Apparently unaware of the slightly less than favorable reputation Chrysler brand products (Dodge and Jeep notably excluded) enjoy in the U.S., Fiat apparently intends to use the Chrysler 300C as the underpinning for its new, entry-level Maserati Quattroporte. We’ll give you a minute to digest that.

Celebrating over 500 years since a slightly confused Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in search of native peoples to disenfranchise, in a few hours a group of legendary Maserati’s will lead the 65th annual Columbus Day Parade up Fifth Avenue in New York City. After completing the parade route, the pack of Italian supercars will come to rest between Madison and Fifth Avenues before the Columbus Citizens Foundation where they will remain on display until the charity raffle later this week or until one of New York’s finest defaces the vehicles, whichever comes first.

Today, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) member and Tokyo Motor Show chairperson Toyokazu Ishida, confirmed that Hyundai has become the 23 and final major automaker to withdraw from the show. “Hyundai called last week and orally confirmed their intent to cancel,” said Ishida. “It’s unbelievable.” Decidedly more a sound business maneuver then a personal slight, Hyundai’s decision comes on the heels of a string of cancellations from literally every major foreign manufacturer, including Chrysler, GM (and all its subsidiaries), Ford, Volvo, Porsche, and Maserati, to name a few. Excluding native Japanese manufacturers, that leaves Germany’s Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen and Britain’s Lotus as the sole participants.

Today, mere weeks ahead of its scheduled unveiling at the Frankfurt Auto Show, Maserati tore the cover off the brand new Maserati GranCabrio. Although it follows a rich line of convertibles, including the Girogetto Giugiaro 2001 Spyder that spearheaded Masterati’s return to North America, the GranCabrio is in fact the first four-seat convertible to ever roll out of the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory.

Power is sourced from the same massive 4.7L V8 as the GranTurismo S, conservatively rated at 433 horsepower and 361 pound-feet of torque, and will receive either Maserati’s ZF 6-speed automatic transmission, or Graziano’s 6-speed automated manual dry twin-plate clutch. Based atop what Maserati claims it the longest convertible wheelbase on the market, although the GranCabrio shares the same engine and roughly the same measurements as the GranTurismo S, lap times are likely to differ by a considerable margin thanks to the GranCabrio’s canvas top. Eliminating the extra bulk of a retractable hard top, the soft-top GranCabrio shaves valuable pounds off the total curb weight, allowing Maserati to continue their rich tradition of uncompromising performance.

Come live vicariously through us as we, the most prestigious automotive blog in the world, grace the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance with our stately presences. We’re sure to be the star attractions – forget the live unveiling of several never-before-seen new cars, and the endless rows of priceless works of automotive art sprawled out on the golf course greens like so many unobtanium sandtraps. Surely Jay Leno and the other celebrities will probably manage to jostle themselves into the photos of our expert appraisals of the class frontrunners, but we won’t be too upset. We’ll take a break from being the life of the Concours every so often to update you, our faithful readers. So check back often, and follow us at http://twitter.com/ridelust and in our Pebble Beach live coverage to catch all of the latest updates.

My birthday’s coming up this month, on the 18th of May. One day before that, on the 17th, the 3rd annual ‘Ferrari Leggenda e Passione‘ is being held on the Ferrari factory grounds in Maranello, Italy. Happy coincidence, right? This is a great opportunity for all my well wishers to fly over to “Il Belpaese” and pick me up something classy to drive around on the weekends.

There will be exactly 37 of the most perfect automobiles ever made at that auction, 34 Ferrari’s and 3 Maserati’s, and I’ll gladly accept any one of them. But to be completely honest, I do have my eye on one in particular… the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4. There were only three original 330 P4’s ever made, and this is one of them. Read on:

Fiat Group SpA, the corporate parent of the Fiat, Ferrari, and Maserati brands (among others), released a statement on Sunday detailing that the group is in talks with GM’s European operations about purchasing the whole shebang. In addition, the Fiat Group may spin-off Fiat Automotive, combine them with the GM Europe units, and also with the newly acquired stake in Chrysler to create a new corporate entity, which at least one source reports would have a potential revenue stream topping $100 billion.

Our feelings towards Maserati can usually be described as “indifferent.” We respect the brand for superior performance and famed luxury, but we’ve never enjoyed any sort of rabid lust like with the Lotus Exige or Audi R8 V10. Nevertheless, the Maserati Quattroporte for Centurion has managed win us over, and really for no other reason than the Centurion emblazoned onto the headrest. Nothing says, “I have arrived” like resting your perfectly coiffed head against a raised likeness of Ben Hur.

Much to the delight of trust fund playboys with cash to burn and little working knowledge of advanced driving techniques (yes, we’re bitter), Maserati announced this week that they will be unveiling the automatic gearbox variant of the GranTurismo S at the Geneva Motor Show in a few weeks. No longer limiting the automatic tranny to the less powerful end of the engine lineup, the new GranTurismo S Automatic is powered by a 4.7L V8 rated at 440 horsepower at 7000rpm and 361 lb-ft of torque (490 Nm) at 4,750rpm. Outside of the engine bay, the GranTurismo S Auto will also be immediately identifiable by model-exclusive door skirts designed to highlight the 20″ Trident-emblazoned wheels.

As the week of the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit draws nigh, the number of pre-show reveals is steadily beginning to increase. Kicking things off this morning is the Maserati Quatrroporte Sport GT S performance sedan, the newest addition to the Quattroporte family that will be making its grand debut in Detroit in January. Although heralded as “another milestone”, the new Quattroporte Sport GT S does not appear to feature any drastic changes. In terms of tech specs, the Quattroporte S V8 4.7L engine was given a performance boost from 425-hp to 433-hp (a whopping 8 horses, for those of you keeping score at home), and a new software system that supposedly allows for faster, smoother shifts. Exterior upgrade include something called a “shadow line”, which, upon closer reading of the press release, appears to be just a fancy word for “blackout job.”

Full gallery after the jump