Maserati GranTurismo Tested November 2007

Rating Quick Summary Recommended. Glamorous, elegant, fast, sophisticated and rare, the Gran Turismo is everything an Italian super coupe should be, but without the rough edges.

Full Road Test

Maserati's stunning four-seat GranTurismo coupe is one of the most exotic sub-£100k performance cars on the market. It rivals a wide selection of performance cars including the Mercedes CL, Jaguar XKR, Porsche 911 and Bentley Continental GT. Its predecessor, the Maserati Coupe, was a characterful but flawed machine, but with the GranTurismo a resurgent Maserati has taken a real step forward. It's even more beautiful than before and is a far more polished and less compromised proposition than many had expected.

Three variants are available: the 4.2-litre GranTurismo, 4.7-litre GranTurismo S and the GranTurismo S Automatic. Each has wholly different characters, despite their obvious similarities. Entry level is with the 4.2-litre GranTurismo, while the S is a 4.7-litre 434bhp driver-focussed machine with a harder set-up and more out-and-out pace than the standard car. It's a fair rival for hard-edged sports cars like the Audi R8. Meanwhile the S Automatic fits in between the two, combining Maserati's bigger 4.7-litre V8 with the six-speed torque converter gearbox from the Quattroporte. It's the pick of the models, offering long-legged cruising ability and engaging fast driving road manners.

The GranTurismo's major advantage over almost all of the opposition is its genuine ability to seat four in comfort. Compared with its predecessor, the GranTurismo's road manners, driveability and general convenience are all improved. It's not as sharp as Jaguar's XKR, nor as fast, but is much more desirable.