GranTurismo S – Belissima!
Press verdict is that S is for Supreme

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- GranTurismo S – Belissima! - GranTurismo Comparo - Exclusive: GranTurismo S at Monticello Motor Club

The Maserati GranTurismo has been turning heads since it was launched at the Geneva Motor Show last year – and at this year’s Geneva show, Maserati unveiled an even more exciting car, the limited production GranTurismo S. The press have recently had their first drives in the latest car to proudly wear the Trident badge – and what they found is that the performance is just as striking as the looks.

“Fast and beautiful, [the GranTurismo] will gobble long miles in comfort and style. Yet, ardent enthusiasts will want more - and more is well delivered when you go for the S. Think of it as ‘GranTurismo + 20%’, wrote Matt Stone, in Motor Trend. “The combination of the standard 20-inch rolling stock and stiffer shocks and springs sharpens it [the steering] up by a bunch. Turn-in is crisp now, and there's more feel throughout… There's very little ride penalty given the increased handling ability. This is a car you'll still want to take on that long, fast journey, and be comfortable doing so. But also one you'll lean on a lot harder, and it wouldn't be unhappy on an occasional track-day run.”

evo magazine had a busy week, with David Vivian testing the GranTurismo S, Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Jaguar XKR-S one after the other. They drove the Maserati first, and really liked what they found. “The Maser is a genuine four-seater, something the Jaguar XKR-S and Aston V8 Vantage are not… the GranTurismo S has so much going for it -- aesthetically, sonically, dynamically.” And his conclusion, after driving three such desirable sports coupes? “It's with a genuine reluctance we give back the keys… Notebooks are useful things but, ultimately, it's the memories that count for most.  The Maserati, Jaguar and Aston were driven over the space of a week and, in this respect, the GranTurismo S had the toughest call, left wide open to having those first impressions overwritten by the subsequent drives in the Jaguar and Aston. It speaks volumes for the intensity of the Italian car's personality -- its sensuality, its magnificently vocal (and now truly potent) V8, its lithe and agile chassis, its sheer presence and sense of occasion -- that when I closed the Aston's door for the last time at the Nürburgring, it was the Maserati I was still savoring in my recollections.”

“On the highway, where the asphalt is generally undamaged and traffic flows freely, the stiffer suspension is fully appreciated. Turn-ins are crisp and power-sliding out of a corner with the rear fully committed is fun!” That’s what Jeff Voth, writing in the Canadian publication The London Free Press, thought of the GranTurismo S. And he wasn’t the only admirer of the car. “At one point, we found a beautiful section of two-lane country road and decided to make several passes up and down for pure indulgence. The main corner on our small circuit crested near a barn close to the road, followed by a short straight and sweeping left and right turns. Tall grass provided a tunnel effect, heightening the sense of impending glory. A quick flick of the steering wheel, combined with a sensitive right foot on both gas and brake pedals, led to rousing cheers from the elderly men who had gathered to watch our mini Grand Prix.”

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper, Erin Baker was equally impressed by the performance, especially of the MC-Shift transmission. “You'd be hard pressed to catch the GranTurismo S in MC-Shift mode, which is a bit like warp speed… The result is a kick in the lumbar region from the forces of darkness below the bonnet and a mind-boggling shunt up the road which belies the quoted power output figures.” Erin was also impressed by the interior of the Maserati. “From inside the car, it's fun to play with the throttle and paddles, and choose between Jekyll and Hyde, but you are constantly reminded of the long-legged, grand tourer nature of this car by the sumptuous materials and fittings that surround you. Maserati does leather like few others. It's not simply the quality of the hide, or the stunning array of colors, both sublime and ridiculous, that are available; it's the stitching, the combination of padding and ribbing and smooth swathes, the curvature of the material as it disappears into the car, the sunken brushed-aluminum door handles.”

The GranTurismo S will only be available for the 2009 model year, so we recommend that you contact your authorized Maserati dealer as soon as you can –especially now the word is out that, for the lucky people who have driven it, S very definitely stands for Special.