With its to-die-for looks, the Maserati GranTurismo S automatic is a
car that commands attention even standing still. But fire up the
Ferrari-sourced, 4.7-litre, V8 engine and the GranTurismo S hollers
look-at-me even louder.By Barry Green
It pumps out a soul-stirring soundtrack. The S is more aggressively styled than the ‘entry level’ 4.2-litre version, accentuated by 20-inch alloy wheels with spokes that mirror the marque’s famous Trident logo, blacked out grille and headlight surrounds, extended tail spoiler, flared sills, dual chromed pipes and fire truck-red brake callipers.
For the $30,000 price difference, you get a sizeable boost in power (25 kW) and torque (30 Nm). No surprise, then, that the S is faster. The S’s chassis is also firmer overall, the damping stiffer, and with recalibrated springs the handling is up with the best. Thanks to fat rubber, the grip level is particularly inspiring, yet this same broad footprint fails to dull the steering. As with other sports/GT cars of this calibre, the ride could be considered firm and the brakes a heavy duty feel, but then there’s nothing soft about this car. Being a 2+2 design, there is a rear seat, though if regular passengers are a priority, you would be better served by the Quattroporte S (which literally means ‘four door’) that will carry five adults in consummate comfort. Maserati’s biggest selling model of all time, Quattroporte is available in the same engine variants as GranTurismo. We can report that both are a great drive, particularly the bigger-engined S.
Now, who knows of a sympathetic bank manager?
RRP:
$328,500
ENGINE:
4.7-litre, double overhead cam, 32-valve V8
POWER:
323 kW @ 7000 rpm
TORQUE:
490 Nm @ 4750 rpm
WEIGHT:
1880 kg
0-100 km/h:
4.93 seconds (claimed)
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
15.2 litres/100 km (ADR)
FOR:
Brilliant chassis, handling, engine sound, styling.
AGAINST:
Stiff ride, exhaust drone at 100 km/h.
