2009 Maserati GranTurismo S

Last year Maserati introduced the GranTurismo at the Geneva show. At the 2008 Swiss gathering, the company will show a new S model of the coupe. What, you might ask, does that S stand for?

S could stand for speed. A new 4.7-liter V-8 takes the place of the 4.2-lilter offered in the non-S car. Horespower is up 40 for a total of 440 and makes its way to the rear wheels via a semi-automatic transaxle. Dubbed MC-shift, the new transmission is a revised version of the DuoSelect box that's offered on the Quattroporte sedan.

S might also stand for stopping power. With greater power comes greater braking responsibility, so Maserati borrowed the Brembos from the Quattroporte Sport GT S for the job. The front discs use a dual-cast process to combine cast iron and aluminum.

S may stand for slight exterior enhancements. The newest GranTurismo gets dark-colored wheels, wide-mouth exhaust tips, and a subtle rear spoiler. Maserati took care to not disrupt the lines of the Pininfarina body with these changes.

S could even stand for seats. The interior is set apart from the standard car with new supportive seats front and rear. The seats feature leather bolsters with ribbed Alcantara inserts. They should help keep occupants in place now that the power has been upped.

Or S could stand for something else entirely. Regardless of the model designation's meaning, we think the revised coupe looks sinister (could that be it?) in black. There is no word yet on price or U.S. availability, but we'll be sure to bring you that information when it becomes available.

Click the link below for high-resolution GranTurismo S images.