Well, I managed to get onto the Maserati stand at the Amsterdam AutoRAI... rather easily in the end. I asked if I could enter the stand and was told it was by invitation only. So I told them that I'd been invited the Geneva show but couldn't make it and they let me straight on!
I'm glad I did... since the GranTurismo is far nicer in the flesh than it looks on the pictures! Maserati have come a long way in build quality and the car looked and felt very solid and well put together. The car is a little larger than I anticipated, much wider than my Ghibli and certainly a lot longer. I think the majority of this extra length is at the front of the car, with that very long bonnet. The front wheels are set very far forward, leaving very little overhang at the front of the car.
Inside, there's undoubtedly more space than in the Ghibli, but not as much as you'd be led to believe from press articles. Since I'm pretty tall at 1.99m, I had to have the seat all the way back, which only left 15cm of so behind the driver's seat and the rear paseenger seat. Still, that's 15cm more than in my Ghibli, where the drivers seat is right up against the rear passenger seat!
When I first saw pictures of the new Maserati, I was a little uncertain as to whether I liked it. I left the AutoRAI with good impressions of the car though and if I had the money I'd certainly be considering getting one. It's a class above a Porsche 911 and offers much more value... it's an exclusive brand and won't fail to turn heads when driving down the street. I'd love to have heard the engine... will maybe have to pay a visit to the dealer just for that I think.
Anyway, as promised, here's some exclusive pictures of the car!
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| Maserati GranTurism |
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