Road Test
Maserati Coupé (02-) 4.2 V8 GranSport 2dr Coupe
Test date Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Price as tested £66,965
For Looks, engine sound, image, desirability
AgainstSometimes over-quick steering, driving position
Define a car's performance by its name and the new Maserati GranSport should be able to out accelerate just about anything on the road. In the past 20 years Maserati has been hit by financial strife and an often less than perfect product, but the name still carries tremendous kudos.
It has been many years since Maserati had a genuine contender to lock horns with the Porsche 911 in the GT class, but the GranSport could be the car to give the regular 4200GT coupé the mechanical edge it needs to complement its undeniable emotional appeal.
Now, the shape of the car looks about right. Although there are many who still lust for the rear boomerang lights that disappeared with the 3200 GT, the GranSport’s subtle but purposeful front chin spoiler, rear lip spoiler and pronounced side skirts and 19in alloy wheels all alleviate the slightly bloated look of the standard 4200 GT, drawing it closer to the ground and improving the stance. Although this is a shape that can still appear ill-proportioned from certain angles, the GranSport looks hungry, either for air to feed its V8 through that classic gaping mouth, or for the rear bumpers of unsuspecting Porsches.
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