Featured Car

2026 Genesis GV70 2.5T Prestige Limited AWD

Road Test: 2026 Genesis GV70 2.5T

17 January 2026

With its striking 27-inch OLED display, quilted Nappa leather interior, and composed turbocharged performance, the 2026 Genesis GV70 2.5T Prestige Limited proves that luxury doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

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First Drive: 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri

21 November 2025

The 2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri is spectacular—better than you imagine. Powered by a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 that revs to 9,500 rpm and makes 819 horsepower, it channels Ferrari tradition with breathtaking precision. Wet roads in Luxembourg do little to dull the magic of this golden lightning bolt.

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2026 Honda Prelude Returns As A Hybrid Grand Tourer

18 October 2025

Honda revives the beloved Prelude nameplate as a sleek, hybrid-electric grand touring coupe. Pairing Civic Type R hardware with a two-motor hybrid system, the 2026 Prelude delivers precision, style and the joy of driving when it arrives in Canada later this year.

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2025 Lexus LC 500: A V8 Grand Tourer With Soul

6 August 2025

There’s something to be said for quiet confidence. The 2025 Lexus LC 500 isn’t trying to shout over anyone. It...

2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Cartagena Yellow in Niagara wine country

Road Test: 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

29 May 2025

Spring has returned to Beamsville, Ontario, and with it, the promise of vineyard views, lake breezes, and the sort of...

2025 Lexus LX700h Overtrail+

Featured SUV: 2025 Lexus LX700h Overtrail+

15 April 2025

The rocks are basketball-sized, the path is muddy and the water is deep – but this latest Lexus LX can...

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First Drive: 2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5

1 April 2025

Málaga, Spain– The sun-drenched roads of southern Spain, provide an idyllic backdrop to experience the all-new 2025 Audi Q5 and...

2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe

Road Test: 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe

14 March 2025

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe is the automotive equivalent of a tailored suit worn with sneakers—refined but ready to...

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Road Test: 2025 Lincoln Aviator Reserve

2 March 2025

If you’re in the market for a luxury SUV that treats every drive like a first-class flight, minus the turbulence...

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First Drive: 2025 Infiniti QX80

1 February 2025

There’s a certain kind of logic that kicks in when you’re sitting in front of a fireplace at the Fairmont...

First Drive: 2025 Nissan Armada

First Drive: 2025 Nissan Armada

18 December 2024

Franklin, Tennessee – “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” These words sat prominently atop the opening slide of Nissan’s media...

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Featured SUV: 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT

15 November 2024

Driving the 2024 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is not for anyone looking to pass through the neighbourhood unnoticed. This is...

True confession time: This driver has a soft spot for most vehicles bearing the legendary trident and for the Maserati GranTurismo in particular. While picking style over substance is never a safe bet when it comes to high-performance vehicles, the GranTurismo has been an absolutely stunning grand touring coupe from the very beginning. The very beginning began way back in 2007 with the release of the first-generation model. That model was in production from that point until 2019 and it didn’t change much over that period. The reason, probably? It didn’t need to change much. The original design, penned by Jason Castriota when he was with Pininfarina, is/was both timeless and beautiful, the very definition of a collectible GT. To bring more than a measure of substance into the discussion, the GranTurismo was powered by a 4.2-litre V-8 gasoline engine developed in partnership with Ferrari. Fun Ferrari fact: At the time, the GranTurismo was the least expensive Ferrari-engined production vehicle in the world. (Thus, even more collectible.) Now, we have the arrival of the second-generation Maserati GranTurismo—and changes have been made. The question is: Do these changes make the new GT more, less or equally desirable as the original? To find out, a select group of lucky souls journeyed to the Eternal City to sample the car and its all-electric equivalent, the GranTurismo Folgore. First things first: Although the electrified GranTurismo and the petrol-powered variant were developed in parallel, the car is surprisingly similar in design to the last-generation model. Without question, the average onlooker would recognize the new GT as a Maserati GranTurismo: the lines are strikingly similar, the design far more evolution than revolution. Under the guidance of chief designer Klaus Busse, the team at Maserati opted to retain the classic proportions of the 2+2 grand tourer, here featuring an elongated hood and four rounded fenders. This design, called the “cofango”—an amalgam of the Italian words for “hood” and “fender”—evokes Italian style from the past, on display in cars such as the original Maserati Birdcage from the late-1950s. Yet, despite its clear links to both the recent past and deeper into the archives, the new GranTurismo is significantly different. According to Busse, dimensions have increased only marginally, but the interior has added space for four adult passengers and there’s 100 litres more storage capacity in the trunk. All versions of the Maserati send drive to all four wheels now. While this always adds weight to a car, the new GranTurismo is lighter than the outgoing version. Finally, the new design shares no body panels with the previous model. So—while the latest GT resembles its predecessor, it’s very different under the surface. Here’s another big change to consider: Instead of a Ferrari V-8 under the hood, there’s a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6. If this sounds like a step down… well, it kind of is because it’s not a Ferrari engine and it’s not a V-8. On the other hand, it is the same engine that powers the Maserati MC20, detuned a bit for the GranTurismo application. For the base model, codenamed the GranTurismo Modena, this engine develops 490 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. For the high-performing Trofeo variant, the engine is boosted a bit to the tune of 550 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. (To be fair, all these numbers are higher than for the V-8.) Performance figures for the Trofeo are right about where you want a modern GT to land: 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h. These numbers are backed up by the actual drive experience, which in this case was a leisurely route that began on the cobblestone streets of Rome, extended to the sweeping vistas of Tuscany and then on to the industrial areas just outside and within Modena city limits. For this trip, drivers were encouraged to switch from the GranTurismo Trofeo to the all-electric Folgore and back, a daring move on the part of Maserati. This structure gave everyone the opportunity to choose his or her favourite—old school or new school. There’s no question that the Folgore is faster in a straight line and it’s probably quicker around corners to boot. But the tuning experts at Maserati know full well that the sound of an internal combustion engine at full song is something with enduring value. So, if the Trofeo is slightly more relaxed than its electrified twin as far as the stopwatch is concerned, it still sounds fast and it still feels fast. The chassis is responsive and engaging, aided by an electronic rear slip differential, and the steering is light but accurate. Under power, the 8-speed automatic transmission is resolute and precise, snapping up and down through the gears smartly. The brakes are solid under foot, reliably powerful and easily able to bleed speed. There are certain characteristics you expect to find in a modern GT car that’s priced well north of six figures. The 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo meets the mandate with style and panache, offering class-competitive driving dynamics, all the requisite luxury amenities and space for four adult passengers. Here in Canada, the car starts at $222,500—an eye-watering number, to be sure—but there’s so much to admire here.

Featured Car: 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo

9 November 2024

Modena, Italy: It’s true confession time. This driver has a soft spot for most vehicles bearing the legendary trident and...

2024 Porsche 718 Boxster Style Edition

Road Test: 2024 Porsche 718 Boxster Style Edition

7 May 2024

Few cars I’ve driven of late have garnered as much attention as this 2024 Porsche 718 Boxster Style Edition, and...

Featured Car: 2024 BMW M8 Competition Coupé

18 March 2024

The “Ultimate Driving Machine” is a moniker that BMW has owned for the past four decades. Some may doubt that...

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Model Overview: 2024 Porsche Cayenne

28 December 2023

While we at Vicarious endeavour to review machines as comprehensively as possible, in a weird twist of fate, I’ve managed...

Road Test: Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0

Road Test: Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0

19 December 2023

I am a self-professed sports car nut. I could say enthusiast, but nut is probably closer to the truth. As...

2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak

Road Test: 2023 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak

11 August 2023

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak would surely win the prize for the longest model name in automotive...

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First Drive: 2024 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato

16 June 2023

The Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato is the culmination of a series of one-off teases and concepts that Lamborghini has been dangling...

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First Drive: 2023 VinFast VF 8 Plus

Miranda Lightstone

17 May 2023

San Diego, CA – It’s tough being the new kid. Trust me, I know. I spent the better part of...

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First Drive: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6

3 April 2023

Whether you’re into EVs, hybrids or just cars in general, you’re probably familiar with the Hyundai Ioniq brand by now....

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Road Test: 2023 Mazda CX-50

7 February 2023

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 is an interesting new entry from the automaker into the crossover segment. Unlike some of its...

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Road Test: 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E

20 December 2022

A Mustang SUV, and an electric one at that, still certainly feels wrong in some respects. But a week behind...

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First Drive: 2023 Genesis G90

8 November 2022

It is said that the sense of smell triggers our memories in a way that no other sense can. The...

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First Drive: 2023 Nissan Z

Matthew Neundorf

29 September 2022

Not twenty-four hours ago Valérie Limoges was standing atop a podium under a near cloudless sky, being showered with Champagne....

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Road Test: 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

15 July 2022

This Racing Yellow 2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is spectacularly pissed-off. I can tell by the way it spits,...

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Road Test: 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

22 June 2022

Is there a band or a specific song that when you hear the music start playing, it makes you stop...

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Road Test: 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport (Launch Edition)

Matthew Neundorf

31 May 2022

To understand the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport, all one needs to do is pop its bulging hood. Where...

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Road Test: 2022 Land Rover Defender V8

Matthew Neundorf

19 May 2022

Behold the 2022 Land Rover Defender V8: the Land Vader! The Darth-Fender? The Pig that Pokes? Whatever you want to...

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Featured Car: 2022 Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo

1 April 2022

Taycan. A name that when all is said and done will almost certainly go down in the lexicon of Porsche...

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