Maserati GranTurismo S

Simply stunning.

Those two words pretty much sum it up for the new 2008 Maserati GranTurismo S. This car is simple but gorgeous, and aggressive but elegant- which is a look that only the Italians can magically make happen. American cars are either really cool or really aggressive, but we can’t hit elegant. The Germans give it a shot, but they can’t get it either. The British are the closest (Aston Martin anyone?), but only the Italians can get that perfect balance. The Japanese don’t even try, saving themselves the humiliation of a pathetically failed attempt.

Yep, it’s just the Italians.

And there is no better car to display their magic on than on a Maserati. For some reason, Maseratis have always carried a certain air about them, one that classes them above any Benz or BMW, regardless of price. And this one is the best of them all.

The Maserati GranTurismo S is a true and classical example of a “grand tourer”, or GT. This was a term bestowed on luxurious, but sporty and expensive cars like, for example, a Bentley. The first ever GT was a Maserati as well. Nowadays the term “GT” is horrifically misused, and badged on cars that simply do not live up to the prestige. The GranTurismo S, however, fits the description perfectly:

Now, just because it is a sporty “grand tourer” does not mean that it’s a sports car. This Maserati has a 4.7 liter V-8 engine that cranks out 440 horses and 362 pound-feet torque. That’s not bad, a good improvement over the regular Maserati GranTurismo (4.2 liter V-8 with 400 horsepower and 339 pound-feet torque), but it still doesn’t match up to, say, a Mercedes SL63 AMG, which cost about the same. The GranTurismo S also goes from 0-60 in 4.8 seconds, again, not shabby but not sports car level. Top speed is 183 mph, good, but the SL63 is faster.

My point with all this is that the GranTurismo S is not a hard-edged sports car, so if you can ever buy or get to drive one, don’t expect it to be. For the price it carries, it is not as fast as it looks.

Which is completely fine.

That’s because, when you think about it, why should it be? Maserati is basically Ferrari’s tamer sister, and the GranTurismo S is a grand tourer, not a Ferrari supercar, and it’s built for style and comfort rather than speed.

It may not be the fastest, but it is in my opinion the overall best of its class. I can’t fathom why anyone would choose a Jaguar, Mercedes, or a BMW or this beauty, because even if it isn’t that fast, or that aggressive, or that flashy, it is, in just two words, simply stunning.

Specs

Price: $130,000

Engine: 4.7 liter V-8

Top Speed: 183 mph

Horsepower: 440

Torque: 362 pound-feet

0-60 mph: 4.8 seconds

Filed Under: Maserati