At the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, Italdesign presented its interpretation of the luxury sedan: the Maserati Buran. After the design team led by Giorgetto Giugiaro rejected the idea of a coupe and SUV body (which became fashionable in those years), they focused on developing a high-end sedan in the form of an MPV, ergo van.
However, Buran did not fully convince the management of Maserati, so in 2003 the fifth series of Quattroporte, designed by Pininfarina, was presented. The Maserati Buran, named after the wind that blows in Siberia (the Soviet space rocket plane was also named after it), has imposing dimensions. With a length of five meters, a width of almost two meters and a height of 1,63 meters, it promises limousine spaciousness thanks to a body shape that reminds some observers of the later Renault Vel Satis.
Giugiaro's goal is to develop a luxury car that combines safety and robustness and meets the needs of those who use the car for work as well as for leisure time with the family. "We didn't want to propose a conventional SUV," recalls Italdesign's number one, "nor a classic SUV. However, after realizing that a tall vehicle formula would be best, we developed an original concept."
In contrast to the rest of the body, the front is really square: the iconic radiator grille is almost rectangular, as is the lower opening in the bumper, which houses the three air intakes. The small headlights consist of two elements, one of which follows the shape of the front bumper and then expands towards the belt, ending with large vertical headlights.
Developed for America
The Maserati Buran is particularly interesting because of the solutions used to improve the functionality of the interior. Instead of classic doors, there are two large sliding doors at the back (electrically operated, of course), which make it easier to get in and out of the parade horse. Access to the luggage compartment is possible through a hatch, which is also operated electrically, in which the rear window is not integrated and which rises vertically: In this way, the passengers on the rear seats (or armchairs) are not exposed to the outside air in low temperatures or bad weather .
Inside, the materials are of the highest quality, and under the hood hides a powerful 3,2-liter eight-cylinder longitudinal engine with a power of 370 hp (four-wheel drive). One last important piece of information: the Buran, which was designed and developed in Italy at the Moncalieri Style Center, was assembled in an American factory in California, as it was intended to conquer the American market, which usually favors particularly large cars.
