When the Maserati Coupé GT was launched at the 2002 Detroit motor show it signaled Maserati’s return to the North American market. The Coupé was a new departure for the marque, with the new model powered by a mighty 4.2 litre V8 designed and built for Maserati by Ferrari. The Coupé was the first tangible product of the new Ferrari and Maserati partnership.  Once cross-town Modenese rivals, Ferrari and Maserati now could join foces under the Fiat parent umbrella.  The new Ferrari-developed powertrain, complete with six-speed manual transaxle gearbox, was also shared with the convertible Spyder. The new Maserati Coupé was a full realization of the concept of a high-performance Grand Tourer, offering a truly unique combination of performance with on-board comfort for four people in a package suited for everyday use.

The Giugiaro-penned bodywork was based on the general shape of the previous generation of car, the 3200 GT, which was never imported into North America, but with updates for both stylistic reasons and to comply with US motor vehicle regulations. Gone were the boomerang-style taillights – which were the first automotive use of LED taillights – as were the two hood scoops previously required for cooling the 3200 GT’s turbos. External revisions included a bigger hood bulge, to accommodate the new engine, V8 badges adorning the sides and new alloy wheels, while inside the cabin changes were essentially limited to color and trim.

The real difference was under the hood with the new 4.2 unit now propelling the car to a top speed of 285 kph, and the Cambiocorsa electro-actuated transmission (see separate model description) was available for the first time on a Maserati. The reason for favoring a normally aspirated, larger displacement engine in place of the 3.2 twin-turbo was twofold: engineers were looking for a wider, more linear torque range and also had to comply with ever more stringent emissions requirements. The Coupé GT was indeed instrumental in the marque’s return to the all-important US market, where legislation imposed particularly tough limits.

PRESS
Forbes Autos reviewed the Coupe in May 2006 under the headline “Practical Exotic Car”:

“Sexy styling and exhilarating performance… An Italian exotic car with a usable back seat and trunk”