knell for the coupe that made its debut at the 2007 Geneva motor show in Switzerland.

Designed by Centro Stile Maserati, the “futuristic exterior shade” morphs from a light satin finish at the rear to a burnished metallurgic effect in the middle and a deep Maserati blue hue at the front.

"The blue also evolves, becoming energetic, electric, it seems alive, it seems like a mirror," says Maserati.

"The finished overall effect is a masterclass in the complex use and juxtaposition of vastly differing effects. Through manual skills we go back in time, with today’s technology and know-how constantly evolving towards the future."

More than 40,000 Maserati GranTurismo and (from 2010) GranCabrio models have been sold over the past decade. Representing a powertrain of a bygone era, both are powered by a 338kW/520Nm naturally-aspirated 4.7-litre V8 and the coupe is priced from $295,000 in Australia.

Maserati Australia says it’s unlikely any examples of the limited-edition Zeda will become available before, it previously told us a heritage-themed Aspirato Edition model will mark the end of the original GranTurismo in Australia.

As we’ve reported, the Viale Ciro Menotti factory in Modena, where the GranTurismo and GranCabrio were manufactured, will be retooled to build an electrified sports car that will break cover in 2020, as the brand flips the switch to deliver a phalanx of low-emissions models over the next few years.

We’re told the new-generation Maserati sports car won’t look like the sleek Maserati Alfieri concept, but will be available with an electrified powertrain – most likely a plug-in hybrid system.

Meantime, Maserati has also announced plans for all-new, battery-powered GranTurismo and GranCabrio models, in 2021 and 2022 respectively, as the brand turns its back on its traditional V8 performance car powertrain by adopting fully-electric powertrains.

"The new GranTurismo and GranCabrio, to be produced at the Turin manufacturing hub, will herald a new era of electrification for the Maserati range of cars, constituting the first models to adopt 100% electric solutions in the history of the Brand," said Maserati today.

Other Maserati models on the horizon include a facelifted Ghibli next year, which will bring the Italian car-maker’s first plug-in hybrid powertrain, an all-new mid-size SUV in 2021, a redesigned Quattroporte limousine in 2022 and a new Levante SUV in 2023.