Maserati GranCabrio MC raises the roof
BY DANIEL GARDNER | 3rd Jun 2013
Available now, the hottest convertible in Maserati’s fleet combines the open-top driving experience of the GranCabrio with the performance of the GranTurismo MC Stradale track racer.
Track-developed aerodynamics have added nearly 50mm to the length of the car, and requiring a repositioning of the exhausts, but the result is a significant increase of downforce and an enhanced engine note.
A bellowing Ferrari-derived 338kW 4.7-litre V8 propels four passengers to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 289km/h.
The AutoShift transmission, which sends the power to the rear wheels, is claimed to be Maserati’s ‘most aggressive’ shifter to date, allowing starting-grid style launch control and mimicking heel-and-toe while downshifting.
The range-topping soft-top also gets uprated suspension to further improve its track manner and set it apart from the $17,000 cheaper GranCabrio Sport.
Other racing inspired changes continue throughout the styling with black replacing chromed surfaces, carbon-fibre in the place of paint and seats that share design features of the Trofeo race cars.
The launch of the high-performance convertible follows the unveiling of the GranTurismo Sport coupe in Geneva earlier this year. It’s a niche model, but will help with Maserati’s predicted eight-fold global growth by 2016.
To that end, an all-new Quattroporte sedan will arrive later this year. A new sedan called the Ghibli and an SUV called the Levante are also imminent.
