2024 MASERATI GRANCABRIO LOOKS JUST AS STUNNING AS GRANTURISMO

It should come as little surprise, perhaps, but just as every good turn deserve another, so does every great gran turismo deserve, well, a gran cabrio . Or, in the case of Maserati, because the automaker’s trademarked the name, a GranCabrio. Badging semantics aside, Maser’s new GranCabrio really is a chip off the GranTurismo block . Indeed, Maserati makes much mention of the fact that, although the development of the new architecture started in 2017 — that would be almost seven years ago — the aluminum, magnesium and high-performance underpinnings of the Cabrio were developed alongside the GT.

And, because the drop-top was always meant to be a part of the program — and the chassis stiffened appropriately to handle the loss of the roof — Maserati is quite proud that the GranCabrio has only gained 100 kilograms (220 lbs) in comparison to the GT (its total curb weight is 1,958 kilos [4,316 lbs]). And, indeed, that figure does seem impressive; just earlier this week, McLaren made much of the fact its Artura Spyder is only 61 kilograms (134 lbs) more than the coupe version.

Speaking of roofs, Maserati went with a cloth top rather than the most common — at least in this snack bracket — retractable hard top. The reason stated — and, for once, it smacks of reality more than marketing — is that a soft top takes up much less roof in the trunk when stowed, and Maserati wanted to retain as much cargo capacity as possible since it claims — and I can verify — the GranCabrio is a genuine four-seater. The canvas top itself is available in four colours — black, blue marine, titan grey, and garnet – and opens in just 14 seconds, while needing just 16s to close.

As much as open-air motoring is the reason to choose the GranCabrio over the GranTurismo, and the immediate attraction — that love-at-first-sight thing — is its stunning beauty, the technological highlight remains Maserati’s acclaimed “Nettuno” twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 .

The V6 employs what the company calls Maserati Twin Combustion (MTC) technology, essentially a Formula-One-like pre-chamber that initiates combustion. As the flames spread, combustion is transferred from the pre-chamber to the traditional cylinder head via a series of specially sized perforations. The result, says Maserati, is fast, more complete combustion, thanks to each cylinder’s two spark plugs and two distinct fuel injection systems.

It’s a sophisticated engine, and in this, its Trofeo tune, it’s good for 521 horsepower. We just tried it in the GranTurismo — stay tuned for that road test — and it produces plenty of urge. Maserati claims zero to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) takes but 3.6 seconds. We have no reason to doubt that.

As for some of the non-performance-related details, there’s a 16-speaker 1,060-watt audio system on offer (an 815-watt, 13-speaker system is standard) that’s guaranteed to challenge your eardrums; an Alexa Home-to-vehicle assistant that allows you to map out the navigation’s system destination from the comfort of your home; and Maserati Guard — the company must have heard about the federal government’s National Summit on Combating Auto Theft — that can detect and retrieve your car in case it is stolen, notifies you as soon as there’s been a break-in, and sends other security notifications to your Maserati Connect app.

In the end, it’s hardly surprising the GranCabrio follows so quickly on the heels of the GranTurismo , if for no other reason than that Maserati has managed to lop off the roof and not compromise the car’s stunning good looks one iota. The only mystery is whether the cabrio version will see all the same model trims as the hardtop — the 483-hp “Modena” version of the Nettuno, and the 751-hp battery-powered Folgore — or whether it will be limited to this, its Trofeo trim.

GranCabrios will be available in North American Maserati dealerships in the summer of 2024, but no pricing information is currently available.

2024-02-29T10:07:08Z dg43tfdfdgfd