2024 Maserati GranTurismo Defines Rolling Sculpture

Buying a sports car is a lot like collecting art: The pieces with the richest history from the biggest names command the most money. For the luxury connoisseur, the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo and its roughly $175,000 starting price satisfies a collector’s desire for beauty and speed.

While the all-new GranTurismo may not look much different from the previous generation, that was chief designer Klaus Busse’s intention. Rather than completely rethinking the GranTurismo’s sheetmetal, Busse – who also created the beautiful MC20 – stretched and shaped the previous generation’s already formed profile into one that could be pulled off with a “Please Do Not Touch” sign. The redesign helped lower the drag coefficient from 0.32 to 0.28, and an ever-so-slightly stretched roof created enough rear headroom where adults could actually fit.

Inside, the GranTurismo’s design is modern without being overworked. From the supple driver’s seat, slimmer A-pillars improve forward visibility. The interior is draped in wonderfully stitched leather, as one should expect at this price point. A configurable 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster sits just beyond a near-perfectly sized steering wheel. A 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is in the center of the dashboard, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. Those familiar with Stellantis’ Uconnect operating systems will appreciate the crisp display and ease of use. Below the infotainment is an interactive 8.8-inch screen that manages the climate control.

The biggest change to the GranTurismo comes from the powertrain department. Internal combustion is alive and well, even if it now plays second fiddle to the stupidly fast, electric, 818-hp Folgore variant. In place of the Ferrari-sold V-8 of yesteryear is the Nettuno, a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that appeared in the 621-horsepower MC20, albeit dialed back for GranTurismo use with smaller turbos and specific engine calibrations. The ZF eight-speed automatic transmission is the only offering, and to appeal to real-weather buyers, the GranTurismo now comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Gentle Modena

The Modena trim is the bottom rung of the GranTurismo ladder. In its humblest form, the twin-turbo 3.0-liter makes 483 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, but even this output surpasses the previous generation’s 4.7-liter V-8. Under load and at slower speeds, the loud pre-chamber combustion we experienced in the MC20 is non-existent. Cruising along the autostrada on the outskirts of Rome, the GranTurismo flawlessly executes its primary mission as a luxury grand tourer. With the drive mode set to Comfort, the least aggressive of its three settings, the four-seat coupe’s standard air springs float along the highway. The V-6 hums in the background, occasionally dropping to three-cylinder operation when the engine load is light.

With a twist of the steering wheel’s dial, Sport mode elevates the GranTurismo’s senses. The steering effort increases, the dual-mode exhaust is always open, and the electronically controlled dampers firm up. A push of the button inside the center of the drive mode switch toggles between two suspension calibrations; we generally preferred the softer setting. Whether left to its own devices or when you pull on those big aluminum paddles, the ZF eight-speed automatics we know and love break down quick shifts with an affirming “BLAATT!” of the quad exhaust points. If you’ve heard an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, it’s very much so. With launch control active, Maserati claims the Modena will hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and go on to a top speed of 188 mph.

Upturned Trophy

The GranTurismo Trofeo, the best-performing internal combustion variant, takes it up a notch. With the boost increased, the twin-turbo V-6 jumps to 542 horsepower and 479 pound-feet, gains of 59 and 37, respectively. While the Modena relies on a mechanical limited-slip rear differential, the Trofeo gets an electronically controlled unit. The four-wheel drive system functions primarily as a rear drive, but if traction changes, up to 50 percent of the torque can be delivered to the front axle. With ferocious use of the throttle, the Trofeo’s tail will wag, but the front axle keeps the thing on a leash.

The Trofeo model adds a fourth drive mode (Corsa) to the Modena’s three existing settings, and the electronic dampers get an even stiffer third setting. On the highway, the Trofeo exhibits the same soft ride as the Modena, and the Italian hills show good body control, but the suspension’s most aggressive modes lack work. Even in the firmest setting, the vertical movements often feel subdued.

Aside from some carbon fiber exterior trim and specific interior pieces, the GranTurismo’s Trofeo variant looks a lot like the Modena, making it hard to justify the $31,000 lift to around $206,000. Maserati’s claim of 3.5 seconds to 60 mph also throws a little extra salt in the wound, considering the terrifying acceleration delivered by cheaper cars like the Porsche 911 and Mercedes-AMG SL. However, the Trofeo will reach a claimed top speed of 199 mph.

When it’s time to lose some speed, both the Modena and Trofeo use a Brembo-sourced brake package. Six-piston calipers clamp 15.0-inch cross-drilled rotors up front, and four-pot calipers pinch the 13.8-inch cross-drilled rear rotors. The brakes are strong, but we’d prefer more bite to the dead feeling we get from the first bit of pedal travel.

When the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo arrives in the US in the first half of this year, it might not break any speed records, but it will certainly turn heads. Inside and out, it’s a better GranTurismo than before – and with an entry-level price around $40,000 higher than the previous generation, it certainly should be.

Senior Test Editor

David Beard studies and reviews automotive related things and pushes fossil fuel and electrically powered things to their limits. His passion for the Ford Pinto began at its conception, which took place in a Pinto.