Maserati Granturismo vs Ferrari Roma

What's the difference?

How much would you pay for an outstandingly beautiful grand touring coupe with supercar performance?

Costing as much as a one-bedroom inner-city flat, the new-from-the-ground-up Maserati GranTurismo possesses seductive styling. When you’re chasing the exquisite Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and Bentley Continental GT, you need every asset available, and then some.

Which brings us to the 2024 second-generation (M189) range.

Adding to a stunning back-catalogue of gorgeous Maseratis that stretches back even further than either of its opponents above, does the latest GranTurismo have the brains as well as the brawn to match its stunning beauty?

Let’s dive right in.

There aren’t as many Ferraris on the road in Italy as you might think. There’s the purchase price, per-kW taxes and poisonously expensive fuel. So, usually, they’re a rare sight, except around Maranello in the northern province of Modena.

Because that’s Ferrari’s home and in getting to grips with the subject of this review - the twin-turbo V8 Roma - I enjoyed a smile-inducing moment with a local milk truck driver.

On a narrow section, part way into a road test drive through local villages and twisting B-roads to the west of Maranello, the tanker pulled over to let me through. 

Gave a thank you double blink of the hazard lights on passing and received a quick headlight flash in return. They almost certainly thought I was putting kays on a test mule in the same way camouflaged prototypes so often do on the same stretch of road.

Maybe I’d inadvertently sipped some Prancing Horse Kool-Aid, but it felt special. Ferrari is so close to Italian hearts and the Roma is such a sleek and engaging example of its current output.

But is this ‘iron fist in a velvet glove’ 2+2 capable of tearing you away from its well-credentialled high-end competitors? Stick with us to find out.