There’s a very special moment in the Ghibli. It happens when you press the ‘sport’ button on the automatic gearbox and an executive saloon becomes a sports car.

It’s what Maserati is all about – and probably the main reason why many exec buyers will opt for this car, rather than a Jaguar or something German.

Suddenly, the car wants to pull and there’s a lot more urgency about the response from the throttle response. The four tailpipes grumble and, well, it actually starts to ‘feel’ like an Italian super car. Albeit a diesel one.

Car Couture was meant to be testing the petrol S model but there was a cock up with the paperwork. I can only imagine that will provide the sort of non-stop performance that even diesel buyers lust after…