Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo

Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo | Test Drive

24 November 2025 Redazione News, Tested

Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Bruno Serra

My next few weeks were supposed to be fast and silent, thanks to a flood of horsepower delivered by the electric force of the Folgore, the electron-powered variant of the new GranTurismo. Fate, however, had other plans and so — thanks to the support of the Maserati Team and the friends at Rossocorsa (official Ferrari and Maserati dealer, ed.) — I now find myself trying to hold back the huge grin that appears on my face every time I bury my right foot on the throttle. No whine here, except for the twin-turbo’s whisper completely drowned out by the GT’s roar. An engine that, on paper, makes a few horses less than its electric counterpart, but for me stands as the benchmark for emotional engagement.

Add in the fact that the car’s very name — GranTurismo — is a love letter to the pleasure of long-distance driving and you’ll understand why I’m perfectly at ease with the numerous fuel-station stops. And trust me: when I say that pit stops are many, meaning the Nettuno beneath the hood is very, very thirsty. Some will claim you can achieve astonishing mileage, perhaps in Comfort mode. True, I agree. But my question to them is this: do you really care about fuel consumption when you’re driving a 550-horsepower Maserati?

The answer is only one and it takes the shape of the new generation of one of the most beautiful GTs ever made. Let’s be clear: the GranTurismo stayed on the market for ages — from 2007 to 2023 — with only a light facelift well past mid-cycle. But honestly, there wasn’t much to change: its lines instantly captured the collective imagination, letting us picture ourselves halfway through a long journey toward a destination that hardly mattered, because the very essence of that trip was the experience itself. That intimate bond was made even more dramatic by a V8 that sounded like a Valkyrie charge on any early weekday morning. The GranTurismo wasn’t perfect: it had an outdated transmission and a chassis that — MC Stradale aside — leaned more toward continent-crossing than mountain-road devouring. Now things have changed.

Now, the music has changed. Yes, because in tunes with the times is the right thing to do and if that means giving up a couple of cylinders and the naturally aspirated character of the previous engine in favor of the Nettuno V6 — seen in other Trofeo models and above all in the MC20 supercar — I’m absolutely fine with it. Pre-chamber ignition, twin spark plugs, instant and elastic power delivery that forces you to keep a close eye on the tacho, always ready to shoot upward in a way we weren’t used to with the Trident, at least until a few years ago. Even though the proportions remain familiar, with the same generous footprint and classic grand-touring shape, the second-generation GranTurismo is a completely different car.

The Trofeo is the top of the internal combustion range. The 3.0-liter may be modest in displacement, but it kicks like a mad horse. It does so to such an extent that Maserati chose to equip it with all-wheel drive, rather than making the driving experience too demanding for a significant slice of its customers. This is, after all, a matter of luxury, comfort and performance. And if the emphasis on the latter is a direct result of its exceptional mechanical package, it’s the car’s dual nature — as a perfect GT — that finally makes it more complete than it has ever been. The Nettuno produces 550 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque, delivered through an 8-speed ZF automatic, a dual-clutch robotized transmission that has nothing to envy from its Ferrari cousins. And those oversized paddles, fixed to the steering column… good Lord, they’re delightful.

Bang — shift a gear and the explosion from the quad tailpipes catches me off guard. I didn’t expect that and now I have the millionth reason why draining the fuel tank will be the inevitable goal of my next few days behind the wheel of the Trofeo. And it only takes a couple of hours. The all-wheel drive is as intelligent as it is providential. It lets you stay on the throttle mid-corner and use every bit of the available power. When you cross the 5,000-rpm threshold and keep the needle in that range, being able to send up to 50% of torque to the front axle becomes essential, both to keep the experience free of unnecessary tension and to shatter any lingering doubts you might have had about using the Nettuno in Maserati’s big GT.

The nearly 1,800-kg weight isn’t felt even during the sharpest direction changes and the Goodyears fitted to this test car seem glued to the scorching asphalt. Truly: the grip is so strong that many mid-engine supercars would kill for it. Speaking of engine layout, that too is a stroke of genius. Maserati cleverly arranged the differential and the V6 so that the engine sits behind the front axle, ensuring perfect weight distribution. In plain terms, this significantly reduces the load on the overhangs, which is why the GranTurismo Trofeo moves through corners in a way I’d never have believed possible. It does it in Comfort mode without ever feeling intrusive,and it heightens everything in Sport mode, raising the exhaust volume along with that of my laughter. I’m having more fun than I have ever had in ages.

In Corsa mode, traction controls are dialed back and if I weren’t risking shredding the tires before even finishing a full tank, I could let the rear slide out at every corner exit, straightening the car with the lightest flick of my fingers on the wheel. Getting a 5-meter, 1,800-kg coupe sideways has never been this easy. The recent summer heat, however, forces a more relaxed pace, necessary for cooling both mechanical parts and spirits. That’s one of those moments when you can focus on the major improvements Maserati made to its infotainment system. The cabin — elegant well beyond its competition — is a celebration of leather, carbon fiber and Alcantara. The seats are so comfortable they become yet another reason not to get out, while the three digital displays give you full control over every parameter of the car.

Here, I do feel like criticizing the choice of placing the headlight controls on the lower touchscreen, not to mention the transmission buttons, which are often not very responsive. The steering wheel, however, has perfect grip and besides the many buttons on the side spokes, features two round ones: the start button and the knob for changing driving modes and suspension settings. Then there’s a suite of ADAS features and a Sonus Faber audio system with 17 or 19 speakers, though we all know it’ll be used mainly in traffic or on long highway stretches. Because the true soundtrack — the emotional amplifier in perfect Maserati style — is the Nettuno. And who cares if turbocharging and the shift from 4.7 to 3.0 liters have inevitably cost a few decibels? The performance improvement has been exponential.

The GranTurismo Trofeo isn’t just a new Maserati GT, it’s a super-coupe capable of delivering astonishing numbers on the road and doing so with an apparent ease that was previously unthinkable. It represents a step forward that, without exaggeration, allows it to look down from above at competitors once deemed untouchable. The GranTurismo remains the least obvious choice and in Trofeo form it becomes the ultimate expression of luxury and performance, wrapped in lines that honor its past while projecting it firmly into the future. And the perfect example of that is the Folgore, a car we hope to test soon and one that I’m sure will open a Pandora’s box of reflections and perspectives. As for me, the Trofeo is the ideal choice for a romantic enthusiast like myself. It’s a car that constantly surprises you and, after weeks of use, has shown no design flaws whatsoever. And if you absolutely must know, yes — it can sip (relatively) little fuel, even deactivating half its cylinders while coasting. But who cares? If I were lucky enough to own one, I’d put a long line of miles between me and the city, taking it where the Nettuno is free to scream. And I’d scream with it. Finally, a not-so-minor detail: price. Maserati recently adjusted its price list, lowering the GranTurismo Modena from around €185,000 to €160,000 and the Trofeo from €225,000 to €200,000 — making it far more competitive purely from an economic standpoint. Okay, it doesn’t cost like a Panda — but go ahead and show me a Panda that goes from 0 to 100 in three and a half seconds.