GranTurismo S Automatic in Scottsdale, Arizona
Certified Fun

Across the United States there are many sights to see, many different landscapes. Over the past few years we have been privileged to have visited quite a few places for Maserati Monthly, but few can have been quite so distinctive as Scottsdale, Arizona. If we had been dropped there without knowing the location, it would have taken only a couple of minutes to figure out that we were in the south-west. The beautiful earth tones of the landscape, the distinctive rock formations, the sagebrush and saguaro along the roadside and the adobe walls are all clear pointers. What was even better, we got to explore this vast area at the wheel of a Maserati – a GranTurismo S Automatic.

’Our’ car was a 2009 model with low mileage, a great example of what can be found within Maserati’s industry-standard Certified Pre-Owned program. After picking it up, we headed for south Scottsdale, and the Art District. This area is home to numerous galleries and countless restaurants, not to mention the Scottsdale Historical Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Center for the Performing Arts, clustered together at the south-eastern corner. The low-rise buildings give the whole area a friendly, more ‘human’ feel than some city centers; this is helped by the efforts to emphasize the Western heritage of Scottsdale, with street lights in the Old Town designed to look like giant oil lamps hanging from wooden posts. We cruised the avenues in our GranTurismo, admiring the sights – and the passers-by returned the favor, turning to look at the sleek shape of the Maserati. Even with the bypass valves in the exhaust system closed, the GranTurismo still has a distinctly sporty exhaust note – enough to signal capability and intent without being offensive.

The surfeit of restaurants is hardly surprising, given that tourism is the single largest source of employment – more than a third of all jobs are related to tourism. It has deservedly earned a reputation as a high-end destination – only New York and Las Vegas have more AAA Five Diamond-rated hotels. There are golf courses and resorts, the aforementioned art galleries and restaurants, and premium shopping destinations. The Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic fits right in with this high-end, savvy demographic, but still stands out due to its rarity and elegant, aggressive and sexy looks. ‘Our’ car was the classic triple black – Nero Carbonio metallic paint, Nero leather and carpets, black Alcantara headlining and piano black trim. You may think that sounds somber – dull, even. But the lustrous depth of the metallic paint, when covering the Pininfarina-styled curves of the GranTurismo, looks tremendous.

To the west is one of the main reasons that Scottsdale - and its near neighbor, Glendale - was founded. The Arizona Canal was constructed in the mid-1850s, running almost 50 miles from a dam on the Salt River. Constructed for irrigation, it has also become a popular destination for walkers and joggers. To the north-west of Old Town is the Scottsdale Waterfront development, next to the massive Fashion Square mall. The Waterfront is notable for the pedestrian bridge across the Arizona Canal; designed by local resident Paolo Soleri, its main feature is the two 64-foot-tall cylindrical pylons at the eastern end. In combination with the ‘true north’ alignment of the bridge, the 6-inch gap between the pylons has been designed to create a ‘line of light’ at solar noon – and the pylons have been angled so that, at the summer solstice, they create no shadow.

Speaking of the sun, it’s worth mentioning the Scottsdale climate – one of the principal reasons for its status as a tourist destination. With mild winters, the area attracts large numbers of visitors from further north – many acquire second homes, and spend much of the winter in the city. Of course, in summer the heat can be brutal – for four months the average high is at or above 100 degrees. Not that we were overly concerned; the dual-zone climate control was more than capable of keeping us cool, even in the GranTurismo with its black paint. And the payoff for the heat was the glorious sunset we were treated to, later in the day. First, we needed to head out of the city. The GranTurismo S Auto, with its 6-speed automatic transmission, is perfectly at home in traffic – but ambling around town is only scratching the surface of the Maserati’s tremendous abilities. So we headed east, although on the way our photographer insisted we stop by Papago Park.

Despite being only minutes away from the city center, and around three miles away from Phoenix International Airport, the park is a tranquil oasis; home to Botanical Gardens and the Phoenix Zoo, there are trails which wind around the sandstone buttes, and pools with picnic tables. There is also the Hole-in-the-Rock, a famous landmark where erosion has carved out a chamber which runs clean through one of the buttes. Our photographer insisted that we hike up to the Hole-in-the-Rock, for photos of both the Maserati and the park; we have to admit, it was worth the effort. It was also intriguing to think that, over a thousand years ago, the Hohokam culture may have used the feature as a kind of calendar, marking the seasons by where the sun rose and set.

After our leisurely tour of the park it was time to let the Maserati stretch its legs, so we headed for the hills out to the east – because hills usually mean challenging roads. We weren’t disappointed; the scenery was wonderful, the roads varied and interesting, and the GranTurismo S Automatic was simply tremendous. There were some tricky crests and dips but the Skyhook adaptive suspension continually adjusted the damping to ensure body control was ideally matched to what the road threw at us. With the Sport button pressed Skyhook firmed things up even more, keeping even tighter control over pitch and yaw, and the 4.7-liter V8 engine responded to the throttle with even greater urgency, howling its approval through the sports exhaust system.

We charged up and down the country roads as they wound through the rolling hills, huge saguaro cacti lining our route. Using the shift paddles located on the steering column to control the transmission brings an even greater feeling of involvement, and we made full use of it; in Sport mode the engine revs to a remarkable 7,200 rpm, delivering tremendous performance with a spine-tingling soundtrack. The comprehensive inspection requirements of the Certified Pre-Owned program meant that we had no qualms about using all the performance the GranTurismo could deliver: engine, transmission, suspension, steering, brakes – all are well covered.

All too soon our photographer called time on our exploration of the Maserati’s terrific performance as he wanted to shoot a seemingly endless number of detail photos. It gave us the chance to reflect on the interior – the Poltrona Frau leather used for the seats, the Alcantara headlining, and also the remarkable practicality of the GranTurismo. It may have the performance and handling – not to mention the head-turning looks – of a sports car, but the Maserati also has four full-size seats, and a trunk large enough for both our luggage and our photographer’s kit. Whether storming the curves on a country road or eating up the miles on an Interstate, the GranTurismo is a fine choice; practical and relaxing for the long haul, sharp and purposeful in ‘attack’ mode, and with stunning looks as well. Low-mileage models available through Maserati’s Certified Pre-Owned program offer exceptional value, as well as the benefits of immediate delivery!

At last our photographer was satisfied; and as the sun sank low and treated us to a superb sunset we headed back to Scottsdale Maserati. It had been a memorable day, full of great sights and great experiences. No wonder Scottsdale is so popular with tourists – mild winter climate, distinctive southwestern scenery, a wide selection of restaurants and stores, a varied and eclectic arts sector and (so we were assured) vibrant nightlife and clubs. All of that, and a Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic – an unbeatable combination! If a Certified Pre-Owned Maserati is of interest, bear in mind that supply and demand is such that it may be difficult to find one that hasn’t already been snapped up; getting to know your local dealer will help them find just what you want through the Maserati network. Our grateful thanks to Scottsdale Maserati for the loan of ‘our’ lovely 2009 car.