Maserati brings back limitless headroom with new GranCabrio

Having revived the GranTurismo two years ago as the final new internal combustion engine vehicle it will produce, Maserati has now breathed new life into the drop-top GranCabrio that also becomes the last convertible it will make minus any electrical assistance.

Roof gone

Only offered in flagship Trofeo guise, which replaces the previous range-topping Sport, the GranCabrio differs comparatively little from the GranTursimo externally, bar the obvious change in roof from a hard-top to a canvas roof that opens in 14 seconds and closes in 16 seconds at up to 50 km/h.

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Available in five colours; black, greige, garnet, Titan Grey and Blue Marine, the folding lid has resulted in a number structural changes adding an additional 100 kg to the GranCabrio’s final weight.

While Maserati didn’t specify the nature of the revisions, it confirm new specification items exclusive to the GranCabrio, namely neck warmers integrated into front headrests, plus a manually affixed wind deflector that clips in over the rear seats.

The latter resulting in the GranCabrio becoming a two-seater instead of four, the newcomer continues otherwise unchanged from the GranTurismo with the standard inclusion of a 12.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Head-Up Display and positioned below the former, a supplementary 8.8-inch display for the climate control.

Also included, but as an option, are five colour options for the brake calipers, a selection of veneers and a specifically designed 19-speaker, 1 195-watt Sonus Faber sound system.

V6 power only

Riding on the same 20-inch at the front and 21-inch at the rear alloy wheels as the GranTurismo, underneath its bonnet, motivation comes from the same 3.0-litre Nettuno twin-turbo V6 that debuted in the MC20 coupe and later, the MC20 Cielo.

The sole propulsion option as the entry-level Modena and all-electric Folgore remain bespoke to the GranTurismo, the unit develops an unchanged 410kW/650Nm, which results in a top speed of 316 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

Sending the amount of twist to the rear axle is an eight-speed automatic gearbox sourced from ZF, with the other carryover from the GranTurismo Trofeo being five drive modes; Comfort, GT, Sport, Corsa and the Electronic Stability Control deactivating ESC-Off.

Not yet confirmed

On-sale from the middle of this year in the United States and Europe, pricing for the GranCabrio wasn’t disclosed, with the same applying to its confirmation for South Africa.

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