Modern Day Classic Maserati Unveiled at Villa d'Este

In addition to BMW's stunning M1 Homage design study shown at the

Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, coachwork firm Carrozzeria Touring unveiled their latest work of rolling art, the Maserati A8 GCS.

The design of the A8 GCS inspired Carrozzeria Touring to modernize one particularly famous Maserati, the A6 Pininfarina, one of the last Pininfarina-bodied Maseratis ever made. The general shape and the body may bear a familiar resemblance to the Gran Turismo around the front, but the A8 GCS has a retro flair of its own, from its large wire wheels to its extra-large mesh grille. Metal-accented side vents, large quad tailpipes, and the rounded tail also do their part to keep the timeless look of the classic Maserati present. Meanwhile the twin “slash” tail lamps, projector-beam headlamps and side-view mirrors all say cutting edge 21st century. The overall profile is a little more

similar to the Alfa Romeo 8C.

Another interesting factoid about the A8 GCS is that it's being deemed a Superleggera. No, not the Lamborghini Gallardo bearing the same name, but rather the Carrozzeria Touring car gets this name from the way that it's built, with lightness as a priority. Cool.

Like the M1, the A8 GCS is more or less a static sculpture rather than a traditional concept, which is drivable, although with enough attention, surely Carrozzeria Touring could produce a few fully functioning models... at the right price. Interestingly enough, despite the Italian sounding name, Carrozzeria Touring is actually owned by a Dutch company, Zeta Europe BV.