It was 50 years ago that Maserati debuted the A6 GranTurismo to the attendees of the Geneva Motor Show. Styled by Pinin Farina, this was the first Maserati built for the road following 33 years of race car production. Five years later, the gorgeous A6GCS debuted, and it would be the last Maserati coupe styled by Pinin Farina — until now.

After its worldwide debut last month in Geneva, the Pininfarina-styled 2008 Maserati GranTurismo has made its first appearance in America at the New York Auto Show.  This sexy new touring coupe continues the resurgence of Maserati, following the recent introduction of the Quattroporte Automatic.

As with the Quattroporte, the GranTurismo is designed to combine the materials and comforts of a luxury automobile with the capabilities of a high-performance sports car.

GranTurismo has a similar layout to the Quattroporte, with its powerful V8 engine positioned behind the front axle, resulting in a balance of 49% of the weight in front, 51% in the rear. The revised 4.2-liter V8 produces 405 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, most of which is available at a low 2500 rpm. Sixty miles per hour comes up in just 5.1 seconds on the way to a top speed of 177 mph. The transmission is a new ZF 6-speed automatic that was first introduced in the Quattroporte.

The automatic transmission adapts to the type of driving style and driving conditions; however the driver can also choose from four different operating modes: Auto Normal, Auto Sport, Low Grip/Auto Ice and Manual.

The interior is awash in Italian leather and can be customized with a number of wood trims, including walnut or rosewood. Wood trim can also be varnished to a piano-like finish. Front seats are power operated and can be equipped with three-level seat heaters, and dual zone climate control keeps occupants comfortable.

The rear seat can hold two adults, but it is not what one would consider roomy.

And while this is a hand-built automobile, it still features the latest entertainment and safety technology. A 7-inch high-resolution screen displays audio, onboard computer and navigation information, and a 30-gigabyte hard drive stores all navigation maps as well as acting as a musical juke box which can store about 180 hours of music. Maserati has also teamed up with Bose to create an optional high-end sound system that features surround sound and multiple speakers.

The new GranTurismo is also available with a custom set of luggage from Maserati partner Salvatore Ferragamo. The five-piece set was designed to fit perfectly into the trunk of the GranTurismo.

GranTurismo will be available in North America later this year — pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date, but is expected to be priced similar to the Quattroporte.