Performance

The 4.2-litre V8 is lovely, and 399bhp - 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. 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.

Driving

Dynamically it's very accomplished. Our test car was fitted with 19in wheels, and its ride quality and general behaviour are exemplary (Maserati's '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 highmaintenance Italian - slick, smooth, unruffled. 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 responsive, linear and accurate.

Space

The driving position is perfect and room is plentiful in the front. And unusually for a high performance coupe, there's lots of room in the rear too, making it much more practical than the Jaguar XK. Luggage space is small, though, meaning the optional, bespoke luggage set that makes the most of all the available space a necessity.

Build quality

It's a lovely place to sit and spend time in. 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.

Safety

All the usual abbreviations here such as ABS, EBD while there's a few new ones such as TMPS (type pressure monitoring system) and MSP (Maserati Stability Control). Six airbags are fitted as are ISOFIX child seat mountings in the back.

Owning

Don't look at the GranTurismo as a car, look at it as a hole in your bank account. Every bill will be big - expect just 20mpg, a tree-wiltering 345 g/km of CO2 means expensive road fund tax while servicing costs will be absurd.

Value

It's about on the money for an Italian, entry-level supercar - it may be £10k more than the the Jaguar XKR but it's £40k cheaper than the Bentley Continental GT but the big Brit ain't £40k better.

Verdict

Maserati wants to sell 15,000 cars in the near future and the GranTursimo is probably what it needed to re-establish itself as a genuinely credible player and do so. But the result is some of the soul has gone - it's a very good car but not a hugely exciting one.

Maserati GranTurismo rivals
Mercedes-Benz SL
BMW 6-Series