Rarely can the first drive of a car have been so eagerly awaited – and rarely can such a drive have taken place with such a spectacular backdrop. Maserati unveiled the GranTurismo in March 2007 at the Geneva Auto Salon, but everyone has had to wait to drive one – until now. Bolzano lies at the heart of the Dolomite mountains in northern Italy, and this was the spot chosen for the start of the media launch.

Our first encounter with the cars came in the Walther Square, in the heart of the town - reports Maserati Monthly North America. Seven cars were lined up, glinting in the bright morning sunshine, with an eighth off to one side. Immediately it was obvious that the GranTurismo is something special; every passer-by looked admiringly at the display of beautiful cars, and many stopped for a closer look, peering in through the windows to check out the fine leather interior. Camera phones were put to good use, snapping photos of the cars, and people posing with them.

After a few minutes taking our own photos of the majestic line-up, we opened the door and slid into ‘our’ GranTurismo. The interior will be at once familiar to anyone who has driven a Quattroporte – and yet refreshingly different. As in the sedan, the dials and gauges were all perfectly clear, the familiar switchgear close to hand, the leather-clad steering wheel ideally placed. The elegantly curved wood trim which separates the upper dash from lower is a neat touch, as are the brushed aluminium highlights on the door handles and the climate control surround.

The biggest difference comes with the exterior view. Out of the windshield, that dramatically curving hood drops away, leaving the tops of each fender as reference points. There are surprisingly large mirrors on each door, giving a very clear view of what is behind. But enough of the view – how was it to drive? A twist of the key and the 405bhp 4.2-litre V8 came to life, its muted idle inoffensive to bystanders yet offering a glimpse of the power on offer. Pulling the gear lever back to D, we were off – carefully picking our way between the cyclists and pedestrians onto the narrow streets and lanes of the town. The new Navigation system – using a hard disk, with enough capacity to hold maps of the entire USA with space left over for 1,800 MP3 music files – guided us out of the maze and onto the open road.

Maserati had found some truly challenging roads for us to try in their new ‘grand tourer’. We turned off onto a narrow mountain road, clinging to the side of a hill as it wound its way up through tiny hamlets. In Auto mode the GranTurismo coped perfectly with such low-speed going – and when we joined a road which at least had two lanes, it proved just as well-suited to the increasing pace. Flooring the throttle pedal saw the engine soaring to 7,000rpm and beyond as the car surged forward, eating up the road to the next corner.

The wonderfully challenging stretches of open road were punctuated by villages, their houses bedecked with flowers blossoming from countless window boxes. As we ambled through, admiring the picture-perfect settings, it became obvious that we were ourselves the center of attention. People walking down the street stopped to watch us pass, and other motorists were also seen rubber-necking as we drove by.

This was hardly surprising; the Pininfarina-styled body of the GranTurismo is both dramatic and appealing. The big, low-slung oval ‘mouth’, with sleek headlights on either side, gives the nose of the car an unmistakably aggressive stance, yet the body’s flowing lines  are also elegantly sensual. Even in Italy, a Maserati is not an every-day sight; the brand new GranTurismo, transplanted to such a rural setting, had people staring as though they had never seen a car before. As we ambled through the small town of Tires it became clear that the car’s styling attracted the greatest attention.
 

Below 30mph the engine purred so unobtrusively that people reading a newspaper on a bench in the sunshine didn’t even glance over. Of course, once beyond the last of the houses such restraint was no longer needed – we switched to Sport mode, nudged the gear lever into the Manual position, and stormed over the Passo di Costalunga, more than a mile above sea level. Using the paddles behind the steering wheel which came perfectly to hand, we could ensure the transmission was in the ideal gear at all times – and it also allowed us to use engine braking, as much to enjoy listening to the engine as for anything else!

Down the other side, we headed for a coffee stop in Moena – where, once again, the sight of several GranTurismo cars clustered in the square had throngs of people looking and snapping pictures. After a delicious cappuccino we set off again, climbing rapidly through the tree-lined hairpin turns to the top of the Passo di San Pellegrino; at the top of the pass we pulled over, to admire the scenery and take some photos of the GranTurismo in such a marvelous setting. With Marmolado, the highest peak in the Dolomites in the background and with the machinery of a ski resort around, it was a wonderful spot.

Back on the road, there were yet more hairpins to tackle. The GranTurismo always felt secure and stable, prompting us to push ever harder round the corners until squealing tires warned that we were approaching the limits of grip of the fat Pirelli tires. And every short straight which followed was another opportunity to hear the howl of the engine as it propelled us to the next corner.

Since the Dolomites, part of the Southern Alps, offer such spectacular scenery it was hardly surprising to find other traffic on the road. When we had to moderate our pace because of sightseers, we found the luxurious cabin of the GranTurismo a most relaxing place. Finished with fine Poltrona Frau leather, the dual-zone climate control ensured we kept our cool under the clear blue skies of July. During the lunchtime halt we took the opportunity to try the rear seats – also leather, naturally. Despite only having two doors, and a swooping roofline, few compromises have been made and the GranTurismo can genuinely claim to be a full four-seater.

The remainder of the day offered more of the same pleasures – storming over high passes surrounded by the spectacular Dolomite mountains, plunging down tree-lined Alpine roads, admiring the breathtaking scenery and breathtakingly pretty villages and houses. Yet all the time, we were also aware of the admiring looks – from small boys on their way home from school to an elderly couple out for a walk in the afternoon sunshine. At one point we even saw a motorcyclist pointing excitedly to us, gesticulating to his passenger. The GranTurismo may not have the outlandish styling of some supercars, but it still attracted a lot of attention.

Back in Bolzano, it was with some regret that we took our leave of the GranTurismo. It had shown itself to be a truly accomplished ‘grand tourer’, equally at home cruising a boulevard as tackling a twisting road or eating miles on a highway. With a trunk large enough for two golf bags, and back seats worthy of the name, it has almost no rivals with such a spread of abilities. We can hardly wait to try it out on some classic American roads.