Why the new Maserati GranTurismo is the best it's been in years

There are a few things I’ve always loved about Maserati. The fact it was founded by no fewer than five brothers, for a start – can you imagine the arguments? Or that the company began life making spark plugs, developing technology for the Italian government during the First World War. Then there’s the racing pedigree – the glorious Maserati 250F, which was driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and won the 1957 Formula One World Championship.

But my favourite fact is this: in 1947, Maserati essentially invented a new category with the A6 1500 GranTurismo – the first car built for both luxury and performance on real roads.

It created the grand tourer, still my favourite kind of car. A machine that delivers power without requiring a physiotherapist on retainer.

Maserati invented the grand tourer in the 1940s and has perfected the formula again with this generation. Photo: Maserati

The first generation of the modern GranTurismo arrived in 2007, around the same time I spent a couple of ill-fated years in the wealth management arm of a major Swiss bank.

While plotting my future millions – perfectly timed for the global meltdown of 2008 – I convinced myself success would look like me behind the wheel of a GranTurismo.

I then made the genius decision to leave finance for the famously stable world of media, so the Maserati-shaped gap in the garage endures. And, honestly, over the past few years, I’m not sure the desire would have stuck. The Maserati line-up was feeling a little fatigued.

Which is why this new GranTurismo feels like such a breath of fresh air.