Spy Photos: 2007 Maserati GT Coupe

Maserati's all-new GT coupe won't make its debut until the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, but it has been caught here testing alongside a Porsche 911, clearly Maserati's benchmark for performance, handling and refinement. One of the cars snapped looks as if it's a four-door, but the 'handles' and rear 'doors' are just faked to distract onlookers. The four-door-alike does remind us of one fact about the new GT and Spyder, though: they will be based on a shortened version of the platform of the latest Quattroporte saloon.

The GT is a 2+2-seater, said to be much roomier than its predecessor thanks to a longer wheelbase - barely shorter than that of the Quattroporte - and redesigned suspension and transmission. It will have double-wishbone suspension with the Skyhook adaptive damping system, and the rear-mounted Cambiocorsa clutchless gearbox, as used in the Quattroporte; power will come from the Ferrari-developed 5.0-litre V8, derived from the current car's 4.2-litre unit and with new cylinder heads and induction system to give an estimated 470bhp. The Spyder, which will be launched slightly later in the year, will also be offered with the 4.2 V8 engine. The Spyder will, for the first time, have a folding metal hard top which will retract down to behind the seats.