17 February 2012

Maserati GranCabrio Sport

Mandi Keighran and Nicky Lobo recently took the Maserati GranCabrio Sport for a test drive around Sydney. Mandi gives us the inside on this high performance car.

It is a hard feat to have achieved, but the new Maserati GranCabrio Sport offers higher levels of performance and more developed aesthetics than the normal Maserati GranCabrio. So, when Nicky Lobo, Deputy Editor of Habitus, and I were offered the opportunity to take the new Maserati GranCabrio Sport for a test drive, it didn't take us long to accept.

"The Maserati GranCabrio Sport represents Maserati's technology at its finest," says Glen Sealey, General Manager of Maserati in Australia and New Zealand.

"It is faster, yet uses less fuel; it is significantly more responsive, yet boasts lower emissions; it is sharper and more responsive, yet is as comfortable and refined to drive as would be expected of a Maserati, not to mention it is even better looking."

With the addition of the GranCabrio Sport, Maserati now have a harder-edged convertible that easily takes the title of performance flagship for the GranCabrio range. With a 285 km/h speed and 0-100 km/h sprint of just 5.2 seconds, it didn't take us long to reach Pilu in Freshwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches for a beautiful lunch. And, despite the slightly rainy weather, we made it almost all the way with the top down.

The GranCabrio Sport is a car that attracts attention. The shape of the car is based on that of the iconic Maserati GranTurismo coupé. The main difference with the GranCabrio Sport is the distinctive, more-pronounced nose.

Most other changes (aside from the hood) are under the skin, and relate to the car's aggressive handling and ride comfort.

The convertible hood of the car – the shape of which is almost identical to the GranTurismo coupé – is also a feat of engineering, comprising of a frame with five cross bars and three protection layers – meaning it doesn't balloon at speed.

While at first it was a little nerve-wracking to be at the wheel of a car with so much power behind it, it didn't take long to get used to driving the GranCabrio – and it was certainly hard to give back at the end of the day.

Maserati
maserati.com.au