Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale Centennial. REVIEW. Dubai, UAE

Here I am then, trying to celebrate a century of the Trident in one of its most ferocious road cars accompanied by a shonky ride and borderline lackadaisical acceleration. Regular C&P readers may even now assume a 2 star rating is a mere formality for the GranTurismo MC Stradale Centennial Edition.

But it isn’t. Because I like it.

I know, I know. And I’m not even through my list of grievances yet, onto which I must jot the grabby brakes. With little travel in the pedal, finding the sweet spot is difficult enough, and my afternoon is spent trying to find any sensation at all. Their impact is impressive though, allowing me to get the MC balanced on entry into some of the area’s sharper turns without the front end squirrelling.

My change of heart in fact comes when I take the Maserati out of ‘bumbling along’ normal and stick it into ‘Race’. The gear changes are no less shonky but they are at least quicker, ditto the acceleration now that the V8 has been given a kick in the feels. ‘Race’ appears in the driver information screen, and there’s a renewed sense of urgency almost quivering through that now tightened suspension. None of which I particularly care about, because with Race comes a deeper, more guttural, and absolutely astonishing soundtrack from Maserati’s V8.

Good God it really is stunning, the warble even at idle setting hairs on edge I didn’t even know I had, almost plucking them out at the route entirely as the revs streak through 4000rpm.

THERE is the drama I’ve been waiting for, with everything now in ‘drive by the seat of your knackers’ mode, the MC Stradale begins to make more sense. Suddenly 100 years of Maserati really does begin to creep in.

Previously the steering had felt woolly, a hair’s delay between input and turn in had left me with little confidence in the front wheels. While there are still dead spots on turn in even in Race mode, the heightened sense of enthusiasm begins to creep in as we pick up speed through the turns. There’s a little too much roll through the turns – a hallmark of that kerb weight, despite an impressively stiff chassis – for me to really be on it, but there’s good weight in the wheel, massive amounts of grip in the front tyres, and a rear axle that’s beginning to get a little frisky into some of the sharper corners. Once again, those Brembo brakes are quick to restore order.

And of course, there’s that soundtrack, a deep V8 growl of intent that’s suddenly brought the whole journey alive: I’ve even stopped swearing (briefly) at the gearbox. It’s a soundtrack that accompanies me across kilometre after kilometre of mountain road, echoing back for good measure. I’m not wrestling the MC through the turns, gunning for each apex, or pushing my limits. I’m driving one of the most emotive machines I’ve experienced in quite some time.

Though there’s power steering, there’s still a connection. I don’t get the sense that the machine is doing all the hardwork for me (although it probably is), since the everything feels a little too soft for that. I’m fighting against the onslaught on understeer, balancing the car to negate roll through the turns, trying to find the sweet spot for the next gear change, anticipating the clump of power assisted steering that will appear out of nowhere. Unlike many supercars I’ve driven where  I can’t help but wonder how much of the work is being done by ‘the machines’, I all too aware how hard I’m being made to work in the MC Stradale. And it feels…right.

I’m not going to lie, there is a lot wrong with the Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale. The steering really is too woolly to ever truly feel ‘on it’ during a drive, any sense of feel through the brakes is difficult to find, acceleration could be more energetic, and the less said about the Race Shift box the better. And weirdly, very little of that matters. Yes, a Porsche 911 GT3 will handle incomparably better, a Nissan GT-R would leave the MC Stradale quivering with fright on the startline, and the refinement of an Aston Martin will be greater for a similar price tag. But there’s just something about the MC Stradale that calls to me. It doesn’t need to handle like the best Stuttgart has to offer or plough my spine to dust under heavy acceleration. That’s not the point. Every drive, through the mountains or in town, teeth-grinding or glorious, is always an occasion. There’s a genuine connection to the drive that, while often frustrating, is always intact. There’s character, aided in no small fashion by that simply astonishing V8 soundtrack, that’s impossible to ignore and which some of the Maserati’s far more capable rivals sometimes lack. In the GranTurismo MC Stradale, it’s not about being the fastest or the best handling. It’s about the thrill of driving, and for a Centennial Edition, that seems bang on.

But I implore you Maserati, please – PLEASE – fit a proper gearbox. It will make the next 100 years all the more enjoyable.

– FULL GALLERY OF SHOTS AVAILABLE HERE – CLICK –

Awesome set of wallpapers available HERE – Set 1

Awesome set of wallpapers available HERE – Set 2

Technical specifications available on page 3