THINK of the Maserati GranSport as a sound system costing £66,000 (and change) and it may seem a bit steep. Think of it as a unique, thrilling aural adventure, and suddenly it’s a bargain.

Of course, the GranSport has a stereo, but there’s no need ever to turn it on. Why would you bother? Keep the CD off, the radio killed and the windows down, and just blip the throttle, again and again.

It’ll win you hate mail from the neighbours but take them out for a spin and you’re sure to get back on their Christmas card list. For this Maserati is a rare beast. It is an event on wheels and captures the magic of turning every outing into an adventure.

Most orchestras feature violins, piano, brass and woodwind. The GranSport makes do with a 4.2 litre V8 engine and a Sport button that, when pressed, not only makes the drive more, well, sporty, but opens a few valves to add sound-around for an even greater V8 rumble. The result is an engine, along with four rather twee gold-tipped exhausts, capable of conjuring the most extraordinary sound, all in keeping with the marque’s extraordinary history.

Maserati is one of the great motoring badges. The three-pronged trident badge speaks of automotive pedigree. It was a Maserati, after all, that took Fangio to the Formula One World Championship in 1957. In its 90-year history, Maserati has built its name with some of the most beautiful cars on the road, some of the fastest, and some of the most competitive.

Now, with the GranSport, Maserati is turning its attention to luxury, high-speed touring, with a two-door, two-plus-two that in this rarefied automotive atmosphere offers exceptional value for money.

This is a 180mph car, a car that will go from a standing start to 60mph in less than five seconds, yet the flowing lines, gentle curves, and the eye-soothing moonglow paint job of the model I drove exude a feel of constrained power rather than brute force.

Also, unlike most two-plus-two models in which the rear seats are some sort of vestigial reminder of back seats useful only for pullovers and empty sandwich containers, the rear seats in the GranSport work. The neighbours’ kids, gangly youths of 14 and 11, who rang the bell asking for a spin, had more than enough legroom in the back.

No grey and black in here, either. Unlike the grim interiors of, say, a Porsche, the Maserati is all light, with blue leather upholstery, and a shining white and blue material that looks like a cross between cycling Lycra and that grippy stuff you put under your coffee mug on a boat to stop it sliding away.

The seats are comfortable and shaped, sportingly, to fit. The feel is of slightly quirky modernism, typified by the high-tech carbon-fibre panel around the air-conditioning vents and stereo, topped off by the classic oval Maserati clock, and the big red start button.

The car drives in two modes, regular and “full on”, which comes courtesy of the Sport button. Push it and, as well as an even throatier exhaust note, the gear change gets faster and the suspension tauter.

Apart from the noise, the GranSport gets along quite well enough without the Sport button needing a jab. The car uses gearshift paddles mounted on the steering wheel, which the driver quickly gets used to. This clutch-free system does seem to have a bit of lag between changes, though, but if you lift the throttle just a little bit as you change, it smoothes out. There is also a bit of hesitation — a second or two — for the car’s computer brain to sort itself and pick reverse once you have selected it using a small T-bar lever on the central console.

Acceleration is extraordinary. In fact, the car is even faster than it seems. Prod the throttle and you will be in for penalty points, even in third gear, if you are not careful. The ride is comfortable for such a performance machine, although even in regular mode, if you hit a pothole, you will feel it.

With the Sport button pressed, the car gives a bumpier, flatter, faster ride through corners, but to do it justice, you really would need to be on a track.

Whatever the speed, the electronically controlled damping system works to constantly monitor the car’s wheels and body angles and adjusts the suspension set-up instantly to compensate for lumps and bumps and ensures optimum grip and comfort.

The GranSport, for all its grand-touring aspirations, draws heavily on the racetrack but those sporting cues have been subtly blended into the design.

It may not be the most logical choice of car. High-performance alternatives such as the Porsche 911 Carrera S or Jaguar XKR may make more sense.

But there’s no denying the magic of the “Maser”.

VITAL STATISTICS

Engine: 4244cc V8 petrol giving 395bhp at 7,000rpm and 333lb ft of torque at 4,500rpm

Transmission: Clutchless six speed paddle shift driving the rear wheels

Performance: Top speed 180mph, 0-62 in 4.85sec

Economy: 15.2mpg overall

Weight: 1680kg

Suspension: double wishbones, co-axial coils and springs with variable dampers

Price: £66,600

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