Maserati GranTurismo: Built in Nine Months, Sold for Twelve Years
Born out of a Ferrari corporate reshuffle that left Maserati without a coupé, the GranTurismo went from design sketch to finished production car faster than almost any model in automotive history — and went on to sell over 40,000 examples across a 12-year run.
Illustration for editorial purposes
Born From a Corporate Accident
The GranTurismo wasn't originally supposed to exist in this form. Reviewers keep telling the same origin story: Ferrari took the platform meant to replace the Maserati Coupé and turned it into the Ferrari California instead, leaving Maserati's engineers scrambling to build a genuine replacement from scratch.
Generations at a Glance
| Version | Years | Engine | Gearbox | Body | 0–60mph | Top Speed | Price New (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GranTurismo (4.2L) | 2007–2019 | 4.2L V8, 405bhp | 6-speed automatic (ZF) | Coupe | 5.2s | approx. 180mph | not reliably documented |
| GranTurismo S/MC/Sport (4.7L) | 2008–2019 | 4.7L V8, 440–460bhp | 6-speed automatic or automated-manual (DuoSelect) | Coupe, GranCabrio (convertible) | 4.9s | approx. 188–202mph | not reliably documented |
| GranTurismo (current, Nettuno V6) | 2023–present | 3.0L twin-turbo V6, 482–542bhp, electric version (Folgore) also offered | 8-speed automatic (ZF), AWD | Coupe | approx. 3.5–4.5s | 188–202mph | from approx. £127,920 |
A Nine-Month Development Record, Born From Ferrari's California
Unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, the first-generation GranTurismo went from design concept to full production in just nine months — a genuine industry record — after Ferrari's California effectively poached the platform originally intended for Maserati's next coupé. Styled by Pininfarina's Jason Castriota and built on a shortened version of the fifth-generation Quattroporte's platform, it launched with a 4.2-litre Ferrari-developed V8 before the more powerful GranTurismo S arrived just a year later with a 4.7-litre unit. A GranCabrio convertible followed in 2010, and the range continued largely unchanged in spirit, receiving a comprehensive facelift in 2018, until production finally ended in December 2019 after 28,805 coupés and 11,715 convertibles had been built.
A Ferrari V8 With a Distinctly Non-Ferrari Sound
The GranTurismo's V8, developed jointly with Ferrari and hand-built in Maranello, used a cross-plane crankshaft rather than Ferrari's usual flat-plane design, giving it a meatier, more gravelly exhaust note than its Maranello relations. Power ranged from 405 horsepower in the standard model to 460 horsepower in the track-focused MC Stradale, with the range-topping versions capable of 0-62mph in well under five seconds. A six-speed ZF torque-converter automatic was standard, while an electro-actuated automated manual, derived from the Ferrari F430's transmission, was offered as a sportier alternative on certain versions.
The Car That Arguably Kept Maserati Solvent
The GranTurismo's twelve-year production run coincided with the most financially stable period in Maserati's modern history, with reviewers and industry commentators widely crediting the model with effectively keeping the brand solvent through a difficult era. Its replacement, a second-generation GranTurismo revealed in 2022, introduced a fully electric "Folgore" version alongside conventional petrol power — a genuine first for the brand and a clear signal of where Maserati's future was heading.
How Much Does a Maserati GranTurismo Cost Today?
Values for good used examples of the original GranTurismo have fallen to genuinely accessible levels, with well-specified GranTurismo Sport models available for around the price of a well-optioned Volkswagen Golf. The model has developed a strong reputation for reliability given its age, with the Ferrari-derived V8 and ZF transmission both proving largely dependable, making it one of the more approachable ways into genuine Italian V8 grand touring ownership.
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Sources: Wikipedia, evo, autoevolution, Supercars.net.