Maserati quits running after the infallible 911 and moves into plusher territory with the stunning new GranTurismo. We find out if it lets you munch continents without breaking a sweat.
Nitish Ramanujam

Maserati, it’s a name that evokes nostalgia and passion in equal measure; you suddenly travel back in time to the Seventies, your mind’s eye visualizing rich, playboy types hurtling round the French Riviera in their gorgeous Meraks and Khamsins. Starting out as a race car manufacturer in 1914, Maserati bowed to the pressures of some loyal customers when it presented its first production car, the A6 GranTurismo, in 1947, which was followed by the 3500GT ten years later.

Typical of many Italian marques, Maserati boasts a chequered history, changing hands from Citroën, de Tomaso, and even part-ownership by Chrysler, before it became part of the Fiat family in 1993. As fate would have it, compatriot and long-time rival Ferrari was mainly responsible for bringing Maserati back to form, with the latter making a profit for the first time under Fiat ownership, in 2007.

1999 saw the Italian car maker debut the 3200 GT luxury coupe, flaunting unique boomerang taillights and a 3.2-litre V8, which were subsequently replaced with ordinary taillights and a more powerful engine when Maserati introduced the car in the US in 2002, dubbed the Coupe. This was replaced by the fantastic-looking GranTurismo in 2007; penned by Pininfarina and powered by a 4.2-litre V8, the large two-door is Maserati’s attempt to storm into a segment occupied by the likes of the BMW 6 Series, Mercedes-Benz CL and Jaguar XK. Not a small task that.

Fortunately, the designers have done a fabulous job on the one aspect that is very important in a car belonging to the luxury grand touring category – style. Undoubtedly one of the best-looking coupes on sale today, the GranTurismo renders most of its anodyne, mega-buck competition in the shade. Eye-wateringly gorgeous, that’s what it is, the Modenese beauty strutting stylistic cues from the A6GCS as well as the futuristic Birdcage 75th concept car. Pictures do not do justice to the beauty or the ample dimensions of this car, which, by the way, is nicely masked with curves and voluptuousness so sinful that it tempts you to eyeball it all day long.

The voracious maw is the best part, brought to life by mean-looking headlights surrounding a large oval grille marked by vertical concave fillets and adorned with a large chrome Trident. You have all the classic GT elements here too, including a long bonnet, short overhangs and a lengthy wheelbase borrowed from the Quattroporte sedan. The side view is accentuated by three air intakes in the front fender and a Maserati logo on the rear pillar, culminating in a rear end that boasts LED lights and a quartet of exhaust outlets.

Having trounced everybody in the looks department, how good does the big Maser fare in everything else? A 4.2-litre Italian V8 and 405 horses look good on paper and sounds promising, along with a wet sump lubrication system replacing the dry sump fitted on the previous family of engines for less operating noise. Performance figures are impressive too, with the 0-100kph dash despatched in 5.2 seconds, the luxury coupe gunning to a top speed of around 285kph.

Unfortunately, things start to go a little amiss from here. Firstly, as befitting its GT status, the GranTurismo is big and luxurious, with the result that it tips the scales at a portly 1880kg, just 100kg shy of a loaded BMW 750Li. The entire stable of 405 horses seem just adequate for the task, an issue compounded by peak power arriving at a Honda-esque 7100rpm, which does no favours to the intended nature of a relaxed tourer. Peak torque also comes in at a rather high 4750 rpm and, though you do get access to 75 per cent of the 460Nm from 2500 revs, it doesn’t somehow translate into rapid progress.

Mash the loud pedal, and the new 6-speed ZF automatic transmission - which lets you hold a gear at a heady 7200rpm by the way - hesitates, thinks for a good bit, and then drops a cog. Pressing the Sport button lightens things up a bit, and the throttle pedal responds better to your inputs, but tight passing manoeuvres are best planned well in advance. The adaptive ‘box offers you four options - Auto Normal, Auto Sport, Low Grip/Auto Ice and Manual, and typical of new-age cars, lets you change gears via paddles located behind the steering wheel. Retardation duties are carried out by a Brembo braking system, consisting of four ventilated discs (330mm x 32mm at the front, 330mm x 28mm at the rear) with 4-piston calipers at both ends. Impressive as it was, I felt the throttle and brake pedals were placed annoyingly close to each other, resulting in more than a few frustrated moments.

What the Maserati lacks in outright power though, it makes up with superb refinement and stable handling. With the engine positioned behind the front axle, the GranTurismo achieves a near ideal 49:51 front/rear weight distribution which, along with the Quattroporte-derived wheelbase, make for predictable behaviour and balanced performance. The chassis features front and rear wishbone suspensions with forged aluminium hubs and arms in order to ensure a reduction in unsprung mass. The fixed rate standard steel dampers feature damping that represents a good compromise between handling and on-board comfort, while you can fork out extra for aluminium gas dampers that employ the Skyhook system for automatic continuous damping control, and let you choose between Normal and Sport settings.

Once you’re through staring and decide to slip inside, the cabin is again a mixed bag. Like the exterior, the innards of the GranTurismo scores top marks for style and subtle detailing, and impresses with slatherings of genuine wood and aromatic leather, but slightly disappoints with unintuitive ergonomics and the quality of some materials, notably the HVAC and radio buttons. The electrically-adjustable front seats are best suited for larger people, and offer little to hold you in place once the going gets spirited. On the other hand, there is genuine seating for four lucky individuals who get to bask in the super comfortable ride. Of note to geeks, the Maserati Multi Media System features a CD player, radio, satellite navigation and a 30-gig hard drive for your music, while onboard computer functions can be accessed through a 7-inch integrated screen.

Giving a verdict on this car is a bit tough, akin to being harsh on Monica Bellucci. It’s easy to be seduced merely by the svelte looks of the GranTurismo, forgetting and forgiving everything else. Judging by my heart alone, I wouldn’t probably criticize this car, but the rational side of things make it necessary to point out that the Maserati still has a lot of untapped potential. Rolling on delicious 20-inch rims, the stainless steel exhaust system emitting a glorious metallic howl, the GranTurismo is indeed a genuine and stylish alternative to established contenders, but sadly doesn’t completely deliver on its promise. The new and improved GranTurismo S, which this car should have been in the first place, should put an end to critics’ rantings though, with a more powerful 4.7-litre V8 motor, sharper handling and faster shifts. We can’t wait to get behind the Trident-emblazoned wheel.