Maserati renews GranCabrio after 14 years

MASERATI has pulled the silk sheet from its gorgeous four-seat GranCabrio this week, the model joining the latest generation GranTurismo (coupe) that went on sale last year with many of the same features and functionality.

Shown first in Trofeo trim, the Maserati GranCabrio sports the Italian brand’s Nettuno twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine displacing 3.0 litres – the same unit found under the bonnet of the MC20 supercar.

In the GranCabrio Trofeo, the unit outputs 399kW and 650Nm, driving all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Maserati GranCabrio tips the scale at 1958kg, or 100kg more than the coupe derivative.

Maserati says the figures are sufficient to propel the convertible from standstill to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, and to 200km/h in 12.2 seconds. Top speed is listed at 316km/h.

Other standard inclusions see the GranCabrio equipped with adaptive air suspension, 380mm front rotors with six-piston callipers, 350mm rear rotors with four-piston clamps, 20-inch alloys at the front, 21-inch alloys at the rear, and a self-locking rear differential.

Four driver selectable modes – Comfort, Corsa, GT and Sport – are offered, alongside an ESC Off setting.

The GranTurismo and GranCabrio are expected to be joined soon by an all-electric model dubbed Folgore, which is expected to feature a three-motor (one at the front, two at the rear) arrangement generating a total output of 550kW.

Maserati’s latest GranCabrio offers a folding cloth roof in five colours – Black, Blue, Garnet, Griege, and Grey – which may be deployed in 14 seconds or retracted in 16 at speeds up to 50km/h.

A central 12.3-inch touchscreen controls the roof and myriad other features, including a neck warmer, folding wind deflector, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, and a 16-speaker/815-watt Sonus Faber audio system.

Climate control duties are governed by a separate 8.8-inch display, while instrumentation display arrives courtesy of a 12.2-inch full-colour cluster.

Hard buttons remain for key accessories and functions, including the gear selector.

Safety technology includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane centring assist and a 360-degree surround view camera system.

“The elegance of the Maserati GranCabrio can be perceived and appreciated even more from the exterior, when the soft top is open and the engine’s roar is all-encompassing,” said Maserati in its press release.

“The union with the road and landscape is an incomparable experience that can only be offered by the Spyder version of a car that has been the protagonist of a success story spanning more than 60 years – the convertible variant of Maserati’s first road-going sports car, the 3500 GT, was unveiled at the 1959 Geneva Motor Show.”

Pricing and Australian delivery timing for the 2024 Maserati GranCabrio are expected to be announced within weeks. By way of reference, the predecessor retailed from $289,300 plus on-road costs.