GranTurismo Official: Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale
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The Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio are a series of grand tourers produced by Maserati, succeeding the Maserati Coupé and Spyder.
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2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC First Drive Review on RoadandTrack.com
Maserati is serious about delivering spirited performance to go with its sexy Italian design.
The bark of the exhaust note, the chiseled aerodynamic looks and the massive wheels and brakes are signs that the 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC is serious about delivering spirited performance to go with its sexy Italian design.
The GranTurismo MC is different from its European counterpart, the MC Stradale, in that it retains a plusher 4-seat cabin. Yet beneath the skin, the cars share the same mechanicals, the 4.7-liter V-8 from the sport models with a slight bump in horsepower to 444 bhp and 376 lb.-ft. of torque. The 6-speed ZF transmission has been reworked to provide quicker shifts and throttle blips between gearchanges and also offers a wider range of modes that includes the ability for pure manual sequential shifts.
The single rate spring suspension has also been optimized for the car, providing a taut yet responsive ride. With its engine positioned behind the center line of the front axle, the GranTurismo MC has an amazing 49/51 front/rear weight bias without having to resort to a rear-mounted transaxle.
The looks of the MC are aggressive. The front chin spoiler is recessed, giving the snout a fuselage appearance around the grille opening. A lower character line runs over the wheel arches and there are widely stepped side skirts. At the rear, the car is distinguished by its twin round exhaust tips positioned slightly inboard and there is a new rear diffuser. An integrated lip spoiler on the rear deck increases downforce by 50 percent at 125 mph while the changes to the front fascia reduce lift by 25 percent.
Abundant Use of Carbon Fiber
The MC announces its sporting intent by using carbon fiber liberally to reduce weight and as a styling statement. Inside, the material is used to trim the dash and the paddle shifters, which are longer than the ones used in the standard model. Aluminum is the metal of choice for the larger accelerator and brake pedals. The sport seats are firmly bolstered with great lateral support.
Crank the key and the 4.7-liter V-8 starts with a sharp report, with the volume of the sound actually controlled by transmission settings. Keep the gearbox in its normal automatic mode and you’ll hear a rich, deep burble from the engine. Sport mode opens an exhaust bypass flap at engine speeds around 3000 rpm, while in the Sport Manual mode, the flap is always open. We chose the latter, not just for the great sound, but also for the control over the shifts.
In Manual Sport, the shifts happen quickly and the transmission will hold the gear up to redline where the engine will bump off the limiter rather than giving you the next cog up. It will, however, give you an automatic downshift when coming to a stop to avoid lugging the engine.
Out on the open road, the MC is nimble with good steering feedback. It feels quicker than the stock Maserati, with sharper turn-in. Engineers picked just about the perfect spring rate, there is little body lean in the corners, but even on irregular freeway surfaces, the rate is compliant enough to minimize hop. Overall, the car has the feel of a machine perfect for the gentleman racer, with the emphasis on gentleman. The car is a head-turner not just for its looks but also because of its exhaust note. Slated to go on sale this fall, the 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC lists at $143,850—which is quite a bump over the standard GT S automatic coupe, which starts at $126,500, but when you factor in the equipment such as the MC Autoshift gearbox and other options like the single rate spring suspension, the standard coupe would net out at about $140,000. For just the looks alone, the MC certainly is worth the premium.
Maserati is serious about delivering spirited performance to go with its sexy Italian design.
The bark of the exhaust note, the chiseled aerodynamic looks and the massive wheels and brakes are signs that the 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC is serious about delivering spirited performance to go with its sexy Italian design.
The GranTurismo MC is different from its European counterpart, the MC Stradale, in that it retains a plusher 4-seat cabin. Yet beneath the skin, the cars share the same mechanicals, the 4.7-liter V-8 from the sport models with a slight bump in horsepower to 444 bhp and 376 lb.-ft. of torque. The 6-speed ZF transmission has been reworked to provide quicker shifts and throttle blips between gearchanges and also offers a wider range of modes that includes the ability for pure manual sequential shifts.
The single rate spring suspension has also been optimized for the car, providing a taut yet responsive ride. With its engine positioned behind the center line of the front axle, the GranTurismo MC has an amazing 49/51 front/rear weight bias without having to resort to a rear-mounted transaxle.
The looks of the MC are aggressive. The front chin spoiler is recessed, giving the snout a fuselage appearance around the grille opening. A lower character line runs over the wheel arches and there are widely stepped side skirts. At the rear, the car is distinguished by its twin round exhaust tips positioned slightly inboard and there is a new rear diffuser. An integrated lip spoiler on the rear deck increases downforce by 50 percent at 125 mph while the changes to the front fascia reduce lift by 25 percent.
Abundant Use of Carbon Fiber
The MC announces its sporting intent by using carbon fiber liberally to reduce weight and as a styling statement. Inside, the material is used to trim the dash and the paddle shifters, which are longer than the ones used in the standard model. Aluminum is the metal of choice for the larger accelerator and brake pedals. The sport seats are firmly bolstered with great lateral support.
Crank the key and the 4.7-liter V-8 starts with a sharp report, with the volume of the sound actually controlled by transmission settings. Keep the gearbox in its normal automatic mode and you’ll hear a rich, deep burble from the engine. Sport mode opens an exhaust bypass flap at engine speeds around 3000 rpm, while in the Sport Manual mode, the flap is always open. We chose the latter, not just for the great sound, but also for the control over the shifts.
In Manual Sport, the shifts happen quickly and the transmission will hold the gear up to redline where the engine will bump off the limiter rather than giving you the next cog up. It will, however, give you an automatic downshift when coming to a stop to avoid lugging the engine.
Out on the open road, the MC is nimble with good steering feedback. It feels quicker than the stock Maserati, with sharper turn-in. Engineers picked just about the perfect spring rate, there is little body lean in the corners, but even on irregular freeway surfaces, the rate is compliant enough to minimize hop. Overall, the car has the feel of a machine perfect for the gentleman racer, with the emphasis on gentleman. The car is a head-turner not just for its looks but also because of its exhaust note. Slated to go on sale this fall, the 2012 Maserati GranTurismo MC lists at $143,850—which is quite a bump over the standard GT S automatic coupe, which starts at $126,500, but when you factor in the equipment such as the MC Autoshift gearbox and other options like the single rate spring suspension, the standard coupe would net out at about $140,000. For just the looks alone, the MC certainly is worth the premium.
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There are some things I do not like about the GranTurismo like its heavy weight, low power, unreliability but it is undeniably the best looking 4 seater coupé, and yes, I think it looks better than the BMW M6, a Mercedes CL AMG, the Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martin DB9. Even the Ferrari 458 Italia does not look that beautiful, in fact I never found it beautiful.
speed_kills
Diesel Dynamiker
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I think the Ferrari equivalent would be the California.
Lovely car.
Lovely car.
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Funny, because I just think the opposite. Yes there are many other sports cars, but most are two-seater. GT's, there are not so many however. For me there is a difference between GT and Coupé. Coupé is based on Sedan, but GT is mostly designed from scratch, even if underpins can come from a sedan. I don't know any other V8 powered GT like the Maserati GT. Eventhough an M3 Coupé or M6 Coupé has better performance, it doesn't have the GT beauty of this Maserati. There are the FF and the Vanqhish or DB9/DBS, but they are V12 powered so quite above. Then there is the Bentley GT, powered by a 12 cylinder, now also an 8 cylinder, but this car is more an exclusive luxury car, with more focus on comfort. On the other side we have the 911, very common, powered by a huge 6 cylinder, but the weight of the car is low, it is performance focused, so unless a supercar, nothing is faster than it. So the M GT is a perfect compromise between comfortable/luxury GT and performance focus sportscar or sport GT. The only criticism the M GT may get is its weight. If it weighed just 1.600 kg (EU) it would be a perfect car.
That said, what I would like Maserati to do on the next GT, is to keep the same design and shape/proportions, focus on weight loss, slightly more power, more torque and DI like the other Ferrari engines while staying NA, improve reliability and quality (fit/finish) and that is all. It does not need more tech other than an improved infotainment system and HQ sound system.
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And the soft suspension - at least on the track.
Mafalda
Stuttgart Specialist
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I hate the weight of latest Maseratis!!
very bad hotlap @ Ring, and so strange if compare it with HHR
Ring
Maserati 8.14
Jag XKR-S -11s
C63 AMG -13s
...very old 550 Maranello -7s
HHR
Mserati 1.13:7
Jag XKR-S +0.7s
C63 AMG -0.1s
...very old 550 maranello +2.4s
very bad hotlap @ Ring, and so strange if compare it with HHR
Ring
Maserati 8.14
Jag XKR-S -11s
C63 AMG -13s
...very old 550 Maranello -7s
HHR
Mserati 1.13:7
Jag XKR-S +0.7s
C63 AMG -0.1s
...very old 550 maranello +2.4s
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Maserati
Maserati S.p.A. is an Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer. Established on 1 December 1914
in Bologna, Italy, the company's headquarters are now in Modena, Italy. The company has been
owned by Stellantis since 2021.
Official website: Maserati
Official website: Maserati
