In Italian, Quattroporte literally means four doors. A special car was commissioned by Prince Kharim Aga Khan to the design house of Pietro Frua that really started it all.

Maserati debuted their first Quattroporte in 1963. This caw was fitted with a V8 4.1L engine that produced 256 horsepower mated with a ZF manual gearbox. This first generation Quattroporte was able to hit 143 mph for its top speed.

The second generation was developed during a period when Citroen was in control of the Italian car marques. The car was conceptualized by Bertone but the car’s power decreased to 210 horsepower as it used a V6 3.0L powerplant. That is the bad side of the coin. The good side is the rarity of this Maserati Quattroporte generation since only 13 units were produced. Six of these were prototypes, so only 7 were considered production units.

The next generation Quattroporte was during the time of Alejandro De Tomaso used the design lines of ItalDesign Giugiaro. This car was unwrapped during the Turin motor show of 1979. The car was fited with a V8 4.9l engine that can give out 280 hp.  Between 1970 through 1990, the car manufacturer was able to rollout 2110 units.

The Quatrroporte 4^th generation is an evolution of the 400-Series cars of Fiat which took control of Maserati back in 1993. Two variants were offered, one had a 284 hp V6 engine and another was more aggressive with 326 hp V8 powerplant. None of the 2375 specimen made it to the US soil.

The current generation Quattroporte is considered to be the greatest of the brood. It follows the sleek design lines of Pininfarina and roars with a 400 horsepower V-8 engine.

Through the guidance of its mother company, Fiat, Maserati will be developing a platform that it will share with the Alfas. The high end RWD platform is also expected to take the place of the Quattroporte and most likely the convertible and coupe of the Gran Turismo.

According to insiders, the new platform will involve a lot of aluminum content to cut on some weight which is seen as a problem for all the current models of Maserati. The platform will also have an architecture to accommodate the hybrid setup that the Maserati will borrow from the stables of Ferrari. There has been no official announcement yet but a next Quattroporte may be due in two or three year’s time.

Alfa Romeo will also utilize the new platform to create new rear wheel drive units. It is almost certain that Alfa Romeo will come up with a new model to replace the limited edition of their sports car 8C Competizione. The 8C’s success indicates that the price of the car can be sky high if the product is appealing enough.

There is also a loud buzz about a 4C that will have a cheaper tag price of $70,000. This sports car though may not benefit from the Maserati platform which can be too expensive for the model.

The plans have not been disclosed if the new Alfa Romeos will be released as limited edition units or will they form part of the low production range.

Alfa Romeo is also planning to borrow the LX platform from Chyrsler.

Ferrari recently revealed the 599 HY-KERS at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show and Maserati will not allow itself to lag behind. The two luxury brands are no longer under the same Fiat business unit but the Italian stallion has the closest configurations to Maserati. It might be wise for Maserati to use the technology of Ferrari to expedite the process.

Maserati is also looking forward to shed some pounds from their cars which are a bit heavy compared to competition. They may also be looking into slashing the emissions of their cars in the next few years.

The Maserati may be really fit for a hybrid set up. One, the price is a bit lower than the Ferrari’s. They are also seen being driven on the road.

A green clean up is really sweeping the high end of the market with Lamborghini, Ferrari, and now the trident of Maserati turning green.

The Quattroporte was able to rack up about 56 awards from different organizations and press groups in a short span of six years zooming on the road. The car really deserves all the accolades with its beautiful design lines and innate appeal. The credentials of the Maserati Quattroporte though is beyond its skin and relies more on its luxury and performance with its top of the line GT S version.

The Awards Edition Quattroporte will get some design and equipment upgrades. This will include the Quarzon fuso finishing which refers to the metallic perlesescent grey color of Maserati with a splash of golden hints. The special edition Maserati also gets a 20 inch alloy rims, interiors with leathers from Poltrona Frau and Alcantara.

The Maserati Quattroporte Awards Edition will have a dual-cast set up for its brakes complemented with calipers for all the four corners. The calipers will be the hand polished made by Brembo and Maserati which will be the first one in the market. These calipers are designed to withstand the stress of heat cycles.

The Maserati Awards Edition Quattroporte variants are expected to hit the market before the end of this year as 2011 models. They will sport a unique plate to denote their status.

Before your jaws drop because of the tag price on the Maserati, let us line up some reasons to convince you that the price is just right. Buyers can choose from 9 standard colors and 5 optional, six soft top colors, 10 shades of leather by Poltrona Frau, and three wood trims to select from.

The car also comes stock with twenty inch Birdcage rims, Maserati’s patented Skyhook suspension system, dual twin sport exhaust, sensors for rear parking, , and surround sound by Bose.

The 2010 GranTurismo Convertible is being marketed by the car maker to the rest of the globe as the GranCabrio. It is being pushed as a remake of the open air classic Maseratis.

This release from the brand is its first convertible with seating for four. The monstrous V-8 power plant is paired with a six speed automatic transmission with adaptive technology and controlled via paddle shifters.

The soft roofing can be retracted in 24 seconds. The top was engineered so it doesn’t cramp the rear seats or the space available in the trunk. A tailored luggage from Ferragamo is also available if you want it to come with your Maserati.

If you feel like reserving a unit now, Maserati welcomes bookings. The first batch of the 2010 GranTurismo convertible will be delivered by late spring.