2006 Maserati Gransport Coupe on 2040-cars

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Heidi Klum and Maserati go Beyond the Swimsuit for Sports Illustrated

When sports and cars come together, the world "super" often comes up - whether it's a high-performance super sports car, a racing series (like Japan's Super GT, Australia's V8 Supercars or Italy's Superstars series), the latest crop of Super Bowl ads from the world's automakers or a supermodel posing with a car in the pages of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
This year's edition already saw Lisalla Montenegro cozying up to the new Lexus RC F, but it's not the only pairing to be found between an import luxury performance machine and a swimsuit model. The new 50th anniversary edition of the popular bikini special features a seven-page pictorial titled "Beyond the Swimsuit" shot by Francesco Carrozzini.
The spread features the inimitable Heidi Klum posing beside and inside various Maserati models - including the new Ghibli S Q4, the GranTurismo MC Trofeo race car and the Quattroporte Ermenegildo Zegna concept. Of course it's not the first time we're seeing a leggy blonde stepping out of Modena's finest - a role often taken up by one Jodie Kidd, to say nothing of the rich and beautiful in exotic locales the world over - but it's a pairing of which we'll never grow tired.

2024 Maserati GranTurismo First Drive Review: Striking balance

ROME — ItÂ’s easy to argue that the coupe is dead — especially big coupes with four seats. Never a huge segment to begin with, this slice of the market has shrunk in recent years as buyers flock to SUVs and carmakers allocate their development budget accordingly. In 2023, it makes more sense from a business point of view to slap the “coupe” label on a four-door crossover than to put it on a real coupe with two doors. Maserati isnÂ’t giving up. ItÂ’s not just business; itÂ’s also personal. ThereÂ’s a big chunk of its heritage built on four-seater coupes, so it completely reinvented the GranTurismo instead of throwing the nameplate into the darkest locker of automotive history. ItÂ’s still a coupe, and it still has four seats, but significant changes to the powertrain (including a smaller engine and all-wheel drive) aim to broaden its appeal. Maserati planted its flag on this turf in 1947 when it released its first road car, the Pininfarina-designed A6 1500 Gran Turismo, and it has never strayed far from it since. Its designers channeled this heritage into the second-generation GranTurismo without veering into retro territory or using a Xerox machine. “People often ask me, ‘Are you inspired by the past?Â’ WeÂ’re not copying elements, weÂ’re not copying styles necessarily, but we do allow ourselves to be inspired by the way we were constructing our cars back then,” Klaus Busse, the head of MaseratiÂ’s design department, told me. He cited the proportions as an example: sitting low to the ground, the GranTurismo features a long hood and a short trunk lid, which are shapes that have characterized dozens of cars positioned in the gran turismo segment for decades. Beyond the basic shape, the GranTurismo shares little with its predecessor — it illustrates what Busse meant in 2020 when he told me that the then-new MC20 would influence the rest of the range. ItÂ’s recognizable as a Maserati thanks in part to vertical headlights mounted above an oval grille, and of course it features the three fender-mounted vents that have become the Italian carmakerÂ’s signature. The coupe features a pure, fluid design with one exception: the fin-like protrusion on the roof. It houses a camera, and itÂ’s only fitted to GranTurismo models ordered with the digital rear-view mirror. I learned that integrating it into the trunk lid, like a rear-view camera, wouldnÂ’t have provided sufficient visibility.

All the cars of the monster Baillon Collection barn find are headed to auction [w/video]

Automotive barn finds are exciting for the thrill and surprise of the hunt. Of course, you're far more likely to find a rusting Chevy under a tarp, but there's always that chance to scoop up a forgotten Porsche or Shelby for a song. That aspect makes the massive Roger Baillon Collection so bittersweet. There were so many great classics sitting under an open shed in France, but they were there so long that many of them became just bare husks. Ahead of the February 6 auction in Paris, auction house Artcurial has released descriptions and images of the entire 59-car hoard. While the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider and 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta Frua remain the stars, there are a few surprises among the bunch. The original announcement makes no mention of several modern Ferraris – at least compared to the rest of the collection – among the lots. They include a thoroughly beat 1982 308 GTSi without headlights and portions of the paint gone. There's also a 1988 Mondial Cabriolet that looks good on the outside, but Artcurial says needs a mechanical overhaul. A rather attractive gray 1978 400 GT is in similar condition. Scroll through the gallery above for the names and price estimates for all of the vehicles in the collection. If there's one you're particularly interested in there are even more photos and full descriptions in Artcurial's auction catalog. Also check out the video below to see what some of these classics looked like before they were hauled out of Baillon's lean-to after years of sitting in decrepitude. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Roger Baillon Collection Auction View 59 Photos News Source: Artcurial, Artcurial Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan via YouTube Ferrari Maserati Auctions Classics ferrari 250 retromobile artcurial