Maserati GranTurismo
Styled by Pininfarina, the Maserati GranTurismo is built for four adults, with a 4.2-litre, V8 engine. With a weight distribution of 49 per cent at the front and 51 per cent at the rear, the GranTurismo is fitted with an automatic gearbox and equipped with an adaptive control system that adjusts the gear-shifting mode to the driver's style and road conditions, the marque says. The new model's launch this week is also a homecoming, because Maserati unveiled its first Gran Turismo, the A6, designed by Battista 'Pinin' Farina, at the 1947 Geneva show. It was the first Maserati road car, produced in 58 units, and was acclaimed for its style and advanced technology.
BMW M5 Touring
The Bavarian marque this week shows off a new BMW 1 Series, 3 Series convertible and midlife revisions to the new 5 Series, but this M5 Touring is a stunner, with a larger front air dam, side sills, monikered side gills and quad tailpipes. You get up to 1,650 litres of boot space for your summer holiday stuff, and you'll be in Tuscany in no time, thanks to the M5 Touring's 507bhp, five-litre V-10 International Engine of the Year and the world's first seven-speed sequential manual gearbox. You get stacks of electronics - including power, gearbox and suspension settings, head-up display and active seat bolster support - via the iDrive menu. Now, who says estate cars are boring?
Jaguar XJ
The aluminium-bodied XJ proved Jaguars are well-made and fun to drive in Hong Kong. Their dashboard buttons are also among the simplest to operate and easiest to read in their class without glasses. The 2008 XJ lineup (below) ranges from the 2.7-litre diesel and three-litre petrol Executives, to the 2.7-litre diesel Sport Premium and the 400bhp, 4.2-litre Supercharged V8 XJR. This year's XJs get XK-like side vents, lower sills and revised bumpers, mesh grilles and Jaguar Growler badge. There's also more legroom at the back, and a Bluetooth hook-up for five mobile phones to the car's system.