Gentleman's Choice: Maserati Gran Turismo

They say, “never judge a book by its cover.”  Sound advice.  But if we are being honest, some things are all about the cover.  Case in point, the Maserati Gran Turismo.  If Jimmy Fallon were writing this post, he would say, “Thank you, Pininfarina, for designing another beautiful car and for letting some manufacturer get all the credit.”  The Gran Turismo is arm candy, plain and simple.  Given its cost, many other cars with superior performance credentials are more deserving of your hard-earned money.  But they don’t look like this, do they?  From front to back, the Gran Turismo’s design is full of eye-catching elements.  Starting with the concave grill and its traditional trident--one of the all-time best aspirators around.  It rests in perfect proportion to the elegant, sloping hood and aggressive, alluring lights that wrap around the front fascia like a pair of sporty sunglasses[1].  Continuing down the sides, one notices the trio of side vents and athletic shoulders that accent the wheel wells filled out with trident rims[2].  Above them, a curvaceous canopy with a lovely little kink in the C pillar[3].  And, in the back, the lines converge in a tight tail that is neither too big nor too small[4].  The S variant also sounds the part, with a large V8 churning out 434 brake horse power and 360 pound feet of torque.  So, at bottom, the Gran Turismo is really about the theater of motor sports.  But at least you’ve got great seats for the show.
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[1] Even though Oakley’s eye jackets are horribly out of style, a little nostalgia never hurt anyone.

[2] Italians love the concept of the trinity.

[3] Maserati finally got this element right after its abortive design for the Coupé from the last decade.

[4] One wonders if Sir Mix-a-Lot would agree.

Photo(s) from Wikipedia.

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