18 Years Later, the Maserati Granturismo Finally Makes Its Way to 1/64

The Maserati Granturismo is one of the longest running car designs in the auto industry, yet it still manages to look great some 18 years after its 2007 debut.  Despite almost two decades of opportunity, the Granturismo has been almost entirely absent from the diecast world (at least from the mainstream brands).  Now, with the return of the Maserati license to Mattel, Matchbox is finally taking a crack at one of the best looking GT cars of all time, even if it might not be exactly the one I would have wanted. 

This Granturismo is based on the new Folgore all-electric version, which I admit isn’t my favorite styling-wise.  Personally, I think Granturismo design peaked with the subtle aggression of the MC Stradale back in 2010.  This Folgore fits far better with Matchbox’s current EV focus though, so if that’s what it takes to finally get a Granturismo in my diecast collection, I’ll take it.  Mind you, even the worst looking Granturismo is still one absolute stunner of a vehicle.

This new casting does an excellent job of replicating the Granturimo’s gorgeous curves and long hood, though I admit I was a little disappointed to see the opening doors, since the panel gaps around the opening doors detract from the look of the casting.  As a GT car famous for its 4.7L V8, it’s tempting to say the hood should open instead, but the hood on the Folgore version of the Granturismo actually doesn’t open (at least without special tools).  Given that an opening hood wouldn’t make sense, I understand why Matchbox chose to have opening doors – it’s not like I would want an opening trunk! 

Even ignoring the opening doors, the sides are easily the weakest part of this model.  Despite the higher detailing budget of the Moving Parts line, Matchbox has neglected to include any printed detailing on the sides of this model, so it missed out on critical styling details like the fender vents and the Maserati badge on the quarter panel.  The look of the fender vents may have been cheapened a bit by their use on the Buick LaCrosse, but I still associate them with Maserati.  Both the vents and badge are molded into the casting, but without printed detailing to make them contrast the brown paint, the side of the Granturismo just feels plain.  Ironically, because of the lack of detailing, this Granturimo is also missing its Folgore badge that would normally sit prominently on the fender!  

I suspect the side detailing on this model was cut to accommodate some of the expensive models that were released in the same case, like the large and fully detailed Ford Excursion.  It’s an understandable decision, but I still find it a bit distasteful that this model has to pay the price for another model’s expense.  

I certainly can’t criticize the front of the model for looking plain though, because Matchbox absolutely knocked it out of the park with the grille design.  The grille is printed black and nicely recessed, with the silver Maserati badge proudly protruding in the center with perfect printing alignment.  The grille truly looks good from any angle, and the rest of the front end is pretty great too!  The casting’s base is used to form the black splitter, which provides a clever built-in color break, and the vents on either side of the grille match the satin black color of the splitter perfectly.  I love the little pop of blue from the Maserati badge above the grille, and the satin paint does an excellent job of showing off the bodylines in the hood.  Even the headlights have perfect alignment, though a little extra detailing in them wouldn’t go amiss. 

Around back is where this second generation Granturismo is most easily distinguished from the older versions of my youth.  The rear bumper of the Folgore is taller than previous versions, and it features a slimmer LED brake light design.  To my eye, it looks like Matchbox printed their brake light detailing a bit too small, perhaps because they weren’t able to make them fully wrap around onto the sides without side detailing in the budget.  I appreciate the impressive readability of the silver Maserati and Granturismo badges though, and the red reflectors on the bumper are a nice touch. 

This model’s satin brown paint has been getting a lot of attention online, and I’ve seen a lot of mixed opinions.  I appreciate what Matchbox was going for here, as the Folgore’s press color is a smooth satin brown that looks quite classy.  Unfortunately, I don’t think the effect translated that well to 1/64 scale, because the metal flake is too big and the resulting paint looks too textured.  I think Matchbox would have been better off going with a solid color matte paint, rather than a metal flake version.  Still, it gives this car a unique and interesting look that contrasts well with the red interior, and there should be plenty of opportunity to collect future recolors if you don’t like this brown. 

In an unusual turn of events for a Matchbox model, I have to criticize the wheel fitment!  Even with the wheels pushed all the way into the wheel wells, the offset of these 5 spokes is far too high, causing them to stick out past the fenders in a way that looks awfully unrealistic. 

Despite some shortcomings, this Granturismo remains a very cool little model and one that I’ve wanted in my collection for years!  For a while, I wasn’t sure this casting would ever make it to market.  After Matchbox previewed a prototype at the Gathering in the summer of 2024, there was radio silence on this casting for over a year.  At the same time, Maserati was (and frankly still is) going through tough financial times, with the possible prospect of a sale of the brand on the horizon.  With the licensing quagmire that such a situation would create, I thought it was possible that this casting would never see the light of day, so I’m thrilled that the Granturismo made it to market!  Given the quick release of a second MC12 casting in 2026, my hopes are high that Matchbox will issue a recolor of this Granturismo in similarly quick fashion.  Personally, I’m hoping for a red version with black wheels (and, if we’re lucky, this version’s missing side detailing).