It’s crouched on its haunches. Ready to pounce on its prey.
And at your command the full power is unleashed, leaving the prey with not even a whimper of a chance.
No, this is not a show about predators in the wild.
This is the feeling that you get when you are sitting behind the wheel of a Maserati Granturismo Sport.
This low slung brute devours its prey – the tarmac – at a blistering pace when the right buttons are pressed. But it does have a docile mode, in which you can use it for your daily activities and it won’t bite anyone.
The Granturismo Sport is one of those rare sportscars which can be a beast on the track, be driven to office and, more importantly, take your family of four out for dinner – comfortably and in style.
The first thing that you will notice is the trident nestled in the grille, flanked by two scythe-shaped air scoops that roar of aggression up front.
The gills with the Pinninfarina logo and the Maserati logo on the C-pillar catch your attention on the side.
Move to the rear and the stylish tail lamps and the twin exhausts continue the muscular look.
This car was not meant to be subtle.
The interiors of the model that we got was swathed in red — leather seats, dashboard with splashes of carbon fibre and even the floor had red mats.
Like said earlier – nothing is subtle.
Of course you can get subtler interior trims but why would you!
While you could spend ages staring at it, it’s behind the wheel that this Maserati gives you the most joy.
Waiting at your disposal, judicious of course, is a 4.7-litre V8 that churns out 460hp@7000rpm and 520Nm@4750rpm.
In the ‘office going’ mode, the Granturismo Sport purrs along in a measured way.
But then it has a party button.
Press the sport button, press the accelerator and the roar from the V8 announces its intent.
The accelerator pedal is now lighter, the throttle response more sensitive and the Sport Skyhook suspension ensures that steering inputs are even more precisely translated onto the road.
The ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox is an eager partner in ensuring that all of that engine strength is seamlessly transmitted to the wheels. And then if you feel adventurous (which you should), switch to the Manual mode.You can do this simply by using the pedals behind the steering wheel or through the gear lever.
Presenting the Beast mode.The MC Auto Shift software has a small trick up its sleeve to make you scream in delight.
In the Sport mode, the transmission will switch gears depending on your throttle response but always before the red zone.
But in Sport Manual, there’s a rev limiter override. 
You can redline the Granturismo Sport all the way to 7500rpm and the transmission won’t shift. It’s a sensation that one can use to define glee.
Not to mention the guttural roar from the exhaust that prods you to stay in this mode for ever. But that’s what one would expect from a sportscar you would say.
And that’s where the additional but crucial bit of this Maserati being a genuine four-seater makes it stand out.
The rear seats are not just for kids.
During our drive we had a 5’11” person sit in the back seat, behind the driver that too, and he had no complaints.
The rear seats have their own aircon blowers, an important feature in Qatar.
The Granturismo Sport is that rare breed of sportcars that is comfortable in its duality. A four-seater that guarantees glee.