‘Ultimate’ is a word that gets thrown around a lot in automotive circles, but in the case of the car you see here it’s eminently appropriate: the GranSport of 2004-07 was the ultimate version of the revered Maserati Coupé series.

The base car itself was impressive enough already: when the Coupé launched in 2001, it took the essential silhouette of the outgoing 3200 and repackaged it with a 385bhp 4.2-litre engine – this time naturally-aspirated, and borrowed from Ferrari. It’s fundamentally the same engine as you’ll find in the F430, California and 458, although in Maserati guise it runs a cross-plane crank for smoothness (as opposed to Ferrari’s more savage flat-plane crank arrangement).

This impressive motor is wrapped up in sumptuous curves penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, with a cosseting interior that wraps around you and positively encourages you to point the Maser’s nose at the horizon and go seeking adventure.

And in 2004, everything got turned up a notch. For the GranSport, engine power was upped to 395bhp via uprated exhausts and intake manifolds, and the 6-speed Cambiocorsa paddle-shift recalibrated for quicker shifts. The Skyhook active suspension sat the car 10mm lower, and this hunkered-down stance worked together with improved aerodynamics and a longer 6th gear to enable a higher top speed of 180mph.

The interior was notably upgraded too: with carbon fibre trim throughout, the wider and more supportive sports seats necessitated a slimmer carbon centre console, and the thick-rimmed steering wheel featured genuine carbon fibre as well.

The 2007 GranSport we have here is an impressive example – it has just 33,000 miles on the clock and a comprehensive service history; it’s attractively presented and it really is fabulous to drive.

The Coupé’s interior was already a special place, but the GranSport upgrades elevate it to another level. The seats are wonderfully supportive and electrically adjustable in countless directions, while the rear of the car features a generous amount of space – this is no 2+2, it’s a genuine 4-seater.

A Sony head unit has been fitted, and the gauges and dials are all working correctly, including the distinctive and all-important Maserati clock in the centre. There are no warning lights illuminated on the dash. The leather trim on the dashboard and console is in good condition, and the seats are well presented; a perfectionist may wish to reconnollise the front seat bolsters and door grab handles to eliminate the gentle patina they wear and bring them up to the delightful condition of the rest of the cabin, and this wouldn’t be a difficult or overly expensive task.

All of the interior lights work, the electric windows function correctly, and the attractively trimmed headlining is in good order and securely fixed. It’s all dry and tidy inside the boot, with the original Maserati toolkit and tyre inflator hidden away under the floor.

The Grigio Touring paint is a shade that suits this tastefully styled GranSport extremely well – sober and subtle in shadows, but playfully glittery and sparkling in the sunlight. It’s got a lovely deep lustre to it, and is all very well presented aside from two areas where the paint appears to have reacted and microblistered slightly, on the bonnet and the nearside rear quarter – we’ve tried to highlight this in the photos, although the imperfections are so insubstantial it is hard for the lens to pick them up!

The wheels have been refinished in Grigio Mercury, which complements the body colour well, and they wear quality Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres with good tread.

The light lenses and window glass are all in good condition with no stonechips or cracks, and all of the correct emblems and trim pieces are in place, the Maserati badges having been replaced. The original chrome front grille has been replaced with a black item for a more tasteful aesthetic. Overall, a very tidy Maserati, and it would only take a small amount of attention to those two areas of the paint to get it up to show quality.

We can see from the history file that this Maserati has always been meticulously serviced, and this is borne out by its impeccable manners today – it happily fires into life on the first turn of the key, and drives extremely smoothly, with the GranSport’s characteristic engineered-in start-up growl from the valved exhaust system. The drivetrain of this car was engineered to be tractable and everyday-usable as well as entertaining, and the paddle-shift Cambiocorsa automated-manual transmission is a perfect complement to the Ferrari V8; with 395bhp to play with it’s always an effervescent ride.

 With an excellent service history and all those receipts to back it up, this is a Maserati that comes with true peace of mind. The clutch has recently been replaced, as have the front suspension springs, and from our test drive everything appears to be in excellent order – the car rides very well, the engine pulls strongly and the transmission shifts smoothly. This is a car that’s cosseting when you’re cruising and agile in the corners, which is exactly what a Maserati grand tourer should be.

It's also worth noting the Formula Dynamics Drive-by-Wire Enhancement Module which can be found in the glovebox. This aftermarket item isn’t currently connected, but could be if the new owner wished to do so and full instructions can be found in the paperwork file – it’s essentially an electronic module that claims to improve throttle response, shift behaviour and power delivery.

This GranSport has a very fine specification along with a comprehensive and reassuring history file. 

With many thousands spent to keep it tip-top, powered by a big-hearted Ferrari V8, and with a luxuriously trimmed and well-equipped interior, all wrapped up in effortlessly stylish Giugiaro design, this sharply-suited Maser suavely cuts a dash on the high street, loves carving up country roads and mountain passes, devours motorways with aplomb, and does so while serving up a heavenly engine sound. 

It’s endlessly comfortable, achingly pretty, always entertaining – and it could be yours… 

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