Maserati GranTurismo Sport 2013 Review

While not a quantum leap over its predecessor, the 2013 update brings a handful of recalibrations and nips and tucks to the table, including a subtle exterior redesign, more power, tauter suspension and appreciable interior tweaks.
The result is an altogether more adept vehicle, both on road and track, but is it enough to convince current owners to upgrade, or Aston Martin drivers to switch?

The jury's still out on whether the changes go deep enough to make this a must-have exotic car, but one thing’s for sure: the GranTurismo Sport is a hugely entertaining vehicle to drive.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

Priced at $308,000, the ‘entry-level’ GrandTurismo Sport auto, is fitted with a traditional six-speed ZF auto gearbox and comes with plenty of kit, including xenon headlights (that turn in sync with the steering wheel), dual zone climate control, automatic tyre pressure monitoring system, electric seats, windows, mirrors and steering wheel adjustment.

Lavish ‘Poltrona Frau’ leather upholstery goes some way to justifying the pricetag, as does the 30Gb HDD sat nav system, voice control, Bluetooth connectivity, Bose surround sound stereo, rain sensing wipers, and front and rear parking sensors.

Strangely, Maserati doesn't offer a sunroof; apparently people who want wind or UV rays in their hair will choose the GranCabrio convertible. There’s a sizable options list, but it mostly revolves around trim options: plush pile carpet, leather, exterior paintwork and so on.

Step up to the Maserati GrandTurismo Sport MC Shift and it's out with the ZF slushbox and in with a fully robotised six-speed manual, single clutch gearbox, which comes at a hefty $37,000 premium. It still self-shifts; just faster, more forcefully but less smoothly.

Not just improving acceleration and top speed, the MC ‘box also tweaks the car's balance, as it’s mounted on the rear axle, which changes weight distribution from 49:51 to 47:53, front to rear. It’s most noticeable on the race track, where the MC Shift-equipped Maser tips into corners slightly more crisply thanks to its lighter front end.

But if you don't plan on hitting the race track, it's hard to recommend the MC Shift as it misses out on the dual-mode adjustable suspension that makes everyday driving so creamy smooth and effortless.

The $37grand for the MC Shift does however also include a carbon pack, which adds carbon front and rear spoilers, side skirts, mirrors, door handles and plenty of carbon interior accents.

Hidden beneath the sleek lines of the GranTurismo Sport's bonnet, the 90 degree V8 quad cam engine is designed by Maserati but built by Ferrari in Maranello, and generates more power and torque than before, to the tune of 338kW at 7000rpm and 520Nm at 4750rpm.

The extra 7kW and 20Nm comes via tweaks to the engine control unit, fuelling, stronger pistons and valve timing at higher revs, and both the Sport Auto and the Sport MC Shift feature an exhaust valve bypass system to amplify the V8's sonorous note.

The GT Sport isn't stratospherically rapid -- hauling from 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds for the Auto and 4.7 seconds for the MC Shift, with top speeds of 298 and 300km/h respectively -- but it's not what you'd call slow either. And from the pilot's seat it feels a lot quicker, though that's probably because the engine note overrides almost all senses...

Gearshifts on the more affordable Auto model are super smooth and quick enough, while the MC Shift's gear changes can be jarring and disjointed at worst, and brutally rapid at best when switched to 'go really fast' mode.

Brakes are suitably substantial: 360mm front, 330mm rear, with six-piston Brembo callipers and Ferodo HP 1000 brake pads. They do a reliable job of slowing the car's considerable weight from high speeds, and are backed up by standard 20-inch alloy wheels, shod with 245/35 front and 285/35 rear rubber.

Fuel consumption is rated at 15.5L/100km in the MC Shift and 14.3L/100km in the regular Auto, but it’s doubtful we got anywhere near that at Phillip Island.
For a fuller mechanical rundown check out our international launch review of the GranTurismo Sport.

Maserati has added a new multifunction steering wheel with deeper contouring and a smaller diameter, which also enhances the look and feel.

The new front seats also afford 20mm more rear seat room; enough to feasibly seat two rear passengers, with decent leg room and average head room for the average sized passenger.

The doors are long and front seats fold forward easily which help ingress and egress. Considering it's almost as long at 4881mm as a Holden Commodore, it's not hard to see why the back seats work. Our only quibble is the lack of a seatbelt feeder arm which means unless you have Stretch Armstrong limbs you'll have to twist and writhe to grab the seatbelt.

The spacious rear seats come at a cost though. For all its grande size, the Maserati has a relatively tiny 260 litre boot (albeit decent sized 86 litre fuel tank).

The centre console looks a bit dated too, especially the stereo and heating controls, but in an odd way it suits the car's persona, as does the inclusion of a cigarette lighter.

The electric park brake has a handy automatic 'drive-away' release system, so you won't crunch the driveline if you forget to decouple.

Front parking sensors have been added to the 2013 model which, along with the rear sensors, is handy when parking the 2.0m wide and almost 5.0m long, 2+2 coupe. A perimeter, volumetric and anti-lift alarm system and electronic immobiliser should help deter thieves.

Neither Euro NCAP nor Australian NCAP has crash tested the GranTurismo Sport. "Euro NCAP don’t test top end cars, so they limit themselves to the lower end of the market. You won't find Aston Martins or Ferraris on the Euro NCAP crash data," is the official line from Maserati spokesman Edward Rowe.

ON THE ROAD (AND TRACK)

It sounds like an old wives' tale but according to Maserati the GranTurismo's V8 exhaust note is tuned by a composer from the famous La Scala opera house in Milan. True or not, it’s an amazing sound, both at small and large throttle openings: one part GT3 race car and one part classic pushrod V8.

And you can give the car even more presence by pushing the 'Sport' button on the dash which engages the exhaust bypass valves.

The additional grunt from the 4.7-litre V8, gives the car more hustle and the MC Shift version in particular moves very rapidly once rolling. The engine has a high 11.25:1 compression ratio and together with the lovingly-tuned exhaust and well-sorted fuel mapping, the bent-eight delivers excellent response.

While forced induction engines can deliver big gains in torque and efficiency, the connection between the driver's right foot and the engine is seldom better in a naturally aspirated rig.

For the 2013 model, the Skyhook suspension has been recalibrated with stiffer springs and slightly thicker rear stabiliser bar which sharpen the car's dynamics slightly.

Granted, the MC Shift variant rides more firmly, thanks to the fixed suspension setup, but there's still some compliance on rougher roads, despite the unforgiving 20-inch rims and low-profile rubber. The two suspension modes on Auto models means that in normal mode the suspension is supple (in sports car terms) before stiffening up to levels that come close to the sportier MC Shift's.

In that respect the regular Auto version is the wisest choice if you plan on driving it to work every day. But if performance is your primary focus, the MC Shift will warrant closer inspection.

With either transmission the car is not difficult to drive fast. The hydraulic power steering is direct and offers good feel (if a little lightly weighted), and the chassis is predictable. It's not Porsche 911-like, but the MC Shift version with its rear-mounted gearbox travels on a similar trajectory, and certainly doesn't feel like a front-engined car.

Indeed, the nose tips in with an eagerness that contradicts its portly 1780kg figure and it feels remarkably fleet footed, particularly around some of the tighter sections of the Phillip Island circuit. It settles into corners quickly thanks to the stiff suspension, allowing you to maintain momentum then feed in throttle to punch hard out of corners.

Though the MC Shift's gear changes are more abrupt, they’re perceptibly faster and show a bit character at that. To initiate the MC mode - the hardcore mode with faster shifts and sharper braking response - requires counter intuitive button presses, but again it gives the car a distinct personality, of a kind you don’t see so much of these days.

There’s no gearstick either. You just use the carbon steering wheel paddles or hit '1' button on the centre console to get going. Hold both paddles to shift the car into neutral.

The Brembo brakes showed no signs of fade, even when stomped on from 230km/h, but the cars weren't lapping for extended periods of time. The fat tyres provide impressive levels of grip, though rapid changes of direction through the chicanes can easily upset the car's balance. When Maserati switches from steel to aluminium monocoque to reduce overall weight, the GranTurismo will be a real weapon.

More powerful, more aggressive and arguably more involving, the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport MC Shift two-door coupe is an extremely satisfying car to drive, and the sonorous engine note makes the experience even more exhilarating.

Photo Key: Maserati GranTurismo Sport MC Shift (yellow), Maserati GranTurismo Sport Auto (black)

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