First Drives

16 December 2024

San Antonio, TX — For VW fans, the early 2020s were somewhat sad times. Fresh off the fiasco that was...

First Drive: 2025 Audi RS 3

9 December 2024

Sitges, Spain — The automotive world sure has changed a lot over the past decade. For proof of that fact,...

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First Drive: 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

Team Vicarious

2 December 2024

By Matt Bubbers Seen under the Sardinian sun, Aston Martin’s all-new Vanquish doesn’t look like the lairy monster its spec...

Featured Car: 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto

20 November 2024

It’s amazing; seems that just yesterday, hybrid vehicles were complete oddities in the car and light truck world. Today, the...

First Drive: 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid

13 November 2024

Vancouver, BC — So you’re Mazda. You’re a small-ish car company in the grand scheme of things that makes fantastic-looking...

True confession time: This driver has a soft spot for most vehicles bearing the legendary trident and for the Maserati GranTurismo in particular. While picking style over substance is never a safe bet when it comes to high-performance vehicles, the GranTurismo has been an absolutely stunning grand touring coupe from the very beginning. The very beginning began way back in 2007 with the release of the first-generation model. That model was in production from that point until 2019 and it didn’t change much over that period. The reason, probably? It didn’t need to change much. The original design, penned by Jason Castriota when he was with Pininfarina, is/was both timeless and beautiful, the very definition of a collectible GT. To bring more than a measure of substance into the discussion, the GranTurismo was powered by a 4.2-litre V-8 gasoline engine developed in partnership with Ferrari. Fun Ferrari fact: At the time, the GranTurismo was the least expensive Ferrari-engined production vehicle in the world. (Thus, even more collectible.) Now, we have the arrival of the second-generation Maserati GranTurismo—and changes have been made. The question is: Do these changes make the new GT more, less or equally desirable as the original? To find out, a select group of lucky souls journeyed to the Eternal City to sample the car and its all-electric equivalent, the GranTurismo Folgore. First things first: Although the electrified GranTurismo and the petrol-powered variant were developed in parallel, the car is surprisingly similar in design to the last-generation model. Without question, the average onlooker would recognize the new GT as a Maserati GranTurismo: the lines are strikingly similar, the design far more evolution than revolution. Under the guidance of chief designer Klaus Busse, the team at Maserati opted to retain the classic proportions of the 2+2 grand tourer, here featuring an elongated hood and four rounded fenders. This design, called the “cofango”—an amalgam of the Italian words for “hood” and “fender”—evokes Italian style from the past, on display in cars such as the original Maserati Birdcage from the late-1950s. Yet, despite its clear links to both the recent past and deeper into the archives, the new GranTurismo is significantly different. According to Busse, dimensions have increased only marginally, but the interior has added space for four adult passengers and there’s 100 litres more storage capacity in the trunk. All versions of the Maserati send drive to all four wheels now. While this always adds weight to a car, the new GranTurismo is lighter than the outgoing version. Finally, the new design shares no body panels with the previous model. So—while the latest GT resembles its predecessor, it’s very different under the surface. Here’s another big change to consider: Instead of a Ferrari V-8 under the hood, there’s a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6. If this sounds like a step down… well, it kind of is because it’s not a Ferrari engine and it’s not a V-8. On the other hand, it is the same engine that powers the Maserati MC20, detuned a bit for the GranTurismo application. For the base model, codenamed the GranTurismo Modena, this engine develops 490 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. For the high-performing Trofeo variant, the engine is boosted a bit to the tune of 550 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. (To be fair, all these numbers are higher than for the V-8.) Performance figures for the Trofeo are right about where you want a modern GT to land: 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h. These numbers are backed up by the actual drive experience, which in this case was a leisurely route that began on the cobblestone streets of Rome, extended to the sweeping vistas of Tuscany and then on to the industrial areas just outside and within Modena city limits. For this trip, drivers were encouraged to switch from the GranTurismo Trofeo to the all-electric Folgore and back, a daring move on the part of Maserati. This structure gave everyone the opportunity to choose his or her favourite—old school or new school. There’s no question that the Folgore is faster in a straight line and it’s probably quicker around corners to boot. But the tuning experts at Maserati know full well that the sound of an internal combustion engine at full song is something with enduring value. So, if the Trofeo is slightly more relaxed than its electrified twin as far as the stopwatch is concerned, it still sounds fast and it still feels fast. The chassis is responsive and engaging, aided by an electronic rear slip differential, and the steering is light but accurate. Under power, the 8-speed automatic transmission is resolute and precise, snapping up and down through the gears smartly. The brakes are solid under foot, reliably powerful and easily able to bleed speed. There are certain characteristics you expect to find in a modern GT car that’s priced well north of six figures. The 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo meets the mandate with style and panache, offering class-competitive driving dynamics, all the requisite luxury amenities and space for four adult passengers. Here in Canada, the car starts at $222,500—an eye-watering number, to be sure—but there’s so much to admire here.

Featured Car: 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo

9 November 2024

Modena, Italy: It’s true confession time. This driver has a soft spot for most vehicles bearing the legendary trident and...

First Drive: 2025 Audi A3 and S3

Jeff Voth

5 November 2024

It is always a joy returning to Germany to test drive a new vehicle. There is such a difference between...

First Drive: 2025 Kia K4

30 October 2024

After the 2024 model year, we say goodbye to the somewhat funky yet appealing Kia Forte sedan (as well as...

First Drive: 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban

18 October 2024

Dallas, TX – Don’t look now, but the Chevrolet Suburban has the longest-running nameplate in the car and light truck...

First Drive: 2024 Range Rover Sport SV

12 October 2024

First published in Vicarious magazine- Spring 2024 When engineering a modern high-performance vehicle, it’s important to keep a certain role...

First Drive: 2025 Maserati GranCabrio + GranCabrio Folgore

10 October 2024

Stresa, Italy- Last year saw the release of the latest-generation Maserati GranTurismo and its electrified kin, the Folgore. The notion to...

2024-Mitsu-Outlander-GT-S-AWD-3_credit-Andy-Lilienthal

Behind the Lens- A Day in the Life of a Freelance Automotive Journalist

Mercedes Lilienthal

9 October 2024

You never know where life may take you. What was a near-20-year commercial interior design and project management career morphed...

First Drive: 2025 Nissan Kicks

Kristin Pitman

24 September 2024

Picture this: You’re driving along the coast of Santa Barbara, California with the glistening Pacific Ocean on one side and...

First Drive: 2025 Volkswagen Jetta

Emily Atkins

6 September 2024

The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta refresh is a cosmetic job, and one that seems entirely designed to aid the sedan’s marketability....

First Drive: 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe

9 August 2024

Minneapolis, MN — The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe is the latest entrant in the somewhat topsy-turvy world of the four-door...

First Drive: 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

8 August 2024

Seville, Spain – Porsche’s refresh of the Taycan was about as comprehensive as you’d expect from the brand. It’s not...

First Drive: 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider

20 June 2024

This review was first published in the Fall 2023 issue of Vicarious magazine. Subscribe here and never miss an issue!!...

First Drive: 2024 Mercedes AMG EQE SUV

14 June 2024

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV is what happens when Mercedes’ in-house performance division gets their hands on an otherwise sensible...

First Drive: 2025 Aston Martin DBX707

12 June 2024

Edinburgh, Scotland — There are some challenging gigs out there in the world today. Ditch digger. Mortician. Soldier. In the...

First Drive: 2024 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor

Emily Atkins

21 March 2024

Salt Lake City– If you’ve ever had the pleasure of observing American Bison, also known as buffalo, you know they...

First Drive: 2024 Lincoln Nautilus

16 March 2024

Palm Springs, CA – Lincoln isn’t the first name on car buyer’s minds when shopping for a mid-size luxury SUV....

First Drive: 2024 Lexus GX

Jeff Wilson

2 February 2024

Tucson, Arizona – It’s an automotive timespan that usually bears 7-or-8 model generations, but for the mid-sized Lexus GX, after...

First Look: 2024 Genesis G70

11 January 2024

Markham, ON – Times are tough for fun-to-drive sport sedans as the once robust segment dwindles on the brink of...

First Drive: 2023 Maserati MC20 Cielo

Team Vicarious

22 December 2023

Supercar. No word in the automotive lexicon carries such weight or expectation. Performance is a prerequisite, and petrolheads expect the...

First Drive: 2024 Audi SQ8 and Q8

Jeff Voth

21 December 2023

The opportunity for travel is something we here at Vicarious can take for granted. But much of that travel is...

First Drive: 2024 Kia EV9

15 December 2023

Scottsdale, Arizona – If you would have told me, oh I dunno, five years ago that one of the most...

First Drive: 2024 BMW XM Label

10 December 2023

Spartanburg, South Carolina – The 2024 BMW XM Label, the most powerful M-vehicle ever produced, feels like it was made...

First Drive: 2025 Volvo EX30

Jeff Voth

EMOTION

6 November 2023

BARCELONA, SPAIN– “Space, the final frontier.” As a self-professed Star Trek nerd, it seemed a fitting response to my initial...

First Drive: 2024 Lexus TX