I'm not massively keen on jumping on bandwagons, but this Maserati GranTurismo really rammed home how utterly pointless four-wheel drives are in this country, purely because the Maser doesn't have it.
I drove up to Scotland in it over Easter and not once did a lack of traction from the snow/wind/rain/ice become a problem. Partly because the highways agency lot pulled their collective finger out and actually salted the roads, but also, if you're careful, four-wheel drive is just not necessary.
The Maser swallowed three people and all our luggage for the seven-hour trip - every time
I go to Scotland it seems to get further away - and not even the person in the back complained. That's where this car's strength lies. Conversely, for example, the Jaguar XK is a lovely bit of kit, but there's no way we'd have managed that trip with three adults. Even three kids would struggle for room in the Jag.
But the GT was just that - a great GT car. The ride was surprisingly compliant, road noise was good, the red leather interior kept you cheery even on the M6, and the auto gearbox was smooth.
I know you could accuse it of not handling with quite the sparkle of other sports cars, but it's still perfectly enjoyable to punt around. Granted, you go carefully in slippery conditions, but there's enough feel from the chassis and steering to make it secure. Plus, in reality there's far more grip than you think there is.
And it's this that I reckon drives the majority of the SUV market. Fear. A fear of crashing, a fear of getting stuck, a fear of driving through a puddle, a fear of not being able to see over absolutely every other car on sale. We should embrace fear. We should embrace the GT.
I drove up to Scotland in it over Easter and not once did a lack of traction from the snow/wind/rain/ice become a problem. Partly because the highways agency lot pulled their collective finger out and actually salted the roads, but also, if you're careful, four-wheel drive is just not necessary.
The Maser swallowed three people and all our luggage for the seven-hour trip - every time
I go to Scotland it seems to get further away - and not even the person in the back complained. That's where this car's strength lies. Conversely, for example, the Jaguar XK is a lovely bit of kit, but there's no way we'd have managed that trip with three adults. Even three kids would struggle for room in the Jag.
But the GT was just that - a great GT car. The ride was surprisingly compliant, road noise was good, the red leather interior kept you cheery even on the M6, and the auto gearbox was smooth.
I know you could accuse it of not handling with quite the sparkle of other sports cars, but it's still perfectly enjoyable to punt around. Granted, you go carefully in slippery conditions, but there's enough feel from the chassis and steering to make it secure. Plus, in reality there's far more grip than you think there is.
And it's this that I reckon drives the majority of the SUV market. Fear. A fear of crashing, a fear of getting stuck, a fear of driving through a puddle, a fear of not being able to see over absolutely every other car on sale. We should embrace fear. We should embrace the GT.
TopGear
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