By EWAN KENNEDY 
4 September 2006

There's something about Italian sports cars that makes them stand out from others big sports machines that are nominally in the same class. The Germans, the Brits, even the Americans make large two-door cars with plenty of performance, but none offer the same joy of life as the Italian cars.

This thought kept running through our conversations as we passionately piloted a Maserati GranSport through the hinterland behind Brisbane then north via the coast to the ultra-trendy streets of Noosa Heads.

It’s probably a matter of individual cultures. The Italians have an openness in everything they do. They live with plenty of flair and their open smiles show they are really enjoying things. It’s exactly the same with the Maserati GranSport. From the moment you start to drive, it wants to go hard and fast and shows an automotive delight in doing so.

Its big 400 horsepower, 4.2-litre V8 engine is the highlight of the car. It has a great burble even at low revs, reacts more than willingly to the slightest of throttle inputs and emits a race-type shriek when you really get stuck into it using the Sport mode (more about the latter in a moment).

Steering is close to instantaneous in its reactions and it communicates what it’s doing both through the wheel itself, as well as providing feedback through the seat surfaces (dare we say through the driver’s backside, if that phrase hasn’t become politically incorrect!).

Then there's the gearbox. It’s a sequential-manual box, tagged Cambiocorsa by Maserati and sits behind the cabin aligned with the differential to improve chassis balance. In its softer settings the gearbox is on the harsh side during low-gear upchanges. A characteristic it shares with most of its breed.

But when you hit the Sport button in the centre console the changes sharpen up beautifully and are almost as fast as gearshifts from full automatic transmissions.

Shift through the six forward gears manually by way of the large paddles behind the steering feel and you really do feel as though you are in a racing car. Particularly on hard downshifts when the very-Italian blip of the throttle sounds oh-so right. The verve and excitement generated by changing gears at just the right time to get the best from the Maserati V8 engine is a special feeling.

We have already talked about the Sport button in connection with the engine and gearbox. As you can imagine it puts the engine electronics into a sportier mode to give faster response when the revs are up. It’s not too bad at lower revs, either, but that’s not its real purpose. The engine’s sporting settings really are there for heavy-duty use by the serious driver.

Entering the Sport mode also firms up the settings on the suspension dampers. Giving the big Italian sporting handling that defies the almost two-tonne weight. Nimble isn’t the word that first comes to mind, but the big GranSport is certainly willing to change direction on your favourite section of driving road. And once it has settled into a corner it sits virtually flat and holds on with plenty of determination.

Then there's the styling. Maserati GranSport is a little on the heavy side to look at, perhaps like a middle-aged Italian man who still passionately loves life, but who has enjoyed too much of the good stuff over the years. It’s not all illusion, because the GranSport is a large car. Which is partly due to the fact that it’s almost a four-seater, the back seats are surprisingly large for a coupe. Legroom does require a fair bit of compromise, though, and there are those who won’t like the headroom.

The frontal styling of the GranSport works nicely thanks to the expansive air intake with its exquisite shape and bold trident logo. The side skirts stick way out and make a real statement of their intent. The tail end is purposeful, almost to the point of being aggressive as the big Italian shows its tail to the traffic it has just overtaken.

Then there's the interior. Does anyone else do cabins as well as Maserati? We think not. The dash has a multitude of curves that interact beautifully and are highlighted by metallic finishes that have a semi-race look. Of course, no Maserati cockpit would be complete without that immaculately finishing analog clock sitting proudly in the dash centre.

The seats are trimmed in lovely leather and support well even when you are being particularly enthusiastic in throwing the big car around. All-in-all, the cabin of a Maserati is something you should experience at least once in your life – even if that just means talking nicely to a salesperson in a showroom or at a Motor Show.

Maserati GranSport, at $248,500 is pretty reasonably priced for what it is and offers a huge amount of flair and enjoyment to those fortunate souls who can afford it. Pity I’m not one of them!