Ever since they’ve existed, Maserati has been behind many dreams for many car lovers - including yours truly. The Trident marque has not only triumphed in the world of motor racing, but has created some of the most beautiful examples of automotive art. One such exemplary creation has to be, without a shadow of doubt, the GranTurismo. The Maserati GranTurismo is a grand tourer (or GT) in the truest sense of the word; you get two doors, a front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, lovely V8 roar, an effortlessly elegant design, and (barely) useable rear seats. Bang on, Masa! If it’s her competition we’re talking about, the GranTurismo tends to avoid the likes of the Porsche 911 and Bentley Continental GT.
Exterior
Since its nascent stage of sales in 2007, the Maserati GranTurismo was already thoroughly loved in the automotive landscape. Its intrinsically beautiful outline seems to have been carved out of passion and enthusiasm, instead of physics. All the GT design characteristics are here - a long hood, elongated wheelbase, short overhangs, and muscular wheel arches. Dwelling further into the GranTursimo’s styling, the lovely front fascia features slender headlamps and a gaping Maserati grille with the trademark Trident insignia. The sweeping side profile houses the eloquently milled 20-inch alloy wheels, signature triple-vent fender gills, enormous doors, and sensuous rear haunches.
The thick C-pillar leads to the GranTurismo’s stubby rear. This part is characterized by the angular taillights, chrome ‘Maserati’ emblem, and a quad-exhaust-air diffuser kitted rear bumper. In terms of her dimensions, the GranTurismo measures 4.881 meters X 2.056 meters X 1.353 meters in length, width, and height. Meanwhile, her wheelbase stretches to an impressive 2.942 meters, while that stubby boot can hold up to 260 liters of bags from your recent visit to a boutique mall.
Interior
As breathtaking as her outer shell is, the interior, sadly doesn’t quite live up to that persona. It’s straight from the mid-2000s, which is spot on considering that’s the time period it’s actually from. While the exotic analogue clock and the lovely, leather-draped interior are outstanding, the same can’t be said about the GranTurismo’s cabin build quality. Keeping aside the enigmatic aura and charm of this interior, the rest of it falls away as briskly as she accelerates. It’s time for Maserati to overhaul this cabin and bring it into the 21st century. The seats are plush and lovely, but the rear ones, as mentioned earlier, are quite useless if you’ve legs.
When it comes to the GranTurismo’s equipment catalogue, you get automatic bi-xenon headlights, sports exhaust, keyless-entry (but you still need to crank her up with the key), automatic climate control, powered front seats, huge paddle shifters, sport pedals, launch control, adaptive suspension, cruise control, and a touchscreen head unit with navigation among others. Standard safety kit includes airbags, electronic stability and traction assist programs, hill assist, and all-round parking sensors with a reversing camera.
Engine and performance
This is where the magic lies. Under that gorgeous hood is the GranTurismo’s stunningly effective 4.7-liter naturally-aspirated V8. When petrol is added and sparked, this longitudinally-mounted piece of mechanical goodness makes 460 angry Italian horses, and 520 Nm of instantly sensible torque - sent directly to torch the rear wheels. Planting your right foot will undoubtedly result in this Masa roaring off towards 100 km/h in a goosebump-inducing 4.7 seconds; flat out, you’ll be covering ground at 273 feet per second (or 300 km/h). Meanwhile, the ZF-sourced 6-speed automatic does its job way, way better than the earlier sequential gearbox.
Verdict
The Maserati GranTurismo remains a heartfelt purchase, which means you would look past its over half-a-million dirham sticker price. And if you really care, financing options kick off from 7,937 dirhams. Just go buy it, already.
