Reviewed by Richard BosselmanPhotos: Maserati

Best not to tell Maserati that the six-speed automatic transmission employed by its cars is also utilised by the humble Ford Falcon.

It's okay to mention it goes into cars of similar culture - the Jaguar XK and Aston Martin DB9 are also recipients. Something of an insult to say it also goes into a taxi.

And careful how you describe the mainstay 4.2-litre V8 engine. Over lunch on the day we visited the brand at its headquarters in Modena, Italy, one of our party - the same bloke who made the unfortunate Falcon connection - made mention of our visit to the Ferrari plant the previous day.

There we'd seen 4.2-litre V8s emerging from a common line; those with blue cam covers for Maserati. Those with red for the controlling brand.

Was Maserati happy with its Ferrari engine? Uhh-ohhh. Bad call.

The question was considered frostily by a senior company man: "It is not a Ferrari engine. It is a Maserati engine. Not the same."

"But surely they basically are. Different colour cam covers, but ..."

"No...it ...is...a...Maserati...engine. More wine?"

Perhaps fearing he might be thrown from the ramparts of the medieval hall where we were eating, my pal at that point wisely decided to change the subject.



We were here to drive the GranTurismo which, Ferrari engine or not, is the new big thing for a brand enjoying a global renaissance, with sales expected to total 7400 units this year, up from 5700 last year.

The GranTurismo will further gee up business notwithstanding that the market for $280,000 luxury coupes is relatively tight.

But what style. What presence. Almost five metres from nose to tail and with a certain 298kW 4.2-litre V8 married to a certain paddleshift-operated auto, this four-seater certainly is something of a scene-stealer.



It's a substantial machine, with an extra-long 2942mm wheelbase and weighing close to two tonnes, though actually the base is a shortened version of the Quattroporte. It shares all of its mechanicals with the big sedan.

In the coupe, the engine control has been tweaked for more power, and the six-speed automatic transmission and the electronic throttle are programmed for faster shifts and quicker responses in standard and sport modes.

It's fiery and fast - the maker claims 0-100kmh in 5.2 seconds - though ultimately - due as much to the suppleness of its ride as the sheer size of the thing - it's more a traditional grand tourer than supercar. That's also the thinking from the maker, which doesn't see it as a direct competitor to something like a Porsche 911 but instead places it as a rival for the Bentley Continental GT.

The big Italian definitely brings a particularly rich sense of panache to the fray. This is a brand steeped in history and lined in leather, and the exterior styling and the interior provide a real sense of occasion and a feeling of having "arrived".

The cabin's sumptuous hand-stitched surfaces make the others' seem more commonplace. There's even a tiny strip of leather on the edge of the steering-wheel shift paddles.

Leather, climate control, sat-nav and electrically operated everything are standard, of course. Safety gear includes six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and a stability programme designed to be less intrusive when the car is in sports mode.



Maserati claims customers can choose from more than four million combinations of leather, stitching and cabin highlight colours. Many owners apparently appreciate the opportunity to tailor the car to their own tastes. It's unlikely, on any given day of production, that you'll see two cars exactly alike.

You couldn't call it spacious in the rear - the two up front will be in total comfort, whereas the pair on the back might be expected to make some concessions for footspace. Still, that it even bothers to provide genuinely adult-sized second row seating makes the Maserati rare among exotic coupes.

What it lacks is the boot capacity to cope with all the luggage they might want to take along. An optional bespoke designer luggage set at least makes the most of every bit of space.

Driving the GranTurismo is more enchanting than involving. It holds securely even on tight roads, and the steering feel is excellent. Nestling the engine just behind the front axle line allows a nicely balanced 49/51 per cent front/rear weight distribution.



Still, you're always aware of its ample bulk and dimensions. Those big windscreen pillars can compromise forward vision on tight corners and there's not the sense of involvement that you receive from more overtly sporting products.

But is it very smooth, the ride doesn't chop up on the adjustable suspension's sport setting, and the mechanical side of things at cruise is refined. There's minimal wind and road noise - at least on smooth Italian tarmac - is hardly discenable. The car I drove had 19-inch wheels, but New Zealand takes 20-inch rims as standard equipment.

The transmission, when the car is been driven gently, shifts in seamless near-silence. Press on, though, and the car reacts accordingly. The software has been re-worked to rev out to 7200rpm and also adapts its shift patterns to match the way the car is being driven. In sport mode, the transmission allows the engine to rev higher and holds gears for longer under deceleration.



The engine's growl grows impressively toward the redline. It's certainly not blaringly loud in the spirit of a 250F race car, but you're left in no doubt there's something special happening here.

Maximum torque and power aren't delivered until virtually the redline, which might be suitable for quick autostrada driving but may well cause frustration in a tightly-regulated environment.

In fact, there's no real pull until the rev counter has climbed above 3000rpm; the shortage of true low-end pull was apparent when the car was pointed up a steepish switchback road.



Still, once in its stride, it's definitely a king of the road. Overtaking at 100kmh requires nothing more than a whiff of throttle - the big nose lifts and, within seconds, you're up to 140kmh and facing clear road.

Slowing is equally impressive. The Brembo-developed brakes have also been enhanced by the addition of cross-drilled discs to provide extra stopping power and less fade.

While Italy may be famous for its swanky suits and suave shoes, it's the cars that really set people's pulses racing. And this Maserati certainly doesn't lack.

Will it bring the company back to greatness? Perhaps. A turbulent history seems requisite for all Italian car brands, yet Maserati has so often found the road to salvation to be a dead-end street. And so many owners .. the Maserati brothers, the Orsi brothers, Citroen, Fiat, de Tomaso, Fiat again.



At least with Ferrari in association, Maserati's credentials as a manufacturer of desirable cars seems to have been lifted.

It is not only the cars. The hope is that Maserati can trade on a illustrious past while also forge with cars that are as good to own as they are to drive.

The factory has been extensively revamped and expanded and the Italian vice of shoddy manufacture is being attacked with incredible fervour.

It's not unusual to find a rectification area at the end of any assembly line. But Maserati runs two check-off areas, then hands cars to an independent assessor for further evaluation. That's how hard it is working to get things right.

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