Maserati GranTurismo review by CAR magazine UK: expert road test of the new V6-powered super-coupe, driven here in Trofeo spec. First drive, specs and verdict
It’s a good-looking piece of kit, the new GranTurismo, no doubt about that. Stance and proportions are spot-on, and the longer wheelbase allows the previously token rear seats to evolve into a perfectly acceptable short-distance accommodation.
from a distance, the front and rear light signature is pure MC20 but with a twist, and there are plenty of neat details to be discovered. Things like the reimagined clock in the now fully digital instrument panel, and plenty of embossed, embroidered and electronically animated trident logos dotted throughout the cabin. The old Ferrari-sourced V8 is fondly remembered, but Maserati insists the Nettuno is not only smaller and lighter – allowing a lower centre of gravity and 52:48 weight distribution – it’s also both more economical and brings better performance .and the V6 Trofeo and Modena GranTurismos – is new. In so far as compromises have had to be made, they’ve been made in favour of the petrol cars, whereas the Folgore doesn’t benefit from the low centre of gravity that comes from an EV-only skateboard chassis.GTs have to be good at the boring stuff, first and foremost. After all, the route to a pied a terre in Monaco involves the M25, the Channel Tunnel and a whole lot of autoroute. The GranTurismo excels here. In default GT mode or even softer Comfort the exhaust is quiet, the gearbox unobtrusive and the ride perfectly judged to iron out road imperfections without being completely numb and uncommunicative. Flip it into Sport or Corsa modes, though, and it feels like a talented sports coupe. Driven back-to-back with the Folgore, the all-electric car felt more like it was fighting road and driver, while the Trofeo rode out the vagaries with aplomb and was at the same time the more tactile and communicative. It also happened to be the faster car through most sections, simply because it didn’t need to work its suspension, brakes and tyres quite as hard as the zero-emission counterpart. The Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo is arguably also the more emotional drive. Redlined at a vocal 8000rpm, the twin-spark pre-chamber 3.0-litre Nettuno engine combines two interacting injection and combustion systems for more low-end torque, maximum high-end power and reduced overall consumption. Tip-in is almost as brisk as in the digital on-off Folgore. The aggressive throttle mapping summons ample grunt at virtually any accelerator position, at most revolutions and in any gear. There’s 542bhp on offer, while the torque graph peaks at a moderate 3000rpm where a beefy 479lb ft is on tap. Press on, and the twist action will sweep you forward with irrepressible cumulative energy accompanied by an increasingly loud, bass-heavy soundtrack which needs no artificial enhancers to roll its phonetic mantra up and down your spine. Did we miss the V8? Not really. Dynamically, the new powerhouse instantly sets itself a monument. It is bound to go down in history as one of the last great high-performance combustion engines, period. With the eight-speed ZF ‘box locked in Manual and the DNA in Sport, the new GranTurismo is awesomely fast, eerily surefooted, perfectly progressive in the way it acts and responds, professionally balanced and yet commendably playful. The Ferrari Roma feels in contrast less compliant and clumsier over the rough stuff, the 911 Turbo and SL63 AMG are notably more cramped, the Bentley Continental GT and BMW M8 are heavier still and thus dynamically not in quite the same league. Since the remaining contenders are either less focused or even more extreme in character, the new Maserati seems well prepared to give the high-end 2+2-seater establishment a good run for the money.Setting aside the viscerally red leather our test car was trimmed in , there’s a lot to like but also some design decisions that spoil things for us. The leather trim is real leather – Maserati refuses to go down the vegan route and trim its cars with glorified plastic, so everything feels sumptuous to the touch. It’s wrapped around front seats that perfectly tread the line between supportive and comfortable – they’re wide enough for larger drivers, with side bolsters that allow for elegant ingress and egress. Perfect for eating up the miles. Even the rear seats are useful, with genuine space for a six-footer behind a driver of similar size. Access through the big, wide-opening doors is graceful, and visibility over the shoulder and to the corners of that thrusting bonnet is more than good enough to make city driving relaxing. The dash is dominated by a pair of screens – an upper 12.3-inch infotainment display controls the stereo, sat-nav, or CarPlay as required, while the lower 8.8-inch display deals with the climate controls, the seats, ambient lighting and a few driving functions. There’s also a 12.2-inch digital dashboard display for instrumentation and even the central clock is a tiny screen, providing a faux-analogue readout or even a G-meter. Unfortunately the interface is clunky and any effect of slick futurism is spoiled after about five seconds when the entire unit’s covered in greasy fingerprints. And while some elements – such as the big alumnium gearshift paddles – are lovely, a lot of the remaining switchgear is deeply unsatisfying. The PRND buttons between the two central displays are particularly egregious, as is the mess of steering wheel switchgear that wobbles underthumb.Hot on the heels of the MC20, the new GranTurismo fuses tradition and future in a stylish and dynamically compelling fashion. Who would have thought that the old-school Trofeo still ticks more boxes than the fully electric, fascinatingly controversial Folgore? Our test model came in at £166,830, undercutting a Ferrari Roma or Bentley Continental GT but significantly more than a Porsche 911 or Mercedes SL. You pay for exclusivity, of course – the 911 is practically a Ford Fiesta in the rarity stakes compared to a GranTurismo – but a few design and build quality niggles do grate for that price tag. Plus, there’ll be some who feel a car like this should absolutely have no fewer than eight cylinders.
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