Maserati didn't have any new vehicles to showcase at the 2019 New York Auto Show, but it did display a Levante customized by its Centro Stile division through its new One of One program. This time around, the unique Levante was designed for Ray Allen, two-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. This One of One model follows the Levante that Maserati built for Allegra Antinori, the vice president of famous Italian wine producer Marchezi Antinori.

The Levante GTS One of One was designed together with the NBA star

Maserati's Centro Stile division worked closely with Ray Allen to design this SUV. The former Miami Heat shooting guard wanted the Levante to capture his love for the city of Miami, so Maserati designed special paints and materials centered around Florida's most populous city. The Levante One of One is themed around the color blue, taken from the city's seal, which depicts a palm tree.

The Levante GTS One of One is blue inside and out

Based on the GTS model with sportier bumpers, Ray's One of One is wrapped in an exotic looking Blue Astro tri-coat paint. Inspired by the blue color of the galaxy and the colors of the city of Miami, Blue Astro changes its hue depending on the lighting. The paint also has a matte finish, but at the same time, it appears metallic or anodized in certain lighting conditions. It's shifting colors like a chameleon, but it retains the original blue hue. Pretty cool.

To make the paint stand out even more, Maserati went with black highlights on the wheels and grilles, while the mirror caps and door handles are made from carbon-fiber. The brake calipers are also finished in Blue Astro for a sharp contrast with the gloss-black rims.

The blue theme continues inside the cabin, where the lower dashboard, parts of the door panels, the seats, and the center console are wrapped in Blue Denim leather. The hide is special too, as it's aniline-dyed with vegetable tanning. Maserati says that the color will change over time "just like fine stone-washed denim," so it will acquire character as it becomes older.

The surfaces that aren't blue are covered in black leather for a contrast that mimics the exterior. The black sides of the sporty seats have blue contrast stitching, while the seating surfaces have a unique pattern. Even the carbon-fiber trim on the center console, dashboard, and door panels has a blue touch thanks to blue thread woven into the structure. The 3D surface finish adds to the unique look. This SUV is the first Maserati to feature this type of carbon-fiber.

The floor mats are special too. The textile surfaces are inspired by the string of a basketball net, while the XL Extralight material (a closed-cell foam made with polyolefin resins that are ultra-light and antibacterial) is inspired by sneaker soles. Other distinctive features include Ray's signature embroidered behind the driver's headrest and a laser engraving reading "Maserati for Ray" on the backlit door sill inserts.

The Levante GTS One by One is a regular GTS under the hood

The One by One program doesn't enhance performance, but this isn't an issue with the Levante GTS. This trim is powered by a high-revving 3.8-liter V-8 that cranks out a whopping 542 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. While it's not as powerful as the Levante Trofeo, rated at 582 horsepower, it delivers notably more than the base model and the Levante S, rated at 345 and 424 horses, respectively. The Levante GTS is pretty quick too, needing only 4.2 seconds to hit 60 mph from a standing start. I'm pretty sure Ray Allen will have nothing to complain about in the performance department.

2019 Maserati Levante GTS drivetrain specifications

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Maserati Levante Trofeo.

Read our full review on the 2019 Maserati Levante GTS.

Read our full review on the 2016 Maserati Levante.