Maserati has shoehorned the 450bhp 4.7-litre V8 from the fiery GranTurismo MC Stradale into the GranCabrio and christened it the “Sport” version. But this is not exactly a plug-and-play transplant.
The biggest difference is that the convertible does not employ the robotised 6-speed transaxle gearbox of the MC Stradale, instead using the newly developed MC Auto Shift torque converter automatic. It is less brutal than the gear-slamming automated manual, but it boasts quick 200-millisecond gearchanges and launch control capability, all with minimal shift shock.
Leather, carbon fibre and character come together beautifully in the Maserati GranCabrio Sport cabin.
Drive is split at the rear via a proper mechanical LSD. The car’s weight has a 51 percent bias to the rear, which actually changes to 52 percent with the soft-top down.
Most of the GranCabrio Sport’s cosmetic addenda comes from the MC Sport Line options programme, such as the front splitter, rear diffuser and cockpit kickplates; all made of carbon fibre. Saving weight is not the intention here, though – it is more about looking good, and carbon in this case is the new black.
The greatest “option” of all is that 450bhp V8 from the MC Stradale. This is the special item that gives this model a more aggressive attitude than the regular GranCabrio, despite the unchanged engine capacity. This car is a refined cruiser, but becomes a fire-breathing screamer when you activate Sport mode and stomp on the accelerator pedal.
This setting liberates an unspecified number of extra ponies, but more importantly, rouses an Italian symphony orchestra complete with a percussion ensemble.
A bypass valve in the exhaust system (which ends in a pair of oval black titanium tailpipes) reroutes the gases through another section of the rear baffle box, generating one of the nicest exhaust notes I have ever heard.
With the roof down, the high-impact straight-through racket blends perfectly with the bassy exhaust burble. With the roof up, all the treble is filtered away, leaving the bass. It is more mellow and allows conversation, but I prefer the whole nine yards, topless and all.
The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale donated the stirring 450bhp 4.7-litre V8, but not the 6-speed automatic.
The GranCabrio’s suspension is not as stiff as the GranTurismo MC Stradale’s, but in Sport mode (and on 20-inch Pirelli P Zeros) the ride is rigid enough over broken road surfaces to make me wish for a separate damper setting. The standard configuration is a general-purpose do-it-all, offering both refinement and sportiness, but the exhaust soundtrack is too tame. I hit the Sport button to get better sound, but because this keeps the transmission one gear too low in town, it is best deployed for that blast on fast roads outside the city.
Grigio Antracite 20-inch wheels and Rosso Trionfale paintwork are unique to this new Maserati.
The original GranCabrio is a little too soft to be entertaining in corners, but this sportier derivative has solved the problem. Its Skyhook adaptive suspension does a brilliant job, carving up winding roads as calmly as cruising down straight roads. Switch to Sport mode and everything sharpens up.
Drop the top to enjoy even more of the Maserati GranCabrio Sport’s performance and reverberations.
The dampers really clamp down hard on chassis movement (especially over uneven tarmac), the engine is blipped between gears on every downshift and the exhaust is glorious. But if you just wish to cruise along with some mechanical music in the background, this go-even-faster setting is not ideal.
Apparently, the local Maserati agent can, upon request, modify your GranCabrio Sport’s exhaust to be “wide open loud” regardless of driving mode. What hedonistic fun that would be.
When the exhaust system is in its loud mode, the car’s soundtrack is an orgasmic Italian opera.
Maserati GranCabrio Sport 4.7 (A)
ENGINE 4691cc, 32-valves, V8
MAX POWER 450bhp at 7000rpm
MAX TORQUE 510Nm at 4750rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 5.2 seconds
TOP SPEED 285km/h
CONSUMPTION 6.9km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE To be announced
Check out the latest Maserati GranCabrio
