Maserati is set to unveil the first four-seater convertible in the history of the Trident, at the Frankfurt motor show on September 15. The new GranCabrio, which is being dubbed the Trident’s ‘third prong’, completes Maserati’s product line-up – alongside Quattroporte and GranTurismo.
And what a tradition. We’re talking such glorious icons of open-top motoring as the 1950 Maserati A6G Frua Spyder, 1960 3500GT Vignale Spyder, 1964 Mistral Spyder, 1968 Ghibli Spyder and 2001 Spyder, the car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro which marked Maserati’s return to the American market.
Like its forebears, the latest Maserati is aiming to appeal to ‘men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner’.
Like its forebears, the latest Maserati is aiming to appeal to ‘men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner’.
In pictures the GranCabrio’s proportions appear well judged, but in the flesh it’s clear that this is another Pininfarina masterpiece. Maserati has done a fantastic job in retaining the Coupe’s slinky silhouette with the hood up, and creating a whole new elegant profile with it stowed.
There’s coupe-like levels of refinement in with the roof in place, but staying quiet isn’t one of the GranCabrio’s strong points. Open the cabin to the elements, however, and the 434bhp 4.7-litre V8 can be heard in all its glory. Push a button marked ‘Sport’ and the exhaust emits an even throatier roar.
The GranCabrio corners with a flatness and poise that would put most cars to shame, and the beautifully weighted steering is direct and responsive. But 1,980kg is sizeable chunk of weight to throw around, and it always feels more comfortable being driven at three-quarters of its abilities.
Maserati has done a fantastic job of stiffening the chassis to compensate for the lack of a roof, and all for only a 100kg penalty over the Coupe. While particularly bad surfaces have a habit of sending shockwaves through the chassis, the front and rear ends always feel like they are working together, inspiring confidence in bends.
The experience can be enjoyed by four adult passengers, too. Two six-footers fit easily behind one another, although bringing luggage for all four might prove tricky with such a miniscule 173-litre boot.
At just a few pounds under £100,000, the GranCabrio certainly isn’t cheap, but line it up against a style-led direct rival like the Aston DB9 Volante and there’s a significant saving to be had. Economics aside, a Maserati is a car you buy with your heart not your head, and with its supermodel good-looks and epic soundtrack the GranCabrio is certain to win many an admirer. 
In detail
Price: £95,630 (approx)
Engine: 4.7-litre V8
Transmission: Six-speed semi-auto, paddle-shift, rear-drive
Power: 434bhp
Torque: 490Nm
0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 175mph
Economy: 18.5mpg
CO2: 354g/km
Equipment: Leather trim, electric heated seats, sat-nav, 30Gb hard drive, ejectable roll bars, 16-speaker Bose stereo, climate control, iPod connection
Style is everything
Tied up in all this chassis work is the decision to go for a folding cloth top rather than a collapsible steel top. A folding metal roof — especially for a long wheelbase four-seater — would occupy an enormous amount of space; space that would impinge on boot capacity as well as the all-important pop-up roll-over bars. There would also be a weight penalty and a higher centre of gravity. Style is vital, and the soft top permits the designers to adopt a more sporting line than would be possible with a tin-top. It also means that bespoke soft-top colour schemes are possible. Log on to the Maserati website and click ‘Configurator' to design your own Gran Cabrio colours for paint, trim, wheels, brake callipers and hood. The multi-layer soft top is really top quality. The fit is superb, giving a quiet ride and the feeling of being inside a fixed-head-coupé. When stationary in ‘park', it takes 28 seconds for the system to open or close the roof. It can also be closed when moving at 29kph or less by holding the ‘close' button for a few seconds.
Maserati has put all its goodies into one bag with the Gran Cabrio. The cost of the standard car includes much equipment, but if you want to go on a spendathon, the list of options is a long one.
Motor mouth
The 4.7-litre, 440 bhp V8 is torquey and delivers 82 per cent of its maximum torque at just 2,500rpm, making it a relaxed cruiser with instant urge should the need arise. The transmission is the latest ZF six-speed automatic with paddle shift and a torque converter for seamless gearshifts.
The well-proven Skyhook suspension system is standard and features a constantly adaptive damping system for a very comfortable and very composed ride. Sport Mode is switchable and gives a noticeably harder ride and less roll — something for the test track methinks. This dual-mode suspension removes the ride/handling compromise that many luxury sportscars suffer from.
As for the brakes, Maserati's dual-cast discs are standard giving the dependability of iron for the friction surfaces and aluminium for the internals for both lightness and heat dissipation. Electronic stability aids abound and will save you from yourself should you by any chance get into a pedal-stamping, wheel twirling frenzy.
So what does the Gran Cabrio weigh? A super luxurious, 295kph, proper four-seat, open-top sportscar. Here is where I look up the kerb weight of the opposition. Not easy as the specification mentioned in the preceding sentence does not exist with any other car. Anyway, the Gran Cabrio's kerb weight is 1,880kg, with a near 50:50 weight distribution. A Jaguar XKR convertible weighs about the same as this Maserati but only has two proper seats.
The interior of the Gran Cabrio is a nice place to be even if you don't go anywhere. The dual zone climate control gives the rear passengers their own vents. The multimedia system has a 7-inch screen with 30GB hard drive, sat nav, CD slot USB socket for MP3 downloads, iPod socket and all the features you would expect at this level. The quality of the leather and interior design is outstanding. And as mentioned, you can stipulate your colour co-ordinated interior with a choice of ten colours for leather, seven for carpets and two for wood veneers.
The road test confirmed that the power delivery and gearshift are not an issue. You can play with the paddles or simply rely on the regular auto 'box lever; all very fuss-free, quiet and easy. Having a switchable suspension system means that on the road, even bumpy roads, the ride is relaxed provided you don't use the ‘Sport' button. I turn off the road on to the test track and unleash those 440 horses. The Gran Cabrio leaps into action and the once tranquil exhaust note howls all the way to 7,200rpm.
Handling is communicative and the Maserati Stability Programme is working overtime to maintain the equilibrium. I switch off the MSP and horses become beasts. The howl is louder as it comes in earlier at 3,000rpm. The gearshift is even quicker and happens at higher rpm. It automatically blips on downshift to match the revs, flattering the driver's skill level. This latest software even knows to downshift closer to a corner so that engine braking does not upset the hard braking for an imminent corner — very clever.
Not that long ago a supercar on a track would fry its brakes in two laps; distorting the discs, boiling the fluid, with a pedal flopping to the floor. Maserati's new dual-cast discs cope well with circuit abuse; its ABS and EDB matching the system capably. The suspension firms up beautifully, reducing roll and dive. Chassis flex and scuttle shake are far less than you would expect from an open-top car. Meanwhile the steering is a delight. Very precise and weighted just right; not too heavy, not too light. Grip levels are very high with initial understeer turning to power oversteer at will. The long wheelbase making it easier than most to control, and once again flattering the driver. The neutral handling comes via the excellent set-up and near 50:50 weight balance.
High speeds arrive very quickly as you would expect with a 0-100kph time of 5.3 seconds. But I am surprised by the top end delivery. Air resistance is the enemy at high speeds but no one has told this to the Gran Cabrio's horses. I look up the drag coefficient and it is an impressive 0.35Cd, which explains the 295kph top speed, or in top-down mode, 270kph if you can handle this much wind in your hair. The Gran Cabrio's multirole capability confuses things. Just when you thought you had open-top motoring out of your system, along comes a car with all-round capabilities.
| ENGINE | |
| Displacement: | 4,691 cc |
| Bore: | 94 mm |
| Stroke: | 84.5 mm |
| Compression ratio: | 11.25:1 |
| Maximum power output: | 323 kW (440 CV) |
| Engine speed at maximum power: | 7,000 rpm |
| Maximum torque: | 490 Nm (50 kgm) |
| Engine speed at maximum torque | 4,750 rpm |
| Max engine speed: | 7,200 rpm |
| SIZE AND WEIGHT | |
| Length: | 4,881 mm |
| Width (excluding wing mirrors): | 1,915 mm |
| Width (including wing mirrors): | 2,056 mm |
| Height: | 1,353 mm |
| Wheelbase: | 2,942 mm |
| Front track: | 1,586 mm |
| Rear track: | 1,590 mm |
| Front overhang: | 873 mm |
| Rear overhang: | 1,066 mm |
| Turning circle: | 12.3 m |
| Boot capacity: | 173 l |
| Fuel tank capacity: | 75 l |
| Dry weight: | 1,887 kg |
| Curb weight: | 1,980 kg |
| Curb weight + driver: | 2,055 kg |
| Full load weight: | 2,280 kg |
| Maximum weight technically permitted: | 2,350 kg |
| Weight distribution: | 49% front; 51% rear (closed) |
| 48% front; 52% rear (open) |
| PERFORMANCE | |
| Top speed: | 283 km/h |
| 0-100 km/h acceleration: | 5,3 s |
| 0-400 m acceleration: | 13.9 s |
| 0-1,000 m acceleration: | 24.8 s |
| CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS | |
| Urban: | 23.22 (l/100 km) |
| Extra urban: | 10.56 (l/100 km) |
| Combined: | 15.23 (l/100 km) |
| CO2 emissions (combined cycle): | 354.0 (g/km) |
