A beauty in all respects

GHIBLI: NO SPEED DEMON, BUT STILL A SPORTS CAR

Maserati’s new offering is a passport to everything and will leave you gushing.

I’m pretty sure I know what it feels like to fly. I don’t mean on a plane, I mean on smooth, bump-free roads, just gliding. This is driving the new Maserati Ghibli – an experience, not just a ride.

When picking the car up, I had little background knowledge on the machine I’d agreed to drive for the day.

The Ghibli sports a Ferrari engine, but is considered more of an urban cruiser than a speed demon. All parts of the vehicle are assembled in Italy and it takes up to four months to assemble. With a price tag from around R2 million for the GranSport, I promised myself I’d “drive like a lady”.

That’s until I laid eyes on the baby. She was dark black and the sport model. The black grille draws you to the Ghibli and the rear spoiler reminds you that as comfortable as it is, it’s still a sports car fitted with eye-catching 20-inch wheels.

I usually give my car a name, but you can’t give a Maserati a nickname. That’s disrespectful.

The first model was designed in 1966 by Giorgetto Guigiaro and it appears Maserati has maintained the original shape and format of the car. This can especially be seen in the nose and profile.

Maserati has made it difficult to have any sort of accident, with safety features that include integrated vehicle control and skyhook suspension, advanced driving-assist and forward collision warning.

Complete with surround-view camera to assist you when park-