Maserati, the Italian luxury car manufacturer, took pole position at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina circuit, becoming the first automotive brand to host an exciting track event for press, customers and prospects at the latest international Formula 1 circuit.

The event, hot on the heels of the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, highlighted the luxury and sporting prowess of the Quattroporte S and Sport GTS, GranTurismo S Automatic and the GranTurismo MC GT4.

The event began with the unveiling of a Special Edition GranTurismo S MC Sport Line - one of only 12 to be produced worldwide. The car sports a plaque engraved with the UAE flag and the words 'Abu Dhabi' on the dashboard, and is finished in an exclusive Pearl Matt White colour.

"These 12 Special Edition cars celebrate the 12 titles that make up Maserati MC12's victories in the FIA GT Championship since 2005 and also represent the 12 cities in the Middle East where Maserati is present. Each city will have only one car bearing its name," explained Umberto Cini, Managing Director, Maserati Middle East and Africa.

The interiors of the limited production car feature extensive use of carbon fibre for the dashboard, door and side panels, glossy black diamond stitching for the seats with red thread on black leather, and red lining for the floor mats. On the exterior, the car is fitted with glossy black 20-inch wheels with the aggressive Neptune motif.

The MC Sport Line offers many personalisation options for the exterior of the car and represents a superlative choice for sports car enthusiasts, who want their cars to have a dynamic sportive look.

As part of the event, guests were also able to drive the luxurious Quattroporte S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S sporty sedans on the Yas Marina circuit.

The GranTurismo S Automatic gave the participants the thrill of exploiting the power of the 4.7-litre V8 engine coupled with the smoothness and precision of the 6-speed automatic transmission.

An added attraction was the Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4, which was flown in from Italy especially for guests to enjoy driving on the Yas Marina Circuit.

After a remarkable podium debut in the GT4 championship in July this year, the GranTurismo MC GT4 confirmed its top-performance in subsequent races in the second part of the year.

The GranTurismo MC is the car Maserati has developed to continue pursuing its international sports tradition. The new model is an offshoot of the Maserati GranTurismo MC Concept introduced last September in Monza and based on the Maserati GranTurismo S road version.

As much as I was excited to be in the driver’s seat, helmet and racing harness in place, and surrounded by nothing but a plethora of toggle switches and a roll cage, the actual driving position - which was custom-developed for the ‘real’ driver of the race car - left me with trembling knees. My feet were just about making contact with the pedals and the high-set dash made for a slightly uneasy experience, but the overall effect was terrific, the 4.7-litre V8-engined GT4 bellowing across the Yas Marina circuit with alarming ferocity. The carbon fibre bodywork helps a bit toward the relatively light weight of 1400kg which, along with RWD and slick tyres, do tend to scare the living daylights of someone inexperienced, but we managed to hold tight, blitzing through the snappy 6-speed electro-actuated gearbox system.
Amongst the production cars, the svelte Quattroporte seemed a bit of a charmer, especially the 440hp GT S version with its lowered stance, blacked-out exterior trim and subtle carbon fibre accents on the inside.

Coming to the two-door GranTurismo, I remember many enthusiasts scoffing at 405hp powering the 1880kg tourer, something which Maserati sorted when they launched the 440hp GranTurismo S with about 30Nm more torque. The difference is felt immediately on the track when you drive the cars back-to-back, the latter more attentive and responsive to your inputs.

Done with pounding the circuit in different Maseratis, our thrills were further fuelled with a handling session - complete with a wet (and slippery!) section of asphalt - meant to demonstrate the effects of the Maserati Stability Programme (MSP). The system improves safety and works by integrating the ABS, EBD and ASR, acting on the brakes and the engine in order to give the driver complete control of the car, even in critical situations.