It’s no secret that Italian exotic sports cars offer something truly special and unique, and their names naturally stir excitement among car enthusiasts around the world. I’m no exception, so when I found out I’d be spending time with what might be the “purest” Maserati currently on sale, the Maserati GranTurismo, I started daydreaming.
After all, this is a classic, beautiful grand tourer, powered by the naturally aspirated Ferrari-built F136 V8, a joint development between Ferrari and Maserati. The same engine also found its way into the Alfa Romeo 8C and the Ferrari 458 Italia. Sounds promising, doesn’t it?
The car I tested was the S version with a sequential automated gearbox and a 4.7-litre V8 producing 440 hp at a glorious 7000 rpm. That translates into 0–100 km/h in 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 295 km/h.
Design
Walking up to the matte white GranTurismo S, it’s hard to believe this car has been around since 2007. A full decade later, it hasn’t lost a single ounce of its charm or elegance.
From a distance, it’s clear this is something special. The proportions give it away, long bonnet, low stance, stretched silhouette, and that signature curve flowing down towards the large front grille, proudly wearing the trident.
The rear is visually tight and compact, despite the long overhang. The result is a beautifully balanced design, and combined with its elegant details, this is a car that will continue ageing gracefully until it inevitably becomes a classic.
Interior
Inside, things are a bit less impressive. Ignore the infotainment screen and you could easily believe you’re sitting in a car from the mid-1990s. The dashboard design feels dated, there are buttons everywhere, and the decorative trims, whether wood, carbon fibre or chrome, aren’t particularly elegant or well integrated.
The row of buttons to the left of the steering wheel deserves special mention, awkwardly placed and visually questionable. Looking at them, you’d think the interior had been designed by someone from Japan, they tend to do things like that.
That said, there’s plenty of leather and Alcantara, which clearly signals the car’s European roots and premium positioning. Build quality is average for the price point, which, to be fair, is very much in line with Maserati expectations.
On the plus side, space and ergonomics are surprisingly good. The driving position is genuinely comfortable, which I didn’t expect, and visibility is decent in all directions, making daily use entirely possible. The only downside here is the very thick A-pillars, which do restrict visibility in certain situations.
Rear space is also respectable for a coupe, four adults can travel in reasonable comfort, as long as they don’t bring more than a backpack. The boot offers 260 litres, which isn’t exactly generous.
On the Road
The experience begins with turning the key and waking up that V8. It revs freely and eagerly, and the sound… the sound is simply spectacular, a proper symphony for petrolheads.
Setting off through the roads of North Brabant in the Netherlands, I quickly realised this wasn’t exactly the natural habitat for a car like this, no mountains, no hairpins, just perfect flat roads. Still, not a bad place to start.
At low speeds, the GranTurismo is calm and surprisingly refined. Road noise is well suppressed, though thankfully not the engine, which remains very much present, especially as you raise the revs. The steering feels a bit slow, and the car itself feels very wide, which requires some attention. And that’s not just a feeling, at 1.92 metres wide (without mirrors), it really is a big car.
After a brief relaxed drive, I stopped at a junction, selected a more aggressive driving mode and set off with full throttle into a right-hand turn. The rear immediately tried to overtake the front, as expected, but with quick corrections, everything stayed under control. I was laughing, my passenger was praying.
Driving a two-tonne rear-wheel-drive car with this kind of power demands respect, skill and a strong sense of self-preservation. The weight is noticeable, but the car remains stable and predictable, as long as you don’t provoke it too much. Part of that comes from the excellent weight distribution, thanks to the engine being mounted behind the front axle, effectively a front-mid-engine layout.
Now, the gearbox. This particular car was fitted with the MC Shift automated manual. There is also a traditional automatic available, but this… this is something else. It’s aggressive, rough and slow by modern standards, and every gear change feels like an event. Under hard acceleration, you actually lose speed between shifts, and the violence of the gear changes can unsettle the car enough to require steering corrections.
And yet, it’s brilliant. It makes the whole experience more raw, more mechanical, more memorable. It reminded me of similar systems in older Ferraris like the Ferrari 360 Modena, and even, surprisingly, something like a Smart Fortwo Brabus, where the gearbox adds character rather than refinement.
Back on the motorway, the GranTurismo settles into its intended role, a proper GT. At 130–140 km/h, road noise increases slightly, but the dominant soundtrack remains the engine. It sounds fantastic, though after six or seven hours, you might wish for a bit more silence.
Still, if given the chance, I’d happily set off towards southern France in this car tomorrow… with a box of painkillers just in case.
Conclusion
The Maserati GranTurismo S is a car for true enthusiasts, people willing to accept a few compromises in exchange for emotion, character and pure driving pleasure, and, of course, those who can afford it.
Its biggest strength is undoubtedly the design. Add to that the naturally aspirated V8, something increasingly rare today, and a fascinating mechanical layout, front-mid engine with a transaxle driving the rear wheels, and you have something truly special.
The downsides aren’t dramatic, a slightly outdated interior, steering that could be sharper, high fuel consumption and, of course, high running costs. Prices started at around €130,000 when new, though on the used market you can now find good examples for €45,000–€50,000. And if history is any guide, values may eventually start going the other way.
In essence, the GranTurismo is a textbook GT. The automated manual version is the more extreme choice, while those looking for something more usable day-to-day should opt for the ZF automatic.
Eng. Tsvetan Iliev
Оптиката на предните фарове е отпреди лифта 2013, където няма и надпис на бранда най-отгоре, за разлика от след това до края на производството. . Затова се и съмнявам, че си карал четиристотин и шейсет коня (454), по-скоро втората ес-ка, дето е 450 (444). На таблото вътре също не виждам логото Sport…
Мерси за забележката, объркал съм се при писането. Действително това, което карах е GranTurismo S.