Go for a Spin

Black Beauty

The Maserati Gran Turismo will have you looking and feeling good

Let us now enter a fantasy world where roads go on forever and people are more comfortable sitting in their cars than they are in their homes. In this world, as you drive down the road in your expensive luxury car, beautiful people wave to you and yell, “Hey, sexy!”

But wait — the last part is true, I swear. It happened while I was driving in Annapolis, Md., in a sparkling new Maserati Gran Turismo (GT). I would like to think I was the one worthy of being called sexy. But, alas, the Maserati has a much better body, more alluring looks, and more muscle — 405 horsepower, to be precise. “Sexy” might not even do it justice. Unlike the vast majority of cars these days, the GT is beautiful, and full of soul.

The latter attribute stems from Maserati’s great history, which the GT’s designers have captured without making the car overtly retro. The concave oval grille with the large trademark trident is reminiscent of Maserati’s Formula 1 race cars of the 1950s. Its front wheel arches suggest 1930s cycle fenders, and its sculpted rear end ... well, let’s just say the GT has the nice butt that Maseratis have long been famous for. Yet for all its references to the past, the GT manages to look modern and command attention. Whether you’re a man or a woman, when you’re at the wheel, you’ll generate more head-turns, camera-phone stills, and whistles than Sophia Loren in her prime. OK, so it’s the car that’s drawing all the attention, but who cares?

The GT’s interior is welcoming and elegant, mixing beautifully beveled, polished wood trim with contrasting black leather, chrome instrument rings, and blue-tinted gauges. Furthermore, it’s comfortable; even the rear seats are pleasant for medium-length jaunts thanks to the ample 116-inch wheelbase. On the way to a Father’s Day dinner by Maryland’s Severn River, mom happily slipped into the rear while dad oohed and aahed in the front passenger seat. Had we required luggage space, the GT’s trunk (9.2 cubic feet) could have easily swallowed four overnight bags.

The coupe’s utility befits the Gran Turismo moniker. The term has been misapplied over the years to track-ready sports cars and soft luxury coupes. But a sports car this Maserati is not. It is built to whisk you and a companion across long stretches with style and verve. The verve comes from the same 4.2-liter V-8 that powers the Maserati Quattroporte sedan. The GT’s Ferrari origins (Fiat bought Maserati in 1993 and put it under the control of Ferrari in 1997) are evident in its soulful roar, as you run the tachometer to the 7,250 rpm redline.

The V-8 propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, and its torque (339 pound-feet) is always accessible through the GT’s six-speed transmission. In full automatic mode, it shifts crisply, without the jerkiness of some other auto-manual units. In full manual mode, its paddle shifters (large, chromed, and properly fixed to the steering column rather than the steering wheel) are easy to actuate, commanding quick upshifts and throttle-matched downshifts.

At more than 4,000 pounds, the GT is a hefty machine, but the weight lends it a substantial feel and reassuring stability at high speeds. Happily, the car’s weight and mission have not prevented Maserati from giving it communicative steering. Turning into a corner at a good clip, the GT grips the road comfortably and stays flat until a small amount of understeer sets in. Again, this is no sports car — but it is eminently satisfying to drive.

Introduced to the U.S. market in 2007, the GT is a rare sight on the road, which is part of its appeal. It’s as notable for what it is — a fine touring car with a great pedigree — as for what it is not: a big BMW, Mercedes, or Jaguar coupe. Those cars have their fine points, but they lack some of the brio that comes with an Italian thoroughbred.

We may be entering an era in which cars as appliances trump cars as art, but Maserati need not worry about the low-volume Gran Turismo losing its sex appeal.