The 2023 GranTurismo: Pure Italian Suave The GranTurismo has been the gorgeous and suave Grand Tourer for Maserati for the last 17 years. The first generation was a true beauty that lasted from 2007 to 2019. And it was available with one of the greatest engines in history. The high revving, sonorous, naturally aspirated, Ferrari-derived F136 V8 that shattered mountains. After a four-year hiatus, Maserati introduced its second-generation GranTurismo in 2023 during their revival phase. This new car featured MC20-inspired headlights, an all-new but still gorgeous body and all-wheel drive. Sadly due to emission regulations, the glorious high–reveving Ferrari derived V8 departed and in its place were three options. Either you ticked the Folgore option in which you ended up with an all-electric, 751 horsepower 2.4 tonne, atom bomb. Or you used your common sense, realised EVs are a fad and ticked either the Modena or preferably Trofeo options. These came with the same detuned variants of the 3.0l Twin–Turbo Nettuno V6 found in the MC20 supercar. Sure the Nettuno V6 is no V8 but it’s easily the most sonorous turbo V6 ever created (not surprising given Ferrari and Alfa both played a part in its development). After all, who buys a gorgeous Italian grand tourer, only to have it sound like a Hoover? Well as it turns, out, those who ticked the Folgore were the ones with common sense. 524 V6-powered GranTurismo and GranCabrios have been recalled and returned to Modena. But what exactly went wrong? Inaccurate fuel reading: Is your car affected? According to Maserati and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the issue stems from the body control module (BCM) software. Essentially it's struggling to monitor the accurate fuel levels in the tank. Just picture the scenario. You and your wife have had a lovely meal at Jumeirah, and your beautiful new red GranTurismo Trofeo registers half a tank. You climb on board, relishing in that growling 542 horsepower V6 as you power down Sheikh Zayed Road. Then all of sudden, your Maserati goes all Italian, waves its arms about in panic, seizes its engine and refuses to restart. When road assistance finally comes to your rescue, they laugh and mock you for not noticing your exotic Italian GT had an empty tank. In all seriousness, can you imagine how dangerous that would be on a Motorway? Now let’s be clear, not all GranTurismos are affected by this. Only those built between November 20, 2022, and July 4, 2024, are in the line of fire. So, if your VIN falls in the Z-A to Z-U range, it’s worth you ringing your local Maserati dealer. And once your car is in the dealership, they will free of charge update the software to register the correct fuel levels. However, it’s worth noting that this problem only affects GranTurismos and GranCabrios within this period. Those who are keen to indulge themselves in a Ferrari-derived V6-powered Italian grand tourer, go right ahead. You won’t find yourself suffering from inaccurate fuel gauges. Maybe something else entirely new instead? Maseratis=Deeply flawed but deeply loveable You might think this faulty fuel gauge reading is a mark against buying a GranTurismo. However, in truth, what did you expect? Part of the joy and excitement behind owning any Italian car is that you know at some point, it’s going to wave its arms about and surprise with some crazy never seen before fault. Especially if it’s a Maserati. The GranTurismo is alone in this sector. The old Quattroporte had a dodgy clutch. The Levante had misaligned faulty headlights. And the MC20 recently suffered from a fuel leak that caused the engine to seize. But that’s what makes them lovable. If you wanted to spend around $200,000 for reliability and durability, you wouldn’t have purchased a Maserati GranTurismo. You’d have been like everyone else and bought the Mercedes-AMG GT, BMW M8, Bentley Continental, or the Folgore option. But you didn’t. You wanted a petrol-powered Maserati, to indulge yourself in its Ferrari-derived V6. You knew the risks but you wanted something different, unique and special. Is it flawed? Yes, this faulty fuel gauge is probably just the start of the GranTurismo’s flaws. But that’s ok. That’s what makes a car feel human, what makes it loveable, what makes it charming. And that charm is exactly why you'll keep buying the Trofeo and Modena variants of Maserati’s latest masterpiece. Because who buys a stunning Italian car to have it powered by Duracell and not a soulful engine? Who seriously uses common sense when purchasing a Maserati? My case rests. Source: Motor Authority
