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2008 Maserati GranTurismo Road & Track Test

The more I look at Maserati's new coupe, the more I can't help falling for it. And dare I say this could pose a problem, of course, as the last time I felt like this about a

Simply gorgeous. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Trident-badged, two-door sport coupe, I bought it.

Maserati's new GranTurismo is certainly something special, a feast for the eyes, for sure, and almost gluttonous to every other bodily sense. I snatched the keys to my sample in Monterey, California recently, and took it on an extended drive down that city's winding Oceanview Crescent along the rocky coastline and then inland over some serpentine mountain roads, all in an attempt to wring out any weak elements and cause it to fumble on its foibles. No stumbling here, however, as the GranTurismo has next to no faults, which if it were any other car might make for a rather boring review. But this is no ordinary car now, is it?

Truly, if you want to stand out in a crowd that is currently replete with competent if not ubiquitous Porsche 911s and Mercedes-Benz SLs, the GranTurismo is for you. While prettier than most anything else on wheels, it's also

Oceanview is a slow but picturesque drive. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

ridiculously exclusive to the point that you might never see one in your city at all, let alone parked next to you at the golf club. And the looks you'll get while driving it... well, let's just say that they run somewhere between pure envy and absolute admiration. It's a car that not only shows that you've arrived, but tells all comers that you don't plan on playing the game by their rules... or any rules for that matter.

I suppose I broke a few rules while Maserati's coupe was in my possession. Nothing that could be deemed dangerous, mind you, but some people do get steamed after getting passed by a car that they'll probably never get the chance to sit in let alone own. Yes, I knew that I'd have opportunity to stretch its legs at Laguna Seca raceway the following day, but c'mon, how was I supposed to hold back to the California limit with 405 eager horsepower growling away under the car's long, luscious hood.

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