A star is reborn

After some years in the shadows of sister company Ferrari, Maserati has again started to produce credible luxury cars

First there was the fine and highly praised Quattroporte Automatic and now, comes the gorgeous new GranTurismo. It's exactly 60 years since Maserati presented its first road car-the GranTurismo A6. And today's GranTurismo is a direct descendent, also taking cues from the Maserati GTs of the 1950s. With a fine-tuned version of the Quattroporte's V8 engine, it offers 405 HP and can leap from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds.

Although it is billed as a car for "everyday fun", this is a car in the best traditions of the grand tourer-it works best with two people and some luggage enjoying a good road-trip. Its muscular good looks, powerful engine and decent handling all seem to be calling for a fun day out on some mountain roads.