The Magnificent Maserati GranCabrio

The Magnificent Maserati GranCabrio

The GranCabrio is one of the latest models of Maseratis’, it was presented on display at the Frankfurt Motorshow 2009, and is priced at £95630! The GranCabrio is the first car in Maserati’s history to be a four-seater convertible; it has two doors and has a top speed of 175mph! The car does 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and is a rear-wheel drive with 440bhp. The GranCabrio would be suited to both male and female drivers. It is upmarket, executive, and luxurious, whilst being sporty!

The GranCabrio was designed in Italy and will be built at the Maserati factory (Viale Ciro Menotti) in Modena, Italy, where Maserati have been based since 1940’s.

There are many features and qualities to the GranCabrio; The Maserati trident sign is on the wheels as well as the front grill which is an inward curving scoop. On either side of the grill are circular Xenon lights and beneath these suave lights are air intakes; the main feature of the front of the car remains the grill with vertical lines which are well spaced and the Maserati trident sign is poised centrally on the grill and beneath the Maserati emblem giving the car a sophisticated look.

The GranCabrio has a horsepower of 405hp. The interior is luxurious and comfortable, with plenty of personalisations available for the seats, dashboard, and even the floors and steering wheel. There are 14 colours available in leather and there are options in wood too, with the option of a BOSE` system. The soft-top canvas roof has three layers and folds up and down; the roof is capable of folding down in 28seconds, with the car travelling up to 30km/h. The fold down roof makes this Maserati exclusive and this GranCabrio is to go on sale next spring!

The interior is handcrafted and is spacious with a sleek look to it, in between the passenger seats and conjoining to the dashboard is a centre piece with features such as air-vents, a clock, and an onboard computer display where you can also put a CD on, beneath the computer are buttons and a display for the music. The gear-stick is below and there is a place to put your drinks for both the passenger and the driver.

There are chrome rings for the dashboard switches and steering wheel with an Alcantra finish on the back of the steering wheel paddles. The display information behind the steering wheel incorporates the use of stylish analogue dial displays for the speed and revs, there is also a computer display in the centre which shows what gear the car is in. There is no handbrake and instead there is an automatic electronic brake which activates when the car engine is switched off.

The exterior of the car is well-built with many attractive features, the bonnet has a V shape to it which makes the car look stylish in design, and there are dual exhausts on either side of the car. The lights at the front of the car are elongated and endearing they are wide yet subtle and smart. The lights at the back of the car are trendy and triangular in shape with a red triangle around a white triangle – these red and white lights incorporate the use of 96 LED’s and add to the appeal of the car. There is also the implementation of a rear diffuser which works in helping with the GranCabrio’s road handling.

The car is designed to be aerodynamic and this helps with the car’s agility, there are tiny gills on either side of the car. The body shape is curved at the front and sculptured smoothly from front to rear with a horizontal incline toward the rear and the wheel archs are elegant as are the design lines of the doors, the bumper is curved and extends further from the rear body to give the car extra finesse.

This Maserati has a six speed ZF automatic transmission and there is a gear stick as well as paddles on either side of the steering wheel both of which can be used in Manual mode. The engine is a 4.7 litre V8 and the alloy wheels are sized at 20” as standard. The GranCabrio sounds sporty and is well-tuned for performance.

The ZF transmission has driving modes of Auto Normal Mode, Auto Sport Mode, Auto ICE Mode, Manual Mode. The Maserati website clarifies the different modes and what they are designed to do:

Auto Normal mode shifts gears automatically at low rpm to achieve the most comfortable ride and at higher rpm when driving style becomes more sporty.

Auto Sport Mode changes gears 40% faster than in Normal Mode, downshifts when lifting off as a corner approaches; then it activates the stability control, stiffening Skyhook suspension, and opening exhaust valves when engine is over 3000 rpm (in GranTurismo S Automatic).

Auto ICE mode reduces maximum torque at the wheel, prevents 1st gear starts, and only allows gear changes below 3000 rpm.

The Maserati has intelligent technology and the GranCabrio ensures stability through electronic monitoring and optimising and the electronic system corrects skid and wheel spin by reducing torque and distributing the braking between the front and rear axles.

The CEO of Maserati, Mr Harald J. Wester, in his speech at the Frankfurt Motorshow said of the Maserati GranCabrio that it presents an enhanced sensation of driving combined with two signature traits of Maserati, craftsmanship and technology. The GranCabrio is described as a car for true connoisseurs and is refined in every aspect, its interior, performance, technology and exterior.