2008 Maserati GranTurismo Bestows Italian Beauty and Charity at Naples Winter Wine Festival

Maserati continued its tradition of bringing Italian flair and desire to the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where its all-new 2008 GranTurismo earned top bid in the annual auction benefitting the Naples Children & Education Foundation. (PRNewsFoto/Maserati North America, Inc.). Maserati Returns to Naples, Bringing Specially Customized Example of the All-New GranTurismo; The Highly Acclaimed and Sought After Coupe Brings a Top bid of $350,000, More Than Three Times Its Base Price.

Continuing a tradition which began in 2004 with the introduction of the four-door Quattroporte, Maserati has brought Italian flair and desire to Naples, allowing one lucky individual the chance to return from the annual Naples Winter Wine Festival
with an even rarer vintage — a 2008 specially customized GranTurismo
luxury performance coupe. The deep metallic carbon black beauty has elegant
beige interior with contrasting black stitching along with unique door
sills reading “2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival 1 of 1.” The stunning four
seat coupe offered for auction brought in a strong bid of $350,000, more
than three times its base price. The 2008 auction benefitted the Naples
Children & Education Foundation, a collection of more than 20 individual
charitable and educational programs that improve the physical, emotional
and educational lives of underprivileged or at risk children in Collier
County.

The 2008 Naples Winter Wine Festival was dominated by collections of
truly rare vintages of wine donated by renowned U.S. and international
wineries, as well as private donors. Auction packages included more than 70
exclusive lots, including exotic excursions, private dinners, luxury
cruises, tickets to the Academy Awards — as well as an opportunity to be
one of the first to take ownership of the 2008 GranTurismo, Maserati’s
award-winning high-performance sports car.

According to Jim Selwa, President of Maserati North America, Inc., the
Maserati GranTurismo has been created and handcrafted for those who
appreciate true sophistication and want their car to deliver an emotional
driving experience, day-after-day. “We are proud to continue our ongoing
partnership with this world-class Festival, as like its participants, we
share a deep passion for exclusivity and elegance — while helping to make
a difference to those involved with the Naples Children & Education
Foundation.”

The Maserati GranTurismo is a perfect blend of elegance and power, and
similar to a good wine, it has been crafted with careful attention paid to
every detail in its making. Featuring a powerful Ferrari-engineered 405-
horsepower engine, 6-speed automatic transmission and a top-speed of 177
mph, the GranTurismo has a 60-year heritage with a legacy stemming from the
1947 A6 1500 GT Pininfarina, the first Maserati GranTurismo ever built.
Today’s version leads its class with thrilling performance, driving
excitement and excellence in technology and hand-crafted quality.

Maserati North America, Inc., headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,
is the exclusive distributor for Maserati-branded vehicles in the United
States, including the Quattroporte high performance luxury sedan and
GranTurismo high performance luxury sports car. For more information,
please view http://www.maseratiusa.com .