Maserati’s two-door GranTurismo is back and more elegant than ever—and now you can buy one without a roof. That also brings a different name: GranCabrio, even though most of the package is, predictably, identical to the GranTurismo save for the folding fabric roof mechanism and some droptop-specific pieces.
Gran Trofeo!
Does this mean we’ll see an all-electric GranCabrio Folgore, like the upcoming GranTurismo Folgore? Maserati isn’t saying yet, but given the two Grans share their gas- and electric-capable chassis, it’s entirely possible. For now, Maserati is introducing the GranCabrio only in the zestier of the Turismo’s gas-fed trim levels, the Trofeo. The lower-spec Modena isn’t available as yet, if ever.
Trofeos get the higher-output version of Maserati’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter “Nettuno” V-6 engine, the one making 542 hp and 497 lb-ft of torque. They’re all-wheel-drive too, with power sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
We weren’t sure it was possible to improve on the GranTurismo’s sinewy good looks, but the long-wheelbase two-door somehow is even sexier in droptop form (at least with its roof lowered). Sans top, the four-seat GranCabrio seems even longer and lower.
Top ‘o the Cabrio to Ya
Interestingly, Maserati has equipped the big droptop with a fabric roof—a cloth top. Surely a folding metal hardtop would have been way heavier, and packaging one on the possible Folgore EV version could have been difficult. But a cloth roof also brings in a sort of old-world charm to the equation, a classic touch, if you will. Moreover, modern soft tops can be padded such that they’re nearly as quiet as roofs made of harder materials. As Maserati puts it, “the ‘open-air experience’ is enhanced by remarkable thermal and acoustic comfort.”
The top is offered in five different colors, and can be raised or lowered in 14 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. It seems the top is controlled via a digital button on the central touchscreen, much like in Mercedes-Benz’s latest SL-Class; we don’t love those controls in that ritzy droptop, so we’ll see how they’re implemented here. Likewise, the GranCabrio comes standard with front seat neck warmers with three different “intensity” levels.
We’ll know more about Maserati’s plans for the GranCabrio lineup soon, we suspect, but it’ll be fascinating if the brand introduces a Folgore electric version—electric convertibles are… not really a thing, and not by accident. EVs are heavy, therefore designing windshield headers and pop-up roll bars for them is a substantially different ballgame than in a typical coupe-to-convertible transition. Let’s hope Maserati figures that out, because what a thing a 750-ish-hp, silent GranCabrio would be. In the meantime, enjoy this Trofeo model’s glorious-sounding V-6, now with less roof blocking that noise.
