Maserati GranCabrio Sport Review - A Luxurious Italian Masterpiece

Introduction

The Maserati GranCabrio Sport is an Italian masterpiece that has graced the brand’s line-up since 2010. Much like a fine cheese, it’s aged gracefully over the years and possesses the power to turn heads to this very day. Differentiating itself from the BMW 6-Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, the GranCabrio is the only one designed by famed design house Pininfarina, flaunting a unique old school vibe that most will be unable to resist.

Key Features

Exterior

A head-turner in the truest sense, the Maserati GranCabrio Sport 2018 welcomes traditional design cues in the form of distinct fender vents, 20-inch gloss black trident-style alloys, and a prominent rear diffuser flanked by two melody-generating exhaust pipes. Having undergone a subtle facelift, the new model boasts a hexagonal grille, replacing the oval one seen in previous models, while the distinct red brake calipers connote its sporting pretensions.

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Interior

The perfect accompaniment to the Bianco Alpi exterior (white, for simple people) is the bright red leather-laden interior, which comfortably seats up to four adults. With carbon fiber detailing along the dashboard, sizeable paddle shifters on the steering column, and drilled aluminum pedals in the footwell, it’s a grand tourer like no other. Combining sportiness with elegance and luxury, the GranCabrio sports embossed insignias in its supple headrests and can tuck its roof away in under thirty seconds, should you wish to flaunt them.

A tad dated on the technological front, this Italian beauty isn’t equipped with much more than an 8.4-inch touchscreen, a bold analogue clock, a couple of USB ports, and automatic headlamps. Forget the luxury of blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and other aids you’ve come to take for granted. The most unique feature, however, is the fuel filler cap that only releases when the engine is switched off. Brilliant!

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Drive

Concealed beneath its muscular hood is a potent and naturally-aspirated 4.7-liter V8 engine that churns out 460 horsepower and a tire-shredding 520 Nm of torque. With power directed to the rear wheels, the GranCabrio Sport is thrilling to drive at speed, dispatching a 0 – 100 km/h run in under five seconds. More than a straight-line rocket, however, the GranCabrio Sport is a grand tourer that makes cruising a pleasure, courtesy of its sonorous and ferocious exhaust notes that can and will turn heads wherever you go.

While drive modes come in the form of Ice, Normal, and Sport, this Italian masterpiece is best left in Sport mode, making each drive an experience in itself. The 6-speed automatic transmission is quick to react to shifts and holds onto gears in manual mode, enhancing the enjoyment of long tunnels and the echoing exhaust note.

Verdict

The Maserati GranCabrio Sport isn’t for everyone. While many may quickly point out its shortcomings, it’s dedicated to those who enjoy driving more than anything else and are willing to make sacrifices on the technological front for the automotive equivalent of aesthetic perfection. At AED 575,000, the GranCabrio is expensive, but boy is it worth it!

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Brute power and sonorous exhaust note
• Head-turning design

Cons:

• Tad dated on the technological front

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