Coachbuilt cars are quite rare these days. If they happen to fall into the category, chances are the car is largely a reskinned version with a fancy price tag. Coachbuilt commissions of the past had artisans display their dexterity by handcrafting works of beauty with what is otherwise a bare sheet of metal.In all fairness, the true art of bespoke commissions is reserved for the ones who can afford the atelier’s six-figure bill atop a new exotic sports car—one that is set aside purely for the artistic exercise.Well, not too long ago, a certain gentleman who goes by the name Paolo Boffi commissioned Zagato to build an extensively reworked version of the Maserati GranSport. An extremely wealthy furnishing giant, he had special requests to design what is the most unique Maserati.Dubbed, the Maserati GS Zagato (or, GSZ), this design masterpiece was unveiled in 2007 at Villa d'Este Concorso d'Eleganza in Italy. A fitting venue for such an ostentatious work of art.
A Bit About Zagato
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Zagato is a renowned coachbuilder from Italy. While many sports cars and supercar marques have done business with them, their relationship with Aston Martin seems to be the most popular. From the DB4 GT to the most recent Aston shooting brake, Zagato has waved their magic countless times. Not only is the design house in close relations with the British marque, but Zagato has partnered with quite a lot of familiar names like Fiat, Maserati, and Lancia.
One of the main highlights of Italian coachbuilding is their immense dedication. Several thousand man-hours are spent for a single commission. The scale is obviously determined by the intensity and level of work required. Back in the old days, craftsmanship was a key selling point and Zagato was not short of it. Skilled employees with next-level dexterity have given Zagato a place in the history books.
Material selection was top notch and so was the level of attention to detail. One of Zagato’s signature design cues was the rounded and smoothed-out edges that gave the car a short and stout look. The elegant curves were equally matched in the interiors as well. Bespoke upholstery saw its way into Zagato commissions and was meticulously crafted by the finest hands in the industry.
2007 Maserati GS Zagato: A Fine Work Of Art
Zagatos have been at it for quite some time and the billionaire furniture giant didn’t hesitate when commissioning his idea. Now, all coach-built cars aren’t the most impressive to look at. Some of them like these Zagatos managed to top the collector’s list while others found a rotting demise in an unattended shed.
But, the GSZ was slightly more than just a set of new sheet metal. In simple terms, the GSZ was a Maserati GranSport Spyder with an all-aluminum skin, a 180mm shorter wheelbase, and a hardtop roof.
A detailed look reveals a lot has gone into the rework of this Italian beaut. Up front, Zagato completely reworked the lower bumper, adding an oval intake that’s centered by a chrome Trident, plus a more subtle lip spoiler. The sides remain fluidic and less sharp than its Spyder counterpart. At the rear is where the most work has gone with the GSZ now getting a hatch-like liftback design alongside signature Zagato design cues.
Although many intricacies lie in the design, much of it’s largely unknown, especially the interior. We imagine Zagato going the whole 9 yards with custom veneers and quilted leathers along with bespoke touches around the dash and center console. The possible reference we could side with is the recently revealed Aston Zagato Shooting brake where the interior’s seen several design tweaks.
In terms of gadgetry, don’t expect much as it’s a 2007 model. Back then the best in terms of luxury were upgraded stereo, GPS navigation, rear parking sensors, and heated seats, which the GSZ comes equipped with.
2007 Maserati GS Zagato: A Ferrari V8 At Heart
Apart from the theatre of a coach-built exterior, the GSZ remains mechanically similar to the GranSport Spyder. It gets a Ferrari-sourced 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine, with output rated at 400 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. Sending power to the rear wheels is a six-speed transmission with paddle shifters and standard drive modes: Normal, Sport, Auto, and Low Grip.
As per Top Speed, the GSZ lost 400 pounds as opposed to the GranSport’s 3,792 pounds of curb weight. Also, the shorter wheelbase paired with a lightweight suspension set-up gives the GSZ a serious advantage over its convertible counterpart. However, the chances of seeing this $575,000 (including the donor car) design exercise handling a set of corners would be an event rarer than collecting hen’s teeth.
With just nine being made, witnessing one on the road requires more than just a stroke of luck. However, 9 out of 10 people wouldn’t even know the importance of the car and frankly, that’s probably the reason why most common folks don’t find themselves bothering with expensive dining and art exhibitions, like what’s in that painting anyway?
Sources: Top Speed, Motor Authority