Maserati GranTurismo Sport: small cosmetic changes and more power
Bella is an adjective that should not be used to describe how a car behaves. However, given that the EVO is all about “machine, passion and style”, this time it seems appropriate to start from the bottom. The reason is obvious: apart from personal tastes, it cannot be denied that Gran Turismo is one of those rare examples of "beauty" in an objective sense, one of the gems that make "Made in Italy" so appreciated all over the world. The world itself is a market for Maserati, with the US and China taking the lion's share of sales and filling Trident's coffers. The success that the GranTurismo contributes to more than half, the rest is the Quattroporte, but it's best not to take it for granted.
That's why for two doors Trident restyling has been developed. Light, mind you, in order not to disturb the balance, but also noticeable to the untrained eye. You may not be able to grasp all the changes made, but overall the rejuvenation effect was successful. Great work focused on headlights now branded and equipped led daytime running lights, on the front bumper enriched Nolder with aerodynamic function, on mini skirts and the taillights are also LED. A new exterior color (blue) and an additional color for the calipers have also been introduced brakes: there are now nine options. Last but not least change concerns alloy wheels, complete with tridents.
EVO is also a passion. One that can release engineThe V8 4.7, which rolls off the Prancing Horse assembly line, a few kilometers from Maserati headquarters: aspirated, offers sound an exhilarating and inexhaustible crescendo of thrust from 4.000 to 7.000 rpm. Compared to competitors' engines (comprising a range of very different vehicles, from the BMW 6 Series Coupé to the Porsche 911 Carrera S), consumption fuel level is high and some traction is lacking at low revs. Not an insignificant detail, as this is a car dedicated to GT, not performance. However, the sound emitted by the two oval tailpipes could evoke emotion in the most sensitive. Almost. And in any case, the craving for bass is not without: it is certainly lower than that of the 4.4 V8 bi-turbo engine of the BMW 650i Coupé and the naturally aspirated 3.8 engine of the 911 Carrera S, but, of course, there is no danger. the rest are "planted". As mentioned, once you hit 4.000 rpm, the progress is convincing, and at 20 hp. more than in the previous version (460 versus 440), it gives an excess of hardness that never hurts.
It is a pity that the transfer is not relevant: you chooseMC Shift (in this case price car is 132.415 6 euros), XNUMX-speed with electric drive orMC AutoShift (126.820), a classic torque converter, lagging behind the Teutonic rivals is great. In the first case, if it is true that the lashes you get in the mode Sports they are a real drug for geeks. It is also true that in normal use they depend on a springy effect that can eventually cause nausea, especially for passengers.
However, if track days are your way of spending your free time, choosing MC Shift is a must. For switching times - one tenth against two - but also and above all for the mechanical setting:electrically driven paired with a pattern Transmission who gives weight distribution more racing (47% front, 53% rear) and more stiffness. For everyone else, that is, those who use Maserati - but Sport - in a more relaxed manner, a better transmission with hydrotransformer... The weight distribution shifts forward a bit (49:51), and what is lost in terms of shifting responsiveness is achieved in usability in all conditions. A choice that degrades chronometric performance, but is certainly more rational in 90% of cases, especially when you consider that for both gears, the response time to manual commands is quite long.
Improvements of engineers did not disregard the setting: how torsion bars both shock absorbers they froze by 10%. A touch-up that did not affect the absorbency of the car, despite the 20-inch wheels, and did not affect the car's cornering behavior. The GranTurismo is proven to be fun, accurate and simple, which reaches 90% of its potential. IN steering he's fast without being a racer and the grip limits are high. A mixture that delivers a lot of fun when the road gets winding, beyond performance in the strict sense of the word. The situation changes if you ask for more and approach the vehicle's limits. In this case, knowledge and experience are required ifESP he is detached: the reactions lose progressiveness and the steering feel tends to get lost a little. The transition from understeer to oversteer happens quite suddenly, and the flow of information that we would like does not come from the steering wheel. If, on the other hand, electronic stability control is activated, safety is not compromised, but smoothness of movement suffers from the frequent "pinching" carried out by the electronics.
Finally, the passenger compartment: there is no lack of space in it (although at the rear up to 175 cm in height), and some of the adjustments made did not eliminate the agé effect due to navigator the old generation and the airbag covers on the door panels, which are now abandoned even by city cars.
