So when, at the launch of the new Maserati 4200 Spyder Cambiocorsa back in autumn 2001, we decided to the give it the opportunity to prove its mettle on roads selected more for their bumps than beauty - and with a Jag XKR, BMW M3 convertible and new Merc SL in tow to set the bar - we knew we were doing the right thing. And that it would probably land us in trouble.

To cram in all the driving and photography, not only did I miss the lunchtime pep-talk with Luca di Montezemolo, I nearly missed the plane home. My last-minute arrival at the airport was met with dark looks as the PR personnel put two and two together. There were muffled mumblings of sanctions, even ex-communication.

When the group test hit the shelves in October, (issue 037) we knew it would be worse than that. With the exception of its beautifully crafted cabin and utterly magnificent Ferrari V8, the paddle-shift Spyder Cambiocorsa turned out to be something of a shed, its numerous shortcomings swiftly identified and graded by the imported talent, and perhaps most embarrassingly by the SL, which really did possess the advanced suspension the Maser claimed to have. We'd done the test, delivered the verdict.

Needless to say, Maserati/Ferrari went spare. How could we have been so nasty to the Spyder when everyone else on the launch was so nice? But the mood slowly altered as others emulated our comparison back in Blighty and came to much the same conclusion. The identically-engined, longer-wheelbase 4200 Coupe that followed in 2002 was a better car but still comfortably thrashed by the Jaguar XKR-R and Porsche 911 C4S in another evo group test. Richard Meaden concluded that despite fleeting moments of brilliance, he was too frequently reminded of what an ill-sorted, unhappy car the Maserati Coupe was. Hard to interpret that as any kind of kiss-and-make-up gesture.

Which is why I wouldn't have put money on being back at Maserati's Viale Ciro Menotti factory in the centre of Modena on a bright and warm March morning just 18 months later. More disconcerting still, the Maserati welcoming posse is smiling broadly and shaking hands with gusto. All forgotten, then? Not quite, but potentially a distinct possibility. Seems that once the initial hubbub died down, Maserati elected to take the accumulated press criticism on the chin and do something about it. In a sense, we're back to give the '2003 evolution' improvements the thumbs- up. Or... and I almost hesitate to write it... not.

Our problems with the '01 Spyder Cambiocorsa were these: the generally crude and uncouth behaviour of the six-speed Cambiocorsa transmission; borderline scuttle-shake and a shuddery steering column when the front wheels encountered any type of bump or dip; steering that was both feel-less and very direct (an uneasy coalition); and adaptive damping that completely failed to live up to the 'seriously advanced' boast - acutely so in the Merc SL sense of the term.

Maserati's list of significant changes for the '03 Spyder and Coupe is short but focused. It includes new software for the Cambiocorsa transmission that prioritises engine torque rather than revs as a parameter, new software and dampers for the adaptive damping system, an all-new stability program called MSP, a new steering box with more direct gearing, larger anti-roll bars, grippier tyres and a bodyshell 20 per cent stiffer in torsion for the Spyder.

Out of this, only the even more direct steering (hard to imagine how it could be) is curious; the rest looks like a wish list answered. There's subtle cosmetic polishing, too. Most obvious are the optional alloys and new V8 badges on the front panels. More practical are the heated glass (rather than plastic) rear screen for the Spyder's powered hood and the easier-to-use functions and simplified screen displays of the optional navigation system. The previously dour black centre console in which it's set has been spiced up with a choice of grey or 'dark Bordeaux' finishes which are duplicated on the transmission tunnel and door-trims.

After a brief tour of the production lines, we bag a Bird's custard yellow Coupe GT with a conventional six-speed gearbox and an Ultra Brite white Spyder Cambiocorsa, successor to the model that folded under pressure in 2001.

It's tempting to take both back to the roads that unravelled the original Spyder's case, but there isn't really the time and, besides, the showdown with rivals will take place on UK roads in a matter of weeks. The only condition I set for this excursion on the largely fast, flowing and smoothly-surfaced roads chosen by Maserati is that I enjoy the drive. Basically, that means being able to savour the fabulous 390bhp 4.2-litre 32-valve V8 without the foibles of the gearbox and chassis getting in the way - something the original Spyder would never have allowed.

But as snapper Shepherd and I head out of the factory towards the hills in the Coupe GT, we're puzzled. If the manual shift's this poor, no wonder 80 per cent of owners opt for the Cambiocorsa. But the Cambiocorsa, as remembered, is terrible. Who would you bet on if George Bush and Michael Jackson's chimpanzee went head-to-head on Countdown? Similar dilemma.

But as the oil of the transaxle gearbox warms, the shift quality improves immeasurably. It's still necessary to push the medium-weight clutch all the way down and slot the stubby lever with deliberation but, after about five miles, the initial graunch and clunk gives way to a reasonably fluid and consistent action. It's fine, and something of a relief to be able to say so.

So too, we decide, is the cosy 2+2 cabin with its sexy yet ergonomically sussed architecture and swathes of tastefully crafted leather. As before, though, and even at these crawl-and-squirt speeds on the outskirts of Modena, it's the engine - essentially a slightly simpler, detuned but yet more sonorously tonsilled edition of the dry-sumped, quad-cam V8 in the Ferrari 360 - that dominates every second of the experience. The delicious sensuality of the sonics, the electric throttle response and the lust for revs are all deeply engaging. But it's the raw, animalistic power of the thing that leaves the deepest impression. Just blatting past lorries and dawdling morning commuters, you don't have to refer to the performance stats to know that the Maser would simply chew up and spit out an M3. Hell, even an SL55 would have to watch its back.

The winding hillside tarmac is a more telling arena, though, and it's on these roads that Maserati has sought to make the crucial improvements. Certainly, there seem to be fewer dynamic distractions. The already very direct helm doesn't seem any more direct but it does feel meatier and easier to trust. Turn-in is wickedly sharp but the follow-through more predictable and controlled than before, although still accompanied by a surprising degree of body roll and mild power on/off pitching. Potent levels of grip are well balanced front-to-rear, if a little squealy on the new 235/40 ZR18 front, 265/35 ZR18 rear rubber, and braking power and feel is terrific. The Maserati Stability Program - which acts on the brakes and engine to curb over-exuberance - is subjectively quite subtle and can be switched off if you want to indulge in a spot of user-friendly tail-sliding. But the adaptive damping still seems susceptible to the shock of severe transverse ridges and sharp single-wheel inputs which send a shudder through the cabin.

Confounding expectations, the problem diminishes when we decamp to the Spyder. Despite its 220mm shorter wheelbase, it actually seems to ride more smoothly than the Coupe, though its chassis doesn't feel quite as crisp or responsive and the steering column shudder, while reduced, hasn't gone away. Maybe the slightly softer character is no bad thing. It seems to suit the Spyder well.

And here's the best news of all. The new software has completely transformed Cambiocorsa, which now allows the 4200 to pull cleanly and smoothly away from rest and swaps cogs on light to medium throttle with a delicacy I simply wouldn't have believed possible back in 2001. Full-throttle upshifts are swift whereas before they were merely savage and, although the show-off factor has been tuned out of the downshift blip, overall levels of smoothness and refinement are little short of revelatory.

If this was the only improvement Maserati had made it would have been enough to make the 4200 duo vastly more likeable and competitive. As it is, Maserati seems to have worked a little magic on the chassis, too. I enjoyed my drive. And I'm looking forward to the group test.