Latest news with #MaseratiGranCabrio
Forbes
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Maserati GranCabrio: This Supercar Is Stellar. But Is Its Future?
Maserati has been on a tear lately. The Trident-anchored supercar has redesigned every aspect of its lineup, starting with its engines and working upward from there. The brand has its sites set on conquering the race circuit and (re)proving its mettle as a world-class performance brand, and the daily-driving embodiment of this journey—and one of the most beautiful cars on the road—is the Maserati GranCabrio. A convertible version of the brand's GranTurismo coupe, the GranCabrio made its global debut just 12 years ago, but in 2024 it was reinvented for Maserati's modern age. It sports the brand's new Nettuno engine, a 6-cylinder turbo that is designed to prove that a V6 can deliver what only larger engines could in the past. It powers the 483 hp GranCabrio, the 542 hp GranCabrio Trofeo, the new 621 hp MCPura, the 631 hp GT2 Straddle, and the 730 hp F1-ready MCXtrema. Buyers who want the most powerful Maserati on the road, though, can opt for the GranCabrio Folgore, a EV that delivers more power than any other in the lineup at 751 hp, taking its intelligence from Maserati's investment in Formula E racing. A Modern Design Journey Led To This Moment The GranCabrio's arched fenders, sweeping sidelines and perfectly balanced proportions are classic supercar design, an idea that the brand has leaned into in its modern iteration: not only does its 6-cylinder engine deliver the supercar experience, but so does its design. The design of the GranCabrio, as well as the other cars in the lineup, delivers more than just a pretty face and luxe interior. Every detail in Maserati's design is focused on efficiency. From the vertical front grille and mesh air intake to the rear trunk spoiler and wide-set lower diffuser, these features are designed to assist the engine by enhancing performance. Inside driver and passenger will find sport seats designed to cradle occupants and keep them secure on a spirited drive, and leather surroundings designed to deliver a soft, tactile experience. Carbon fiber is the material of choice for hard surfaces (though there is also a woven copper option), and chrome mesh grilles cover the Sonus faber speakers, a sound system upgrade inspired by the legendary $1million home system and designed just for Maserati. Driving The Maserati GranCabrio The efficiency of the exterior design and the power of the 6-cylinder engine is something you'll quickly see when behind the wheel as the GranCabrio grips every curve masterfully, both on a longer road course as well as a quick trip around an autocross track. We found out recently at the Circuit of The Americas track in Austin, Texas when we took the GranTurismo and GranCabrio out for the day. The GranTurismo delivered a surprisingly fast and precise lap around the track, easily hitting its stride on the long straightaways and clinching the track's technical turns. On the autocross course the GranCabrio quickly cut around the cones and hit impressive speeds on short straight stretches, quickly and confidently braking at the end of the course. It made the run on this world-class track seem simple when of course, we know it's not. Adding to the fun are the drive modes that are accessible on the steering wheel dial, which is where you'll also find the stop/start button. Drive modes are, of course, Italian-inflected: Comfort, GT, Sport and Corsa, or track mode. Surprisingly Smart Tech Defines The Maserati Interior The Maserati GranCabrio is a touring coupe by definition: a four-seat configuration filled with creature comforts to ensure a delightful ride for daily driving and weekend jaunting. Comprising much of the comfort is the technology we've become accustomed to in most cars, a feature that can be surprisingly antiquated in higher-end super cars; they often partner with other players in the field and end up with last year's multimedia system or head up display technology. Not so in the Maserati GranCabrio and GranTurismo thanks to parent company Stellantis, and this detail was a delight. A few years ago Stellantis, maker of Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo and others, invested in its tech future by hiring a fleet of gaming and video designers as well as user experience experts to design and build multimedia systems for all its vehicles. The result has long been one of the best in automotive with advanced features that it took competitors years to catch up to. Among them, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; voice activated assistance, which in this case answers to 'Hey, Maserati;' and a menu of functions that allow you to customize your experience in the Maserati GranCabrio. Below the main screen is a second screen dedicated to climate controls; this is where you'll find the control for the convertible top. Simply tap the Cabrio icon and a slider animation appears; slide it to open or close the top. Between the two screens is the push-button gear shifter, a bit of a novel function for a supercar but one that keeps the interior open and minimalist in its design. The Maserati Quandary: Convertible Or Coupe? After driving both the GranTurismo and the GranCoupe it boils down to personal preference: hard top or convertible? The hardtop GranTurismo became an iconic character in the hit Apple TV streamer Your Friends and Neighbors (no spoilers here); the GranCabrio, which is an additional $8,900, delivers more of a fair-weather experience, though the nicely muted top makes for a quiet ride (for a convertible). Here's how the GranCabrio shakes out in trims and pricing: As a true luxury car, Maserati offers lots of options: 24 exterior colors; five soft top colors, nine brake caliper choices, 12 interior leather choices and three hard surface choices. Options include driver assistance ($7,280) vented front seats ($1,470), a carbon fiber spoiler ($2,880), Sonus faber premium sound ($4,600) and head up display ($2,300). The price of our GranCabrio Trofeo test model was about $229,300. There's been some discussion around the viability of the Maserati brand's future, but with the development of the Nettuno engine, the introduction of the newest MCPura model and the brand's commitment to racing, the road ahead is in focus and Maserati clearly intends to conquer it.
Top Gear
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Price, PPC or HP
Prices start at £175,000 – a £10k lift from the coupe. As tested, the one in our images was a shade over £240,000. That's a £15,000 paint job you're looking at. Carbon ceramic brakes ought to be standard in our opinion – nope, a £10k extra. The B&O hi-fi is almost £7,000 and you can add a semi-detached house's worth of carbon fibre if you're not careful. The Roadster isn't short of rivals. AMG SL, Roma Spider, Maserati GranCabrio, Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet… there's a huge amount of talent in the circa-£200k super-sports drop-top arena.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maserati GranCabrio: A sports car named desire
Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she precious? I hope that's not too sexist, but if such eloquent sentiments are good enough for Stevie Wonder, then they're good enough for me to purloin – all the better to introduce you to the Maserati GranCabrio, the latest in a line of exquisite sports coupes and convertibles that dates back to the A6 in 1950. (That, funnily enough, was also the year when Little Stevie Wonder came into the world. It's a rather lovely, wonderful and precious thing that both are still going strong.) I probably go on about the looks of a car far too much, but I like to keep in mind what that great French philosopher and semiotician Roland Barthes said, again back in the golden age of automative styling, the 1950s: 'I think that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals; I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image if not in usage by a whole population, which appropriates them as a purely magical object.' Once again, I couldn't have put it better myself, and I very strongly suspect that, aside from the strange human tendency to conspicuous consumption, this is the main reason those wealthy enough to indulge themselves thus will opt for a Maserati. The GranCabrio's proportions are as near perfect as you'll see, even for something that is as long as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine. It has curves that swell and flow and carry the eye irresistibly. The sense of seamlessness is enhanced by the vast one-piece panel embracing both bonnet and wings. It hugs the ground as if for dear life (well, it does help with stability as it builds speed), and there is just enough detailing to assert its identity without too much insistence. The famous trident badge was inspired by the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna – Maserati's home city – with the god Neptune waving his fork around at the sea, see. It is still there, set in the classic elegant oval-ish grille. This element evolved from the last GT Cabrio, which first appeared in 2010 and ran for the rest of the decade. The grand touring Maseratis, still made in tiny numbers, are obliged to have timeless styling. It also helps them to become instant classics. The natural assumption is that such cars are incredibly expensive and depreciate heavily. Both things are true in the shorter term – the price is pushing £200,000 for a GranCabrio with a few bespoke touches, but you may be sure that the model you buy today will find itself in a prestige auctioneer's listings in a couple of decades. To add to the classiness, you'll note the canvas roof, finished in a range of classic colours and probably more durable than a complex folding metal version. The overall effect is one of presence rather than ostentation. It's a mad time of year to drive open-topped, but it's very good to see how snug it is in the cold. It's snug. Price: £187,435 (as tested, cabrios start at £169,785) Engine capacity: 3.0l petrol, V6 cyl, 8sp manual Power output (hp): 550 Top speed (mph): 196 0 to 60 (seconds): 3.6 Fuel economy (mpg): 26.9 CO2 emissions (WLTP, g/km): 238 It is, then, a special car, and the superb hand-finished interior cossets you in some considerable style. It's bang up to date on technology now, and the 'folded' twin touchscreen works extremely well – it's easy to use and responsive, with the radio controls (for stations and volume) on little buttons on the back of the steering-wheel rim. There's also a stop-start button on the wheel, plus a dial for you to set your GranCabrio up for your required driving style, such as Sport or Comfort – or, if you're a competent driver and on a racetrack, you can opt for 'Corsa', which dispenses with all the stability controls and lets nothing stand in the way of you and the 550 to 700-plus horsepower ahead of you. Sadly, for purists, it's not a V8, but the twin turbocharged three-litre V6 can reach up to 8,000 rpm, so no complaints really. There's no denying, frankly, that the petrol model makes the nicer sound. The automatic gearbox controls P-R-N-D are accessed via a line of buttons on the dash – a hint to Maserati's corporate parent, Stellantis; any Peugeot or Vauxhall driver would recognise them. Best of all, the GranCabrio comes in two flavours – the petrol-powered Trofeo, as tradition dictates, plus the option of a proper battery-electric version, as the planet prefers (and which goes even faster). The leccy one is badged 'Folgore', Italian for lightning. Both send the drive through all four wheels, and both feel safe as well as exhilarating to use on the straight or the twistier roads. It's a heavy beast, at 1,895kg (a colossal 2,340kg for the Folgore), and obviously more grand tourer than pure hardcore sports car, but the electronics look after it (and you), though I can't say if it still feels that way at the near-200mph top speed. I like the Maserati, but I like living more. The only obvious design fault is the boot, which is tiny – it's actually non-existent on the electric version if you store an additional cable in there for slow charging. Then again, storage is really what the cramped back seats are for, and your typical customer will have a Range Rover or maybe a Maserati Grecale SUV for lugging stuff about. Fuel consumption is, realistically, irrelevant, but you should get at least 200 miles out of the Trofeo on a single charge. As for rivals, there's Porsches, an Aston Martin, and the convertible version of the Ferrari Roma – this last being the only one that matches the Maserati's visual appeal, though it's maybe a bit too flash. But as yet, the GranCabrio Folgore stands in a class of its own – a super-premium convertible BEV. A cathedral for our age. There's nothing like it.
The Independent
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Maserati GranCabrio: A sports car named desire
Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Isn't she precious? I hope that's not too sexist, but if such eloquent sentiments are good enough for Stevie Wonder, then they're good enough for me to purloin – all the better to introduce you to the Maserati GranCabrio, the latest in a line of exquisite sports coupes and convertibles that dates back to the A6 in 1950. (That, funnily enough, was also the year when Little Stevie Wonder came into the world. It's a rather lovely, wonderful and precious thing that both are still going strong.) I probably go on about the looks of a car far too much, but I like to keep in mind what that great French philosopher and semiotician Roland Barthes said, again back in the golden age of automative styling, the 1950s: 'I think that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals; I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image if not in usage by a whole population, which appropriates them as a purely magical object.' Once again, I couldn't have put it better myself, and I very strongly suspect that, aside from the strange human tendency to conspicuous consumption, this is the main reason those wealthy enough to indulge themselves thus will opt for a Maserati. The GranCabrio's proportions are as near perfect as you'll see, even for something that is as long as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine. It has curves that swell and flow and carry the eye irresistibly. The sense of seamlessness is enhanced by the vast one-piece panel embracing both bonnet and wings. It hugs the ground as if for dear life (well, it does help with stability as it builds speed), and there is just enough detailing to assert its identity without too much insistence. The famous trident badge was inspired by the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna – Maserati's home city – with the god Neptune waving his fork around at the sea, see. It is still there, set in the classic elegant oval-ish grille. This element evolved from the last GT Cabrio, which first appeared in 2010 and ran for the rest of the decade. The grand touring Maseratis, still made in tiny numbers, are obliged to have timeless styling. It also helps them to become instant classics. The natural assumption is that such cars are incredibly expensive and depreciate heavily. Both things are true in the shorter term – the price is pushing £200,000 for a GranCabrio with a few bespoke touches, but you may be sure that the model you buy today will find itself in a prestige auctioneer's listings in a couple of decades. To add to the classiness, you'll note the canvas roof, finished in a range of classic colours and probably more durable than a complex folding metal version. The overall effect is one of presence rather than ostentation. It's a mad time of year to drive open-topped, but it's very good to see how snug it is in the cold. It's snug. It is, then, a special car, and the superb hand-finished interior cossets you in some considerable style. It's bang up to date on technology now, and the 'folded' twin touchscreen works extremely well – it's easy to use and responsive, with the radio controls (for stations and volume) on little buttons on the back of the steering-wheel rim. There's also a stop-start button on the wheel, plus a dial for you to set your GranCabrio up for your required driving style, such as Sport or Comfort – or, if you're a competent driver and on a racetrack, you can opt for 'Corsa', which dispenses with all the stability controls and lets nothing stand in the way of you and the 550 to 700-plus horsepower ahead of you. Sadly, for purists, it's not a V8, but the twin turbocharged three-litre V6 can reach up to 8,000 rpm, so no complaints really. There's no denying, frankly, that the petrol model makes the nicer sound. The automatic gearbox controls P-R-N-D are accessed via a line of buttons on the dash – a hint to Maserati's corporate parent, Stellantis; any Peugeot or Vauxhall driver would recognise them. Best of all, the GranCabrio comes in two flavours – the petrol-powered Trofeo, as tradition dictates, plus the option of a proper battery-electric version, as the planet prefers (and which goes even faster). The leccy one is badged 'Folgore', Italian for lightning. Both send the drive through all four wheels, and both feel safe as well as exhilarating to use on the straight or the twistier roads. It's a heavy beast, at 1,895kg (a colossal 2,340kg for the Folgore), and obviously more grand tourer than pure hardcore sports car, but the electronics look after it (and you), though I can't say if it still feels that way at the near-200mph top speed. I like the Maserati, but I like living more. The only obvious design fault is the boot, which is tiny – it's actually non-existent on the electric version if you store an additional cable in there for slow charging. Then again, storage is really what the cramped back seats are for, and your typical customer will have a Range Rover or maybe a Maserati Grecale SUV for lugging stuff about. Fuel consumption is, realistically, irrelevant, but you should get at least 200 miles out of the Trofeo on a single charge. As for rivals, there's Porsches, an Aston Martin, and the convertible version of the Ferrari Roma – this last being the only one that matches the Maserati's visual appeal, though it's maybe a bit too flash. But as yet, the GranCabrio Folgore stands in a class of its own – a super-premium convertible BEV. A cathedral for our age. There's nothing like it.
