Maserati Ghibli review, test drive

The dual carriage way twists and turns like a strand of wet spaghetti. Just the right width, with plenty of visibility around corners, it is a road that is easy to carry speed over. The scenery going up this section of the Italian Alps is stunning too, which makes the drive all the nicer. Yes, there are a few blind crests and a few corners that tighten suddenly, but otherwise, this road is just right for Maserati’s new Ghibli S.

 

The Ghibli S is super comfortable in this environment, and effortlessly picks up the pace. A fast, comfortable Grand Tourer in the truest sense of the word, the new S, just like many of the Maseratis of yore, doesn’t need to be worked hard to get up to speed. I’m only adding power lazily with my right foot, but already the torque from the twin turbo V6 is hurling the Ghibli S forward like you wouldn’t believe. The gearbox always seems to have the right gear on hand, and then, every time I put my foot down, I get a nice squeeze in the back. There certainly seems to be more grunt here than the 404bhp seem to suggest; and that’s because the 56kgm of torque comes in nice and early, at a diesel-like 1750rpm. So, every time you put your foot down, it just goes whack. 

 

What’s also nice is that there’s plenty of linearity here. There’s no big hit of torque suddenly coming in, no big spike in power, and that almost makes this engine feel naturally aspirated. Also adding considerably to the appeal of this car is the noise coming out of the quartet of pipes at the rear. Sounding more like a V8 race motor than a turbo-charged V6, there’s a nice howl emitted from the exhaust every time I pull the engine harder. Yes, there is a bit of bass initially and a bit of rumble too, but this car clearly is more Italian thoroughbred than yank tank. It would be – the engine is built alongside Ferrari’s new-generation twin-turbo V8s in Maranello.