In its November 2008 edition, monthly magazine Auto dedicates extensive coverage to the Maserati GranTurismo S. The magazine, published by Conti Editore, tested Maserati’s coupé on the Balacco circuit and produced a 14 page article in which the car was examined under the microscope.

Massimo Nascimbene, the journalist behind the piece, hailed the GranTurismo S as a car capable of stirring the emotions, “aggressive to look at and, above all, to drive. The engine roar sends shivers down your spine”.

Before getting behind the wheel, Nascimbene described the impressive lines of the 4.7 litre, V8 GranTurismo S. Some of the car’s design features underline its sporty nature, such as the opaque black grilles and the oval exhausts. “You need a trained eye to work out where the changes to the elegant Pininfarina livery have been made. The modifications are noticeable but not obvious and do not interrupt the car’s sweeping lines as the GranTurismo S’s wide oval front end blends perfectly with its sleek, muscular flanks”.


On the inside, the car “now has a sportier look that doesn’t compromise on elegance”. The layout of the instruments in praised: “the GranTurismo S focuses its attention on the driver, starting with the steering wheel. It is well finished in leather and comfortable to grip. The two large gearshift paddles are set behind it; fixed to the column so changes are quick and easy”.

Technical spec: the transaxle set up returns

The article continues with a detailed technical rundown of the GranTurismo S, a model that once again has a transaxle layout. The rear mounted gearbox is housed in a single unit with the differential. The review concentrates on the quality of the gearbox, one of the Maserati’s highlights. “The six-speed electro-actuated gearbox, produced by Graziano, stands out thanks to the new forks to engage gears as well as a new actuator along with a new pump that speeds up gear changes. The management software, designed by Marelli, is also new and offers up to five modes: ice, normal automatic, sport automatic, normal manual and sport. In sport mode, with the throttle 80% open and the engine at more than 5500 revs, the gearbox adopts another configuration, termed MC-Shift. This partially overlaps the gear change phases (opening of clutch; gear disengagement, selection and engagement; closing of clutch) to slice 40 milliseconds off shift times, cutting them to 100 milliseconds.


The technical summary is completed by taking a look at the suspension. This feature of the car has been stiffened by fine tuning the springs and dampers as well as fitting a wider rear torsion bar. The Brembo brakes get a well deserved mention with their dual-cast discs, the fruit of co-fused cast iron and aluminium technology.

On the road: thrills all the way in sport mode
Nascimbene then moves on to take a look at the car’s beating heart: its 4.7 litre engine. “The shift from 4.2 to 4.7 litres gives the V8 much more than the extra 35 bhp would suggest. At low-medium revs the torque is much fuller, more consistent, for much smoother progression”.


However, the engine’s power is only one of a series of technical solutions that render the Maserati coupé more aggressive. “The electro-actuated sequential gearbox in automatic/sport modes gives huge satisfaction and means the driver can enjoy the engine noise as the car climbs through the gears. Driving the car in manual is best of all; quick enough in normal mode, it becomes lightning fast in sport and is responsive when changing up or down”.


Backing up this formidable package are brakes that “display first class stopping power”, steering that “calls for a little effort, but that is precise and poised”. The GranTurismo S’s overall set up means that “corners are taken readily, despite the slightest hint of understeer. Great reaction and handling comes thanks to electronics that allow the driver to enjoy a little freedom to oversteer at full throttle”.

Auto’s verdict of the GranTurismo S is a positive one. “All told, the handling of the S is comparable with that of other Maseratis and even exceeds what we expect from the brand, a marque that often compromises between performance and usability. In this particular case, the GranTurismo S can be used on a daily basis with a gearbox that is silent on the move and, in some ways, surprising. At the same time, even though the suspension has been beefed up, the GranTurismo S performs very well with none of the sharp rises and dips to spoil the ride”.