The soccer star loves the Maserati GranTurismo series
Lionel Messi has been the Barcelona F.C poster boy, basically ever since he first suited up for the club. Beyond that, he is also one of the icons of the game and is regarded as one of the true greats of the sport. The former Fifa World Player of the Year has many accolades and awards on his trophy shelf. Messi though, has more than just one trophy shelf as he owns a very impressive car collection worth over $4 million dollars. In his extensive garage, one type of car is among his favourites, the Maserati.
He has owned numerous GranTurismos over the years and his latest, the 2018 Maserati Granturismo, was made purely for a speed demon with exquisite taste. The license plate even reflects his iconic jersey number 10.The Maserati GranTurismo series was originally introduced in 2007, which also was when Messi first bought the car, being a lover of it ever since. The Maserati GranTurismo comes in both a Sport version or MC Stradale, which is the racing version that was developed to compete in the FIA GT4 European Cup. The 2018 GranTurismo MC is his latest and most prized, a sports grand tourer that has been extremely popular since its inception and is owned by many celebrities as their go-to drive.
Maserati GranTurismo Features
Until this year, the GranTurismo was powered by a 4.2 litre V8 but has now been upgraded to a 4.7 litre engine that gives it more of a kick. The power is the same as the previous editions however, running still at a respectable 454 horsepower. It is worth mentioning too, that these cars only come in a 6-speed automatic transmission, which was always the intention, given that it is a luxury sport grand tourer.
“It is the ultimate sit back and relax kind of car that can still get you on your toes when the pedal hits the metal.”
It is the ultimate sit back and relax kind of car that can still get you on your toes when the pedal hits the metal. The Maserati is the ideal, all round sports car then in that sense but then again, with capabilities of 0-100 kmh in just 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 297 km/h, the GranTurismo is far more than just a cruiser.
It is also with mentioning that here is stiff competition to this car from the Ferrari California and Aston Martin Vantage but while the GranTurismo may not compete in terms of their performance, it makes up for it in appearance. The GranTurismo is gorgeous and is less ostentatious than its competitors, offering a great alternative for anyone who looking for a truly authentic grand tourer with class. With the general performance aside then, let’s take a look at the exterior of this Italian beauty.
The 2018 GranTurismo exterior has not been upgraded very much but still has some notable additions on its predecessors.For a start, it comes in many more colour options, which is nice as they were very limited before. The headlights have been restyled making it more sleek and which are al more tinted than before. It also now has two air intakes and an air dam to give it better aerodynamics and downforce for better cooling. The spoiler is slightly higher than before too, and the hood is now made of carbon-fibre.
Besides all this, the interior has also been given a face lift. It features an improved computer system and which has a respectable size LCD touchscreen. The additions also include a rear camera for parking, and nicer stitching and materials for a more comfortable experience in the cabin. As mentioned, the GranTurismo is not the best grand tourer in its class but it is a great car for its price at $200,000.
The GranTurismo is expected to reach its expiry date soon as Maserati explores a successor to the GranTurismo series. Nevertheless, these cars have served as a great benchmark for Maserati’s future models. Expect GranTurismo enthusiast, Messi, to be first in queue for the latest grand tourer from Maserati. For more on the classic car visit: https://www.maserati.com/international/en/models/granturismo
