This Maserati GranTurismo Has a Gated 6-Speed Manual Conversion

TL;DR

A 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S was manually swapped using Ferrari parts, making it likely the only gated 6-speed manual Gran Turismo in existence.

Key Points

• 1.The manual swap required a rare 2009 Gran Turismo S as the base car. Only about 300 of these were sold in the US, as it was the sole model year offered with a sequential manual transmission — the necessary donor platform for conversion.
• 2.Ferrari parts were used to build the gated shifter. Since no Gran Turismo ever left the factory with a manual, the gated 6-speed gate and related components were sourced from Ferrari models, which share a related transmission architecture with Maserati.
• 3.The 4.7L V8 producing 435 horsepower was co-developed with Ferrari. The Gran Turismo S upgraded from the base car's 4.2L 400hp unit, and the engine's layout sits far back in the bay for optimal front-to-rear weight distribution.
• 4.The manual transmission genuinely improves the driving experience. Doug found the clutch stiffer than expected but totally manageable, the gate satisfying, and the chassis — already praised for flat, sharp, predictable handling — feels more alive and engaging with three pedals.
• 5.First gear can be hard to find, requiring going to second first to align the gears. Doug noted this is common in exotic manual-swapped cars, comparing it to his own Lamborghini Countach, but otherwise called the transmission flawless and factory-feeling.
• 6.The interior has several notable quirks despite looking stock with the manual fitted. These include an electronic parking brake (odd with three pedals), sticky aging plastics common to Ferrari/Maserati models, seat memory buttons invisible from the seated position, and a 'Park Off' button unrelated to parking sensors.
• 7.Doug scored the car 57 out of 100, calling it the coolest modern Maserati short of the MC12. He concluded the manual swap wakes up an already great chassis, comparing the vibe to a Ferrari 612 or 599, and the car is listed for auction on Cars and Bids.