IF James Bond was Italian, what would he drive? Would it be a Ferrari or would it be a Maserati?
In the big shoulder-pad days of Roger Moore, when style was about as subtle as Pussy Galore and 007 was at the wheel of a Lotus, the answer might well have been Ferrari.
But today we live in the age of Daniel Craig, and for my money, the Maserati GranTurismo has got his name written all over it.
It is a refined car for the refined gentlemen, but under its muscular body it hints at every angle at the threatening strength and aggression rippling just below the skin.
Craig’s Bond is a complex character. He is from the old Fleming stable, but reborn to breathe new life into a flagging brand. In many ways the Maserati is the same. It replaces and improves the Maserati Coupé and echoes the heritage of the company’s first grand tourer, the famed A6 1500 GT Pininfarina.
The GranTurismo, which was launched last year, is one hell of a good-looking car. The admiring looks it provoked around the Island were as heartfelt as the rather different expressions when those same admirers fixed their gaze on the driver.
It is a simple fact of life that 95 per cent of people just don’t have quite the same affection for the man behind the wheel as they do for the car.
That aside, the GranTurismo is a lovely car to drive – not too heavy for Island roads and not constantly snarling because it wants to be pushed out of the low gears.
It is, of course, most at home on long sweeping roads that allow you to enjoy the car’s exquisite comfort and power. The 4.2-litre V8 beast of an engine generates 399 bhp and propels the car from 0 to 100 kph in 5.2 seconds. Top speed is a reputed 177 mph.
The best part about dropping your right foot is the noise. Turn down the awesome custom-made Bose stereo and the engine roars at perfect super car pitch.
If there was any doubt that the GranTurismo was right at the top of the car food chain, it is dispelled by the way it bares its teeth. The grille, which is filled with vertical concave slats and a Maserati trident badge, gives the car shark-like presence and warns motoring minnows to steer well clear.
Everything inside the car is controlled by mind-boggling computer and electrical wizardry. You’ve got a hard drive that enables you to rip 180 hours of music from your favourite CDs. It is just a small part of the Maserati Multi-Media System which sits cushioned in acres of soft red and black leather.
Thankfully, the designers have resisted the temptation to overdo the chrome, so when it does make an appearance in the cockpit, it feels right.
The front seats are all-electric and can be set to multiple pre-set positions. They are just a little slow to move back and forward when you want to let someone in the back.
In the back, the leg room is good but not great. The boot, too, is a little limited and you would be hard pushed to fit in two decent-sized suitcases.
Driving around the Island, the computer told me I was doing a consistent 22 to the gallon, so the GranTurismo is going to win no green awards. Its non-PC credentials were confirmed by the ashtray near the gear stick which included an old-fashioned cigarette lighter (remember them?) rather than just a 12-volt socket for a mobile.
From the driver’s seat the visibility is not great when reversing and parking. The pillars joining the dashboard to the roof at the front are wide and can get in the way. Rear parking sensors come as standard, but front ones are a highly desirable extra, given the cars huge front end. (By the time you’ve worked out where the front is, it could be too late to avoid an expensive trip to the body shop.)
On the open road the GranTurismo is comfortable being left in automatic with the option of hitting the sport mode. There is a paddle shift system, which is great to hit to shift down quickly.
The GranTurismo we tested retails on the road in Jersey for around £74,000, plus GST. That’s around the same price as the rival Jaguar, BMW or Mercedes. But for pure presence, elegance and charisma, the Maserati is miles ahead. It might be on the expensive side in that bracket, but it is not hard to see what you get for that extra cash.
There is no dealer in the Island, so the car was brought to us by Hampshire garage Meridien Modena, Jersey’s nearest dealer.
Share this article:
What are these?