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Stylish, luxurious but still a potent performance weapon, the Maserati GranTurismo. Made between 2007 and 2019, is on paper, part luxury Grand Tourer, part serious performance sportscar. On the road, it feels more Maranello than Mercedes, thank goodness. A Maserati should be nothing less.
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History
We're seeing a subtle repositioning of the Maserati brand. The famous Italian manufacturer is being edged out from the shadow of Ferrari where it's resided for too long and this GranTurismo sportscar, launched in 2007, proved to be central in terms of determining its new resting place in the market. Along with the MK5 'M139'-series Quattroporte four-door saloon on which it is based, the GranTurismo proved to be a slightly different kind of Maserati.
Rather than simply offering top-end Italian sportscars for people who can't quite stretch to something from Maranello, the marque is these days focusing more acutely on luxury, comfort and the understated elegance that's always been part of the Maserati package. Performance seekers need not despair, though. They'll still get their fair share of brutal acceleration and finely-honed handling.
The car was launched in 2007 in standard 405PS 4.2-litre V8 form, with the faster 440PS 4.7-litre S model introduced a year later, that bigger unit borrowed the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. A race-tuned MC version was launched in 2009, featuring the 4.7-litre engine in 450PS form (there was also a two-seat-only MC Stradale model with the same output, launched in 2010). A GranTurismo Sport model replaced the S in 2012, using the 4.7-litre engine in 460PS guise.
A GranCabrio four-seat convertible was launched in 2010, using the 440PS 4.7-litre engine from the GranTurismo S; there was also a Sport version of this body style with the 450PS version of this engine. There was a subtle facelift in 2017, then the GranTurismo range sold until 2019, when it was replaced by the MC12.
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What you get
The exterior lines have real drama about them, the three holes behind the front wheel arch referencing the MK5 Quattroporte saloon. The gaping Maserati grille with its silver trident dominates the front end below the long bonnet that plunges at the nose. There's a feeling of power in the muscular hind quarters, with the curves at the rear bulging around to form the integrated boot spoiler. Inside, the beautifully finished cabin is split in two by the wide transmission tunnel, while the V design at the top of the dash is said to increase the sporty feel by making occupants feel like they're sitting lower in the car. The seats all feature Maserati's trident logo on their headrests and there are subtle chrome inlays for the controls.
The GT is a sizable 4,881mm in length, so it's a good 500mm longer than the old Coupe that this car replaced but the wheelbase is 126mm shorter than the MK5 Quattroporte saloon from which it borrows its basic underpinnings. Crucially to the more practical and luxurious direction that Maserati is being led in, the GranTurismo is a 2+2 and although claims by the manufacturer that it can sit “two adults comfortably even on longer journeys” do stretch the limits a little, there's definitely room for a pair of kids in those sculpted rear seats. The 260-litre boot though, is smaller than that offered by most rivals.
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What to look for
Obviously, a GranTurismo is going to be pricier to run than a German rival, but there aren't as many issues as you might think, according at least to our ownership survey. Maintenance is ex[pensive though, especially at franchised dealers, so look over the car in question very, very carefully, particularly of course if it's of an older, higher mileage vintage. The Ferrari-built engines and drivetrains are pretty solid and most of the issues we came across were relatively minor. One owner of a 2013 facelift model had to have one of the front parking sensors replaced and had to replace a suspension sensor. In that particular case, the exhaust valve vacuum stayed on, keeping the valves shut in the normal drive mode (the owner pulled out the vacuum hose to leave it in sports mode)
Other issues we came across with owners included a cracked water coolant tank, a transmission leak, a variator issue, a whining differential and some ABS issues (drums were getting stuck/seized). Otherwise, it's just the usual things; check the alloys for scratches, make sure that there's no loose trim and insist on a full service history.
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Replacement parts
(approx based on a 2016 4.7 V8 450PS - Ex Vat) According to specialists Scuderia Car Parts, a starter motor is around £320, a water radiator is around £280, a fuel pump is around £253 and a water recycling pump around £158. The power brakes ASSY package costs around £260, a tail lamp is around £490 and a front fog lamp around £50. Hopefully, you won't have to replace a headlamp, because that will cost you £1,235 per unit.
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On the road
Power for the more powerful GranTurismo S that sold best here comes from the same Ferrari-sourced 4.7-litre V8 engine that's found in the most powerful version of their MK5 Quattroporte saloon. Alfa Romeo also used it for their 8C Competizione supercar. This unit develops either 440(S), 450 (MC or MC Stradale) or 460PS (Sport), depending on the variant you're looking at. The alternative is a 405PS 4.2-litre version of the same powerplant that manages 0-60mph in 5.2s, only 0.3s slower than the S, on the way to a similar top speed of around 180mph. It's not quite in the ultimate supercar bracket but all of that should be plenty for the playboy on his day off.
The GranTurismo has obviously been designed to entertain as well as cosset its driver. The front-engined rear-wheel drive layout helps it achieve a well balanced 49/51 weight distribution, one of the reasons why you might find yourself able to throw this Maserati around rather more than you might expect given its hefty 1880kgs kerb weight. As a result, unlike, say a Jaguar XK or a Mercedes CL from this era, this is a car that is nearly as at home on a twisting B road as it is on a motorway. Only the steering lets things down a bit, rather too vague at speed but slightly heavier than you'd like when parking.
The automatic gearbox with its wheel-mounted paddle shifters is much better than the jerky 'DuoSelect' automated manual 'box that we've tried on other turn of the century Maseratis (and which remained an option on early versions of the S model). This standard auto still has wheel-mounted paddles and is cleverly able to adapt to your driving style as well as to the prevailing road conditions. The extra outlay required by the S model gets you not only the bigger engine but a faster-shifting gearbox and uprated brakes.
If you need a softer ride and don't care too much about sportscar handling, then it may be worth finding a little extra cash for a car fitted with the optional Skyhook suspension system. In 'Sport' setting, the car feels pretty much like a standard GranTurismo on fixed rate dampers, but Skyhook does give you the additional option of switching to a more comfort-orientated mode for motorway work.
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Overall
This car is refreshing in that it's a GT that for once, lives up to its name. Fast, stylish and capable of covering transcontinental distances while keeping occupants and their designer luggage in the rarefied atmosphere to which they are accustomed. That's what GT motoring should be about and it sums up the Maserati GranTurismo.
With gorgeous looks for once accompanied by an appropriate emphasis on quality, this model was a useful step forward for the brand. And amid all the talk of luxury seating, chrome inlays and Poltrona Frau leather, it's important to remember that there's a 180mph performance sports car lurking here. And a worthy bearer of a classic badge.
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