Features

Clearly, this is no place to test a new sporting GT. Traffic aside, many of these mountain passes are so narrow that they cruelly expose the Maserati's considerable girth. Nimbleness is a virtue in most scenarios; but up here, it's a necessity. And the GranTurismo simply isn't nimble enough.

That's not the only grumble. The brakes - Brembos measuring 330mm x 32mm at the front, 330mm x 28 at the rear and grabbed by four-piston calipers - are adequate at best. That 4.2-litre V8 is lovely, and 400bhp - at a fairly peaky 7,100rpm - sounds ample.

But there's a curious lack of urgency about the way it goes about its business, and it lacks grunt. A Maserati is a car you should hustle; the GranTurismo is a bit too relaxed for that. A 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds only tells half the story.

Dynamically, though, it's very accomplished. Our car is fitted with 19in wheels, and its ride quality and general behaviour are exemplary ('Skyhook' adaptive damping is an option, but it feels fine without it). Settle into a groove, and the sensations quickly begin to mirror the ones you'd experience in a BMW 6-Series or Merc SL rather than a high-maintenance Italian - slick, smooth, unruffled.

The auto is superb, though best left in 'normal' mode. Apparently it learns your driving style in its 'sport' setting, but it never gets the hang of mine and proves to be predictably unpredictable.

Compared to the previous Coupe - a car which had a pathological objection to travelling in a straight line - the GranTurismo generates huge grip. Oversteer is not easily provoked, at least not on a dry road. Good steering too: probably a little over-assisted for some tastes, but responsive, linear and accurate.

It's also a lovely place to sit and spend time in. The driving position is perfect, the architecture of the cabin solid rather than inspiring, the build quality impressive.

The multi-media screen has more modern graphics than the Quattroporte's system, and is a doddle to work (much easier, in fact, than BMW's i-Drive or Merc's COMAND interfaces). In terms of ease-of-use, this is an Italian sports car denuded of all the irritations that often used to blight Italian sports cars.

But some of the soul has gone too. The GranTurismo is a very good car indeed, but - and I can't believe I'm writing these words - it's not a hugely exciting one. It's probably what Maserati needed to do to re-establish itself as a genuinely credible player in a market dominated by some of the most credible players of all.

And who can blame it? If dialling back on the passion and boosting the quality secures the future of one of the world's great automotive names, then so be it. But there's a faster, lighter, more focused car lurking within the GranTurismo, due to be unveiled soon.

Roll on the real Maserati...