Enchant! Deep test drive Maserati GranTurismo S
Ordinary people have seen the interior of GTS, and they are most interested in how to shift gears. Indeed, this kind of sequential formula derived from F1 racing technology can’t be equipped in ordinary cars, so its operation mode is bound to be different. In fact, the use of this transmission system is very simple and convenient, mainly through the two paddles behind the steering wheel, and the rules of left subtraction and right addition are easy to understand. When the vehicle is stopped, just step on and pull the right paddle to shift into 1st gear.
The method of withdrawing from the neutral position is also very simple, which can be completed by pulling back two paddles with both hands. So how to operate the reverse gear? This requires the R key below the center console to complete. Just like the first gear, when the vehicle stops, you can press the R key and get into reverse gear. There is also a 1 key in front of the R key, which is used to shift into 1st gear. This design can easily shift into the first gear when reversing without using the steering wheel paddle, which reduces the complexity of parking and turning around.
In addition, the sequential gearbox has another feature, that is, the vehicle will not start after being engaged in 1st gear or R gear and the brake is released. At this time, the clutch of the oil-feeding gearbox will be really engaged, and its use is still different from that of the ordinary manual transmission, which needs to be adapted when driving at low speed.
The design of the instrument panel is very traditional. Four circular pointer instruments constitute the main body, the bottom of the speedometer at 320km/h and the red line area of the tachometer at 7250 rpm. These two items alone are enough to make people feel excited. The color LCD in the center plays a supplementary role, and the switch status of various driving mechanisms can be displayed here.
In addition, when MC-S is used for manual gear shifting in Sport mode, the central LCD will simulate the engine speed and prompt the driver to perform the fastest gear shifting operation when approaching the red line area, which is the same as the gear prompting function used in many racing cars.
When GTS’s slender engine compartment cover is lifted, only the partial honor of this 4.7-liter V8 engine is revealed under it, and it is conceivable that its volume is very huge. The 4.2-liter V8 engine on the GT model is obviously smaller, and it uses marine blue steam, which is a classic color. However, the more vivid red color on the GTS can also show its better sports performance due to its larger displacement and better power.
The displacement of the engine has increased, but the structure of the engine remains unchanged. It is still a V-shaped 8-cylinder with an included angle of 90 degrees, and each cylinder has 4 cylinders. It has no advanced technology and does not need the assistance of any supercharging equipment. At 7000 rpm, it can produce the maximum horsepower of 440 horsepower and the peak output of 490 Nm at 4750 rpm. This kind of data is excellent for a naturally aspirated engine, and it is very enjoyable to run on the road.
Although the peak torque of 490 Nm will not break out until after 4750 rpm, the abundant torque of the large displacement V8 engine makes it completely unnecessary to control the gear to increase the speed in daily driving. With the low sound waves, the torque burst at low speed on ordinary roads is enough to cope with all kinds of situations, including speeding up overtaking and merging. GTS gives people such full confidence. In particular, it is worth mentioning that the vertical accelerator pedal of GTS is not particularly difficult to control, and the intensity is relatively easy to master. In the stroke after 1/3, the accelerator pedal controls the power output very linearly and responds very sensitively.
Although driving a GTS like this is exciting enough, the more exciting experience can only be enjoyed by increasing the engine speed. Especially when you press the Sport button to activate the sport mode, the pneumatic valve is opened, the exhaust is changed to straight exhaust, the output of 440 horsepower is not hindered at all, and the tone of the engine is improved by eight degrees on the basis of the previous one.
In an instant, the whole world seems to be just me and GTS, and there is no interference except the roar of the engine and the violent beating of the heart.
At this time, the shift mode of the gearbox is changed to the MC-S quick shift manual mode, and the gap between each shift is only 0.1 seconds, which is reflected in the final driving experience, which is an obvious shock to the body.
This is obviously caused by a strong shift impact. We know that the SEQUENTIAL Manual Gearbox adopts a straight tooth-free design to reduce the power loss on the transmission system and increase the horsepower at the wheel end. However, the shift impact of the straight tooth gearbox is also very obvious, and it needs more accurate speed coordination during operation.