Maserati GranTurismo Sport

Revealed at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, the Maserati GranTurismo Sport is the replacement for the GranTurismo S - the model which arguably best embodied its deluxe brand of performance.

Packing a vociferous V8 engine, statuesque looks and a furrowed interior just big enough for four, the GranTurismo straddled its grand tourer brief rather well and met with a respectable amount of success (particularly in the US market). Consequently, this update embellishes the established formula rather than dramatically fiddling with it. 

The 4.7-litre V8 motor remains, but it has been boosted to a MC Stradale-rivalling 453bhp thanks to redesigned pistons, new variable valve timing management and an improved engine map. Torque delivery benefits too, rising from 362lb ft to 383lb ft. 

At this point (much as before), the model splits into two. For those interested in the grander end of touring, there’s a conventional six-speed ZF automatic dubbed MC AutoShift, and for those who prefer their V8s mated to something more visceral, there’s a six-speed electro-actuated manual transmission called MC Shift, which also gets marginally firmer suspension.

Both have been breathed on with the intention of improving function, with particular attention paid to improving shift times. As before, there is only a tenth of a second difference in 0-62mph times, which have fallen to 4.8sec and 4.7sec respectively. 

Outside, the Sport gets a MC Stradale-influenced polish, with new flared air intakes drawing the eye over a significantly redesigned bumper. The other changes are less consequential, perhaps – there are new wheels, tail lights, exhaust pipes and sideskirts – but only because they fade unheralded into a flawless Pininfarina backdrop. 

It’s easier to savour the alterations inside, where Maserati has at last redesigned the seats to offer better lateral support and has even managed to gain an additional 20mm for rear seat passengers in the process. The steering wheel also gets an ergonomic refresh, and several details (including new pedals and paddle shifters) have apparently been pinched from the Trofeo race car. 

Much will depend on which gearbox you’ve opted for. With the automatic ZF transmission, the GranTurismo has always been a softer, glossier animal, and with its seams now smoothed almost entirely away, it functions with an easy grace befitting a Grand Tourer. Maserati has programmed both operating modes with care; the default D setting will surf the V8’s restrained mid-range, while S slyly blips even on automatic downshifts, mines the heady 7500rpm peak and selects its ratios with better intuition than six or seven gearboxes we could mention. 

The MC Shift is more cantankerous. Even with a lot of assistance from your throttle positioning, the upshifts are never going to be as wrinkle-free as the auto's, and time spent nodding like a dog in D can become tiresome. Nevertheless, the robotised manual has obvious benefits when you push on, not least because your involvement is a necessary and variable part of the experience. The automatic’s own M setting has been thoroughly improved and will serve the average Maserati customer very well, but there is an enthusiast's return to be had from nailing a second-to-third shift in a whirring split-second mesh of power and moving metal.