Maserati Gran Turismo
It’s every Hollywood starlet’s darkest fear: turning up to a premiere in the same dress as a rival. For the luxury car buyer, there is an equivalent of this fashion faux pas.

If you’ve shelled out the cost of a small apartment on your new set of wheels you don’t want to arrive at the corporate car park to see the same model parked nearby or, worse still, models worth a quarter of the money wearing the same badge. A badge that once stood for exclusivity.

Maserati says people who want to stand out from the crowd are increasingly defecting to the Italian brand from its German rivals.

The company has nearly 100 orders for its new $300,000 Maserati GranTurismo, which won’t arrive in Australia until November. Most of the prospective buyers, the company says, are trading in German luxury brands.

Maserati Australia’s boss, Edward Butler, says that as longstanding premium brands, such as Mercedes Benz, BMW and, most recently, Porsche, chase volume sales they are alienating customers who want cars that stand out from the crowd.

“Those brands have definitely lost some of the kudos usually associated with luxury brands because you can now get a car with the same badge on it for $40,000,” he says.

The new GranTurismo has no such identity crisis. It will share the limelight with just two other vehicles, both equally exclusive: the GranSport, which will cease production next year, and the Quattroporte.

Butler says the level of personalisation available to GranTurismo customers will ensure the chances of meeting an identical car on the road are remote. They can choose from a mind-boggling array of interior trim and exterior styling options which add up to 4 million combinations.

There are 19 exterior colours and inside you can choose from 10 shades of leather. There is also a range of matching luggage sets to fit in the coupe’s boot and you can even choose from six colours of brake caliper.

Maserati chief engineer Paul Fickers says there are advantages to being small in the luxury end of the market. The company is competing against luxury coupes including the BMW 6-Series, Mercedes CL500 and the Jaguar XK range, each of which have poorer cousins wearing the same badge.

“Being small means we stay faithful to our philosophy and heritage as an Italian sports car brand,” he says. “Our size is a strength. We are very exclusive. Our production line can also be very flexible and we can adapt quickly,” he says.

Porsche Owners = Want-to-be Ferrari owners!

[Ferrari = ne plus ultra!!]

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