This Maserati Sports Car With A Ferrari V8 Is Now Cheaper Than A Camry
Few automotive names carry as much effortless romance as “Maserati.” Say it out loud and the Italian dream materializes almost instantly — winding Alpine passes, hand-stitched leather, an exhaust note that sounds like it was composed rather than engineered. But behind that glamorous reputation lies a history that is far messier, and far more interesting, than the mythology suggests.
The late ’70s and ’80s saw the company in crisis, both economically and image-wise. These are the BiTurbo years, when Maserati was marketing a model that was forward-thinking but strangely conservative in its styling. This car, which seemed to be a cross between a BMW E30 3 Series and a LEGO brick (full disclaimer: they actually look pretty cool), soldiered on throughout the decade of excess, finally morphing into models such as the underrated Ghibli II. It seemed that Maserati had come to a dead end, with no new ideas — rather the same one constantly reheated like a gas station slice of pizza.
That’s when FIAT stepped in. In the ’90s, the Fiat Group bought Maserati, and the company’s renaissance began. This was helped enormously by the fact that the Trident was finally in the same stable as the Prancing Horse, with Ferrari under the FIAT umbrella during this period. Maserati started making proper sports cars again, culminating in the glorious MC20. But in between, there was one Maserati that seamlessly blended the coupe practicality of the BiTurbo with the supercar capabilities of the MC20. This model is where old meets new — and these days you can buy one for less than a Toyota Camry. Where do we sign?
The First Generation GranTurismo Is A Practical Bargain Supercar
The first product of this new Maserati era was the completion of an ongoing project. The 3200 GT was originally revealed in 1998 in Paris. This pretty coupé, styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro on behalf of Italdesign, harked back to the ’60s heyday of Maserati without being overtly retro in its design. It was the perfect relaunch for such an iconic brand. This car wasn’t available in the US, sadly, but it was well-received elsewhere. Under the hood sits a 3.2-liter twin-turbo V8, later upgraded to a Ferrari-sourced 4.2-liter V8. Things were looking good for the Bologna-born carmaker, but there was more to come.
Maserati Came Back To The US In Style
For the 2000s, Maserati planned its return to the United States. The company launched the new Quattroporte V in 2003 — a car that picked up no fewer than 57 international prizes — and followed it up with a 3200 GT successor called the GranTurismo. This car made its worldwide debut at the Geneva Auto Show in 2007 and stunned visitors. The GranTurismo was an obvious continuation of the 3200 GT’s style, but it appeared lower, meaner, and just that little bit more purposeful, with the bodywork seemingly stretched taut over the structure within. The Pininfarina styling was, quite simply, hard to fault. So how about the mechanical side? The GranTurismo looked fast just sitting still at Geneva, so Maserati couldn’t have gotten away with a wheezy six-cylinder to power its new creation. Luckily, it still had the Ferrari-developed 4.2 V8 to hand.
The Maserati GranTurismo Is A Ferrari-Powered Supercar For Four
That 4.2-liter V8 produces 405 horsepower at 7,100 rpm and a maximum torque of 339 lb-ft at 4,750 rpm, with 75% of that torque already available at 2,500 revs. This makes for both a usable GT car and a genuine supercar-chaser, reaching 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and completing the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds. The top speed is 177 mph — not far off a mid-engine Ferrari 360, which tops out at 183 mph. Weight distribution in the GranTurismo is near perfect, at 49% front and 51% rear. The gearbox is an automatic that features self-adjusting controls, adapting gear changes to suit driving conditions and style.
There Is A Surprising Amount Of Room In A GranTurismo
All this performance, and the GranTurismo can easily accommodate four people — the manufacturer claimed at launch that rear-seat room exceeds the average for the segment. The rear seats are designed to comfortably accommodate two adults even on long journeys, making this Maserati almost unique in its class. This GranTurismo, designated the M145, was available in both coupe and convertible versions, with the drop-top badged the GranCabrio.
The later GranTurismo S of 2008 shared its (again, Ferrari-developed) 4.7-liter engine and various other components with the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, and had 434 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque on tap. One thing is for sure: if you have ever been within earshot of a Maserati GranTurismo, you’ll know that this is one of the best-sounding cars ever made. The V8 howl is enough to scatter birds from the trees, and before you turn to see a refined GT coupe, you could swear an all-out hypercar is approaching. The best part about the GranTurismo these days, however, is that prices have fallen so far you may want to reconsider that Toyota sedan on your shopping list.
How Reliable Are GranTurismos
The look on your spouse’s face when you return from a trip to the Toyota dealership with a nearly 20-year-old Maserati is going to be priceless. It might not make for a sensible financial decision, but the cost of GranTurismo ownership is genuinely tempting. The low prices are largely a result of how many were built — the GranTurismo and GranCabrio combined sold more than 40,000 examples between 2008 and 2019. According to Classic.com, a 2008 base-model Maserati GranTurismo averages around $27,000, with prices across all model years sitting higher depending on specification and condition. A GranTurismo Sport will command a premium over the base car.
But Wait, It Will Just Break Down, Right?
It’s a fair question, because especially during the BiTurbo years, these cars weren’t exactly known for their unbreakable reliability. But the GranTurismo seems to have largely escaped the issues that plagued older Maseratis. At Maseratilife.com, a forum for the marque’s owners, many members speak positively about how reliable and usable the GranTurismo is day-to-day. The bottom line, it seems, is to get a thorough pre-purchase inspection on any car you’re considering, then keep up with regular maintenance.
One user, Xcalibull, said: “Basically what people told me is that you will need to have yearly maintenance (oils, filters, etc.), probably tires every year and a half with those miles that you are planning, then there are always some unpredictable expenses like belts, bushings, battery, etc… Engines are highly reliable; it is unlikely to have a major breakdown in that year (previous years had some issues with the variator) with the proper maintenance.” Another owner, DSGT, added: “Five+ years, 45K miles, it’s a daily driver, not a single mechanical or electrical problem.” Any exotic car is generally going to be more expensive to run than an ultra-reliable Toyota sedan, but with the GranTurismo, it may not be as much of a headache as you might think.
Sources: Classic.com
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