By Lee Nian Tjoe

Women like men in sharp suits because it shows the guy knows how to dress - and he is more likely to take them to nice restaurants than sloppy food joints.

The Maserati GranTurismo is kind of like a suit. It is exquisitely cut and tailored in a way that makes the wearer feel as confident as the latest Double-0 Seven does in his Tom Ford.

The GranTurismo S is basically the same handsome suit, only better. It not only makes the wearer look good but also transforms him into a totally new man, a sportsman even.

Key to this heightened athleticism is the engine. Displacing 4.7 litres (versus the 4.2 in the GT), the GT S has significantly more grunt (40bhp and 39Nm of torque). Mated to the latest DuoSelect gearbox, which is Maserati's equivalent to the Ferrari F1 Superfast transmission, shifts are smooth and very, very quick with changes taking just 100 milliseconds.

The front brake discs have been enlarged and made using a special "dual-cast" technology clamped by mighty six-pot callipers. The suspension has also been tuned to be slightly sportier than the 4.2 GT's.

The sum of all the hardware is an entirely more purposeful machine, which comes alive at the push of a button marked Sport.

Once activated, the transmission goes into quick shift mode and the exhaust system frees up.

The slick dinner jacket is now a snug race suit. The combination of the deep-barrelled engine noises with the angry pops at every gear change is bound to have an effect on the driver.

Suddenly the drive home becomes a whole lot more exciting. One becomes Daniel Craig driving away from a pursuing Alfa Romeo in the tunnel, except unlike the Aston Martin in the opening scene of the latest Bond movie, Quantum Of Solace, the Maserati has its doors undamaged.

Also intact is the GT S' aspirations as a grand tourer. Measuring nearly 4.9m (longer than a BMW 5 Series) with a correspondingly long wheelbase, its ride is calm and settled.

Even though twisty roads are not a problem, it prefers long sweeping bends where the power and size afford it plenty of pace and poise.

When Sport is deactivated, the engine quietens down significantly (the deep V8 rumble is still satisfyingly audible) and the gearshifts morph from being fast and angry to something that is much smoother, if not perfectly seamless like in a conventional automatic transmission.

Its asking price of $495,000 may seem like a lot in these times but remember that an Aston Martin DBS would set you back twice that amount. A designer suit at a bargain? Almost.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 15, 2008.

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By Samuel Ee

WHEN the Maserati GranTurismo was introduced early last year, the beautiful coupe also unveiled what is arguably the most sensuous looking front grille of any modern car. That gaping orifice with its 'floating' Trident badge hinted at something wild - but the car itself turned out to be a surprisingly tame drive.

Its 4.2-litre V8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission were so smooth and refined that it was more Italian housewife than Italian sex bomb.

Not any more. Introducing the Maserati GranTurismo S. With just one letter suffixed to its long name, the Maserati coupe's image has been overhauled. Two important changes have transformed it from civilised grand tourer to thoroughbred sports car - a bigger 4.7-litre V8 engine and a DuoSelect clutchless manual gearbox. At 440 hp, the GTS's power is up 35 horses from the GranTurismo's 405 hp.

Maximum torque is also higher at 490 Nm from the 4.2-litre unit's 460 Nm. As a result, the zero to 100 kmh dash is 0.3 of a second quicker at 4.9 seconds.

More interesting is the choice of transmission. It is still mounted on the rear axle, but this time it is the same sequential robotised system found in the more hardcore versions of the Quattroporte saloon, not the conventional automatic transmission with a torque converter.

The difference is eye-popping. The GTS feels more alert and gear changes can be as fast as 100 milliseconds- same as the Ferrari 599 - if the Sport button on the centre console is depressed. Sport also changes the engine mapping and re-routes the exhaust to make it free-flowing.

The latter creates the most delightful exhaust drone and burble, which are so addictive that you will be shifting gears more often than necessary just to hear them.

Unlike the GranTurismo, there is no gear lever in the GTS because of the DuoSelect. Instead, there are two buttons on the lower centre console, marked '1' and 'R'. The former is for moving forward, and the latter for going into reverse. Also new are the extremely long steering-mounted paddle shifts and the driver info display screen, which can be configured to show the gear selection and gear-change indicator. The first feature is to complement sporty driving behaviour.

Maserati figures that GTS customers are more likely to change gears in a corner rather than before entering it.
The gear-change indicator has the same hard-charging group in mind. You don't have to look at the tachometer to know when to shift up because a coloured band - first green, then yellow and finally red - gives an indication of the rising engine speed.

Floor the gas pedal and the GTS unleashes a symphony of automotive mayhem. It feels almost raw compared with the GranTurismo, but even as the road speed builds up rapidly, the car feels eminently poised and controllable. The GTS also has enlarged brake callipers in a new dual cast construction to reduce unsprung weight.

The ride can get hard. While the GranTurismo has Skyhook variable suspension, the GTS has non-adjustable shocks. It is also 10 mm lower, but while it is very firm, it still retains a moderate level of ride comfort.

All the differences add up though.

The GTS has a list price $67,000 higher than the GranTurismo. Both seat four adults comfortably despite the swoopy styling, and offer typically sybaritic Italian leather and wood interiors. Your could call it high-speed luxury in its most titillating form.

This article was first published in The Business Times on Nov 1, 2008.