For all the motor industry’s changes, some things stay the same: fuel prices go up, some car makers make hay, others go to the wall. And Maserati finds itself flitting cyclically between plodding and being on the fringe of a resurgence. This, as often as not, starts with a fabulous-looking, desirable and enchanting coupé, and finishes with disappointing dynamics, questionable durability, or a combination of the two.
Following on from the GranSport (and before that the 3200GT and the Coupé, which all followed the recent ‘resurgence? No’ tradition), there is the GranTurismo. It’s a new coupé, again a V8, again styled by Pininfarina – only this time it’s a bit different. This car is not as stunted as the 3200GT and its successors, and it’s not a two-and-a-bit seat coupé with a sluggish automated manual gearchange. This is a full four-seater, a proper grand tourer and an automatic at that.
What is still familiar about the GranTurismo, though, is that it’s powered by a V8 engine that revs to the other side of 7000rpm. That, if it manages to be as good as it looks, will guarantee Maserati has a nailed-on winner on its hands. But can the GranTurismo deliver on the promise?
