2015 Maserati GranTurismo vs. Its Competition

Martin Padgett Editorial Director

The Maserati GranTurismo's four plush seats and brilliant handling set it apart from most of the luxury sport coupe segment.

The Jaguar XK, for example, is only available as a two-seater, though it packs its own heritage-influenced flair for style and luxury; it's the most logical alternative to the GranTurismo, but this is its last year on sale as it is being indirectly replaced by the smaller F-Type.

The Porsche 911 offers four seats in most models and is a more focused performer, but it lacks the rear-seat space and the passionate styling of the Maserati.

Aston Martin's Vantage line offers an upgrade from the Jaguar's prestige, with similar traits, and the V12 Vantage S model makes it the only one of this group to offer a V-12 engine, while the V-8 model is available with a manual transmission.

Ferrari's California is a pricey jump from the GranTurismo, but its folding hardtop and Prancing Horse badge may justify the splurge, and it gets a new twin-turbo V-8 for 2015 to further broaden the performance gap.