Hot on the heels of Fiat’s new 500-based Abarth 695 Maserati Edition, Maserati has reciprocated with a new version of the GranTurismo coupe called the 45 Tributo Fiat Panda Originale.
As the name suggests, the new model pays tribute to the first generation Fiat Panda and comes only in flat white paintwork with rust spots over the arches whilst the wheels themselves are rendered in slightly flaky steel and fitted with balding 135 section tyres.
However, the real mkI Panda touches are reserved for the interior where the standard GranTurismo dashboard has been removed and replaced by a crude metal bar with some fabric, dials and an ashtray loosely clipped to it. The Maserati’s normal electrically powered leather seats have also been junked in favour of some incredibly flat, thin chairs covered in a sort of scratchy fake tweed that is slightly sticky to the touch.
Completing the Tributo Fiat Panda Originale touches, the standard 4.2-litre V8 engine has been significantly downrated so that it now delivers 45bhp and boasts a noise that Maserati promises will sound like ‘something is broken or about to break’.
The price for the GranTurismo 45 Tributo Fiat Panda Originale is yet to be disclosed but, being a large Maserati coupe, buyers can be certain that within five years it will be worth as much as an actual Fiat Panda.
