For all the motor industry’s changes, some things stay the same: fuel prices go up, some car makers make hay, others go to the wall.
And Maserati finds itself flitting cyclically between plodding and being on the fringe of a resurgence. This new GranTurismo aims to change that, to take the fight successfully to its established European rivals.
Typically, a Maserati comeback would start with a fabulous-looking, desirable and enchanting coupé, and finish with disappointing dynamics, questionable durability, or a combination of the two.
Following on from the GranSport (and before that the 3200GT and the Coupé, which all followed the recent ‘resurgence? No’ tradition), there is now the GranTurismo.
It’s a coupé, again a V8, again styled by Pininfarina – only this time it’s a bit different. This car is not as stunted as the 3200GT and its successors. This is a full four-seater, a proper grand tourer.
What is still familiar about the GranTurismo, though, is that it’s powered by a V8 engine that revs to the other side of 7000rpm. That, if it manages to be as good as it looks, will guarantee Maserati has a nailed-on winner on its hands.
Not that has stopped Maserati pursuing breaking a habit of a lifetime creating firm foundations to build on, with a new Maserati Quattroporte, rebooted Maserati Ghibli and the newest addition to the Italian family - the Maserati Levante SUV.