What very few folks know is that one of Geneva’s most alluring neighbourhoods boosts a scene that couldn’t be a farther stretch from high-end boutiques and five star hotels, instead it is host to some of the city’s best kept gourmet secrets, little shops, ateliers and intellectual get togethers. Bienvenue à Carouge.
Mirus thought that the brand new Maserati Ghibli would fancy a trip to the city that was built from scratch by the King of Sardinia and Duke of Savoy in 1786. Carouge is divided into 5 sectors and lies on a surface of only about 2,9 square kilometers. And in fact, if you have ever been to Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, you will notice similarities to this Mediterranean capital in terms of architecture, colors and the “savoir vivre” that is less hectic and posh than in the city of Geneva.
While I maneuver the Ghibli at walking pace thru the main street of the city center, it feels like this fine Maserati with a 3 liter Twin Turbo V6 that delivers a peak of 410 horsepower (301 kW) glides along in silence and beauty. The looks of the locals are for certain and I almost feel like I should cheer that crowd like a king, but this king speaks for itself, no doubt. While the Ghibli is gracious and boosts enough leg space and a respectable trunk, at almost 5 meters in length, it offers every attribute to the qualities of “super sports limousine” as well. While the eight speed automatic transmission is controlled by auto-adaptive software and feels like it can magically read your style of driving, you may want to switch to the Manual Sports Gear mode and activate the multi link suspension for racetrack conditions. And, that’s where the real fun begins. Once you push the start button — a smile will appear when you catch a loud and clear roar. Acceleration from 0 to 100 in 4,8 seconds lets you experience this fantastic and mind blowing sound and performance. This Ferrari engineered engine has undoubtedly one of the best sounds on the market today. While you’d have the option to enjoy Gustav Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 on a silent Sunday afternoon cruise or maybe something a bit more daring like Royal Blood’s “little Monster” on the Bowers & Wilkins premium surround system, you might just opt to listen to that pure sound, and that, just never gets old.
It’s time for a little break and so I maneuver the Ghibli in front of the Temple de Carouge and I just let it rest there for a well-deserved photo break. It doesn’t take much and my «little king» is again the center of attention and to my surprise it is captivating that the acknowledgment from juvenile and the more mature passers is encouraging and with an unmistakable smile. While Carouge is host to some of the most original cuisine, I decide to fuel up at «Café des Négociants» on 29, Rue de la Filature. The 14 star Gault & Millau Restaurant boosts a relaxed atmosphere with a mix of young locals and eloquent intellectuals. The incredible five course meal plays up in the champions league and is even worthy of a king.
I gently make my way to the Ghibli who has been awaiting me eagerly around the corner — and for the last time tonight I am taking a seat on the hand-stitched finest leather, I grab the three-spoke leather-clad steering wheel, a tap on the start button and a roar triggers the well deserved way home.
Maserati Ghibli Diesel, starting at CHF 74’000
Maserati Ghibli 4Q, starting at CHF 95’300
(test drive model shown here, approx. CHF 128’000)
Café des Négociants
Rue de la Filature 29
1227 Carouge
+41 22 300 31 30
Pâtisserie Wolfisberg
Place du Temple 5
1227 Carouge
+41 22 342 32 19
