Maserati launch the GranCabrio Sport: we know you can’t afford one, but it doesn’t hurt to look… and there’s always the Lotto.
Maserati has taken the GranCabrio convertible to a new level of performance with the the launch of the new GranCabrio Sport.
The new model comes with more power, a faster gearshift and a distinctively aggressive look. The GranCabrio Sport gives Maserati a harder-edged convertible to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S as the performance flagships of their respective ranges.
Publically unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the GranCabrio Sport combines an upgraded 4.7-litre V8 engine with a 10 horsepower increase to 450 hp and improved fuel economy with the faster MC Auto Shift transmission.
With a 285km-h top speed that’ll make your eyes bleed* and a 0-100km/h sprint of 5.2 seconds, the GranCabrio Sport is brimming with performance and luxury refinements both inside the cabin and underneath its body panels.
Its six-speed transmission includes a super-fast MC Auto Shift mode and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S.
The handling has been enhanced for greater speed, too, with an upgrade and revision of the Skyhook active-suspension system and the adoption of a more-responsive brake package.
Visually, the GranCabrio Sport is characterised by a more-pronounced dynamic look. This look begins with the GranCabrio’s distinctive nose and continues with a host of small, integrated changes throughout the body and the interior.
Exterior Design
Maserati’s design team have worked to provide a more-aggressive look by implementing a series of relatively small upgrades in critical areas have created an integrated, dynamic design that immediately differentiates the GranCabrio Sport from the rest of the GranCabrio range.
It introduces a new colour, Rosso Trionfale – a classic red that pays tribute to the championship-winning Maserati racing cars of the 1950s.
The strong, distinctive GranCabrio grille receives even more character with a new black colour, while the grille’s Maserati Trident receives the red accents that are reserved for the fastest car in each of Maserati’s model ranges.
The headlights now have a black look with white reflectors, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured.
Besides adding to the aggressive style, the side skirts and the corner splitters were developed in the wind tunnel and add significantly to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency reducing aerodynamic resistance and improving fuel consumption.
The dynamic look is finished with redesigned 20” Astro-design wheels and a pair of menacing, black oval exhaust tips. The wheels each feature three Tridents and create a lighter look to accentuate the higher performance.
Interior Design
The more-aggressive look is carried over inside the open-topped cabin, with a new seat-face design and drilled aluminium pedals.
The GranCabrio Sport introduces changes to the gear-shifting system, with Maserati’s Active Shifting paddles now standard. The paddles, drawn from the Trofeo racing car, are longer than the standard steering column-mounted paddles and make shifting easier when your driving becomes, shall we say, a little more enthusiastically.
The front passenger seat matches the driver’s seat and has adjustable lumbar support as standard.
Engine and transmission
The GranCabrio Sport uses the latest version of Maserati’s sonorous, all-alloy 4.7-litre V8, taken straight from the high-performance GranTurismo MC Stradale.
This naturally aspirated engine produces 450 horsepower (331kW) at 7000rpm: that is 10hp more than the GranCabrio. It is also rich with torque, with a peak of 510Nm (20Nm more than the GranCabrio) arriving at 4750rpm. Eighty percent of its maximum torque is already available at 2500rpm.
The performance increases are a result of Maserati’s Friction Reduction Program, which has made the GranCabrio Sport’s engine more reactive to the driver’s most-nuanced inputs. This program included a revision of the oil sump’s fluid dynamics and the application of a diamond-like coating to the tappets and the super-finished camshaft lobes.
Besides added power, torque and responsiveness, the Friction Reduction Program has lowered the GranCabrio Sport’s fuel consumption by six percent to a combined total of 14.5 litres/100km. Not exactly eco-friendly, but an improvement is an improvement.
The new exhaust tips also help the GranCabrio Sport to give a richer engine sound when the bypass valves are activated. The valves are always open in Manual-Sport mode, while they are open above 2500rpm in Auto-Sport mode.
This exhaust system allows Maserati to hit its target of improving the car’s performance and also give its customers access to a new open air musical theatre and a rich sound experience.
However, the valves are closed in Normal mode, giving the driver and passengers a quieter ride.
This six-speed automatic transmission includes the super-fast MC Auto Shift mode and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S.
The MC Auto Shift mode contains a launch-control mode and is active in both Manual Sport and Automatic Sport modes to provide faster gearshift times and to automatically “blip” the throttle during down-shifts.
The transmission gives the driver five distinct operating modes: Auto-Normal, Manual-Normal, Auto-Sport, Manual-Sport and Ice.
Chassis and Handling
The handling has received significant attention, with a new, sportier tune of the Skyhook active-suspension system and the adoption of grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.
The upgraded “Sport Skyhook” uses acceleration sensors to register wheel and chassis movement. It sends this data to a central processor, which also analyzes the road conditions and the driving style and instantly and precisely regulates the dampers to suit any situation.
With the GranCabrio Sport, the Skyhook system received upgraded management software and dampers to give a sharper focus on handling, grip and balance, while even the springs and anti-roll bars have been upgraded.
Derived from the GranTurismo’s high-strength steel monocoque architecture, the GranCabrio and GranCabrio Sport feature aluminium structural reinforcements beneath the floor for extra rigidity at the cost of only 100kg compared to the GranTurismo S.
Attached to the front of this architecture are aluminium wishbones with forged aluminium hub carriers and struts, aluminium gas dampers and springs, while at the rear adds a radius bar for each wheel to control toe-in.
The changes to the brakes, with grooved, ventilated and drilled discs on all four wheels, have targeted a sporty, responsive and consistent feeling for the driver.
The grooves have been designed to keep the brake pads clean by avoiding dust build-up, which can reduce braking performance, while the drilled holes ensure the uniform wear of the disc and the pads for long-term consistency. This all helps the GranCabrio Sport to stop in just 35 metres from 100km/h.
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