NO matter how troubled its past has been, the Maserati name appears to have lost none of its romanticism. Certainly, while driving around in this famous Italian marque’s latest creation, the curvaceous GranTurismo, we were rather often reminded of the fact that it remains a car that is a) surprisingly widely known, and b) revered. And desirable. Irresistibly desirable… Just saying the name, letting the “Maserati” roll off the tongue, never fails to transport one to a place of beautiful people, perhaps on Italy’s Amalfi coast, arriving at the harbour and boarding a classically elegant Riva speedboat. It reeks of the type of lifestyle that most people can only dream of. Yes, in terms of emotional appeal, the GranTurismo is off the scale.
Penned by Italian legend Pininfarina, and inspired by the Birdcage concept car developed for Maserati’s 75th anniversary, the GranTurismo is all feminine curves. There are no futuristic “experimental” details. Nor is it a retro design. It is just-simply-beautiful.
It is also surprisingly large, being based on a slightly shortened Quattroporte platform. But one upshot of the generous 2 941 mm long wheelbase is good interior space. This is a grand tourer not only in name, but also in ability. There is enough headroom in the rear for a person of about 1,8 metres tall, and he won’t be sitting with his knees around his ears, either – legroom is very good. There’s also generous stowage space all-round, with usable door pockets, a large storage box in the centre console and – with the American market very much in mind – drinkholders for the front and rear passengers. There are also ventilation outlets for those sitting in the back.
Buyers of the GranTurismo can choose from a bewildering number of trim options (visit www.maserati.co.za to build your own), but our test car was finished in a traditional choice of colours and materials (beige leather and Rosewood), which gave it a classically luxurious appearance and smell. Build quality is good too, arguably better than anything that has come from Maserati before.
Much detail work has gone into making sure that the GranTurismo’s facia doesn’t look like the Quattroporte’s, even though they share many things (such as the steering wheel, some buttons, and the gearlever console). One particular highlight is the display of the in-car entertainment system, which also doubles as the satellite navigation screen. The graphics are really slick and modern, so it’s a pity that the console and the control buttons appear somewhat dated. Generally, however, the ergonomics are good, and the standard features count impressive, as it should be, considering the price. If not, then you can always delve into a very extensive optional extras list…
If there is an interior-related concern, it is the driving position, which didn’t prove ideal for all our testers. Perhaps the biggest problem is the steering wheel, which is mounted too upright and offers limited height adjustment. The front seats themselves also came in for some criticism. Getting into them initially will make you aware of a hard section pressing against the upper back. However, on longer trips there were no comfort complaints.
Much of what is invisible to the naked eye is shared with the bigger Quattroporte. The GranTurismo rides on the same double wishbone front and rear suspension, with hubs and arms made from aluminium to reduce weight. Another weight-saving measure is the bootlid, made from a single-skin plastic material that also gave Maserati’s designers greater freedom when it came to penning the final shape.
As is the case with the Quattroporte Automatica, the GranTurismo’s engine and gearbox are mounted in the front (Cambiocorsa models of the Quattroporte make use of a rear transaxle). To make sure that the weight distribution isn’t negatively affected, the combined unit has been positioned behind the front axle line, resulting in a near ideal 49:51 front/rear weight split.
Lift the long, sloping bonnet and you’re greeted by a 4,2-litre V8 engine with a considerable amount of Ferrari pedigree. Related to the unit that powers the Ferrari F430, the engine in the Maserati develops 298 kW at 7 100 r/min and 460 N.m of torque at 4 750 – 75 per cent of the maximum torque figure is already available at 2 500 r/min. Although the red line on the dial indicates a cutout at 8 000 r/min, we found the ZF six-speed transmission prone to shift gear at an indicated 7 500 r/min. Press the Sport button and gearshifts are 45 per cent faster, while throttle response is also sharpened up. Power goes the rear wheels via a self-locking differential (25 per cent in traction and 45 per cent in release), to keep traction optimal.
Out on our test strip the GranTurismo refused to break traction, even with the electronic nanny switched out, and when being revved against the brake. Maserati claims a 0-100 km/h time of 5,2 seconds, but we’d be very interested to see how this was achieved, because the best we could manage was 6,81!
There’s one important figure that plays an important part here though… weight. Tipping the scales at just under two tons, the GranTurismo is no lightweight sportster. Once it is up and going, the performance comes more freely – overtaking acceleration times are good. The top speed, should you have access to a long enough road (never mind permission), is 270 km/h. Oh, and it sounds good, that Italian V8 emitting a beautiful throaty roar.
“Our” GranTurismo came with the optional Mannesmann-Sachs Skyhook suspension. This includes dampers that adjust continuously and automatically in response to driving style and conditions. Of course, the driver can also manually adjust the firmness of the suspension by pressing a button on the facia. In normal mode the ride is cosseting, as befits a touring car of this nature. Press the Sport button and it becomes notably firmer, but still not harsh, the GranTurismo retaining an impressive talent for absorbing big bumps and ironing out small road imperfections.
Maserati is keen to point out that this car should not be seen as a “junior Ferrari”, meaning it is not an entry-level supercar, but rather a high-performance grand tourer. This explains the surprisingly spacious cabin, and also the relaxing ride. It does, however, also mean that the GranTurismo is not quite as impressive dynamically as some rivals that were designed with more focus on sharp responses.
The steering starts off feeling positive and direct, but as speeds build, the weighting is odd, making it tricky to place the car on corner entry. At high speed, the steering was also criticised for being too sensitive away from the straight-ahead position. The general dynamic bias is towards understeer when approaching the limit, and there isn’t really enough power trouble the grip of the rear wheels, so there’s not much the driver can do to remedy the situation, except to back off.
But all these criticisms only really apply when the GranTurismo is pushed hard and when it is being compared with cars that were designed to be dynamically sharper in the first place. As a touring car, this Maserati is very hard to fault. Oh, and the brakes are simply stunning, clocking a brilliant 2,61 seconds average time during our emergency stopping routine, recording an extraordinary 2,42 seconds best along the way.
TEST SUMMARY
At over R1,5 million, this is not a cheap car. More importantly, there are many other options at this price. Options yes, but do any of them really count as a real alternative? Yes, some of its rivals may be faster. And some may be much cheaper. But do any of them match the charm, exclusivity and special type of appeal that this Maserati offers? We don’t think so. And perhaps more importantly, this Maserati no longer has to rely only on its name and the nostalgia associated with it to score points, because it is a truly capable and impressive grand tourer in its own right. The Quattroporte was a very positive start, and this GranTurismo is final confirmation that after a long stay in sick bed, Ferrari’s little brother is back to full strength.to