The first generation of the GranTurismo is one of the longest-lived in the history of modern sports
cars, remaining in production for 12 years. Its persistence in the market was not just a sign of budget
constraints from FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), but a testament to the timelessness of its design and the
charisma of its mechanical assembly.
Design and Aesthetics: Pininfarina's Masterpiece
The design of the GranTurismo M145 was entrusted to the Pininfarina studio, under the creative
direction of American designer Jason Castriota. The instruction was clear: create a true four-seater (a real
2+2, capable of accommodating four adults comfortably), distinguishing itself from rivals like the Porsche
911 or the Jaguar XK, which offered merely symbolic rear seats.
The visual result was a masterclass in proportion. The car was large — 4,881 mm in length and a 2,942
mm wheelbase — but the lines camouflaged its mass. The front was dominated by an aggressive oval grille with
the concave trident, a direct reference to the racing cars of the 1950s. The side silhouette flowed
organically, with a beltline that rose over the rear wheels to create muscular "shoulders," evoking power
and stability.
A crucial design detail was the influence of the "Birdcage 75th" concept car. The fluidity of the
front fender lines and the way the hood dove toward the grille were elements inherited directly from this
concept, giving the GranTurismo an elegance that has aged gracefully, resisting ephemeral automotive design
trends.
Mechanical Engineering: Chassis and Suspension
Built on the M139 platform (a shortened evolution of the Quattroporte V sedan's platform), the
GranTurismo utilized a steel unibody structure. Although heavier than the aluminum structures used by
Ferrari or Audi, the steel offered the necessary torsional rigidity for the comfort of a GT and passive
safety.
Weight distribution was a point of obsession for the engineers. To combat the understeer tendency typical of
front-engine cars, Maserati pushed the V8 engine behind the front axle, configuring a "front-mid engine"
layout.
- Initial Distribution: In versions with a conventional automatic
transmission, the distribution was 49% on the front axle and 51% on the rear.
- Transaxle Layout: In the sportier versions (initial S and MC Stradale), the
gearbox was moved to the rear axle, integrated with the differential. This altered the distribution to
47% in the front and 53% in the back, a balance typically associated with mid-rear engine cars, ensuring
exceptional traction exiting corners.
The suspension utilized double wishbones on all four wheels, with an "anti-dive" system in the front
and an "anti-squat" system in the rear, ensuring the body remained level under heavy acceleration and
braking. The Skyhook adaptive damping system, standard on many versions and optional on others, used sensors
to continuously adjust the stiffness of the shock absorbers, prioritizing comfort in normal mode and
stiffness in Sport mode.
The Heart of the Legend: The F136 Engine Family
The defining element of the GranTurismo M145 experience was the naturally aspirated V8 engine of the
F136 family, jointly developed by Ferrari and Maserati and produced at the Ferrari factory in Maranello.
Unlike the F136 engines used by Ferrari (such as in the F430 and 458), which utilized a flat-plane crank to
reach stratospheric RPMs and maximum power at the expense of low-end torque, Maserati opted for a
cross-plane crank.
Why a Cross-Plane Crank?
This engineering choice was fundamental to the car's character. The cross-plane crank generates an
uneven firing interval between the cylinder banks, resulting in two main characteristics:
- Reduced Secondary Vibration: Making the engine smoother and more luxurious
for long trips.
- Sound Signature: The sound produced is bass-heavy, deep, and guttural at
low revs, transforming into a mechanical howl at high revs. It is widely considered one of the best
production engine sounds in history.
There were two main variants of this engine over the model's life:
- F136 U (4.2 Liters): 4,244 cc, dry sump, delivering 405 hp and 460 Nm.
- F136 Y (4.7 Liters): 4,691 cc, wet sump (in some versions) or dry sump,
delivering between 440 hp and 460 hp depending on the specification.