 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible. Click image to enlarge |
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2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible
Rome, Italy – The gods of top-down motoring were not smiling when Maserati launched a new convertible version of its ever-so-fetching GranTurismo coupe in central Italy. In fact, these deities were darn right dastardly. I flung open the shutters of my downtown Rome hotel room to see large flakes of snow cascading from the heavens and whitening the red tile roofs below. Across the Tevere River, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica looked like a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream. It hadn’t snowed in Rome since 1985.
 Rome’s first snowfall since 1985 . Click image to enlarge |
Naturally, the Maserati public relations people were in a terrible tizzy. With the city’s only snowplough turned into a planter back in ’92, and no 20-inch snow tires within a three-country radius, things weren’t looking good.
Fortunately, the weather let up a bit and we were set loose. The four-seat 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible (known as the GranCabrio in non-North American markets) will be available in Canada this spring priced at $169,900 – that’s about a $28,000 premium over the GranTurismo S Coupe, with which it shares most mechanicals.
Under hood is a Ferrari-derived 4.7-litre V8 that kicks out 433 ponies at 7,200 r.p.m. and a torque peak of 361 lb.-ft. at 4,750 r.p.m. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission co-developed with German manufacturer ZF. Maserati’s Skyhook adaptive suspension features continuously adjustable gas dampers with a sport setting.
There are two potential problems with taking one of the most beautiful cars on the road (grazie Pininfarina) and slicing off its roof: 1) you’ll ruin its looks, and 2) you’ll ruin its structural integrity.
 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible. Click image to enlarge |
Maserati has largely avoided both these pitfalls. The three-layer fabric top (available in six colours) works to Maserati’s advantage here. When raised, it stays true to the lines of the coupe, and being more compact when folded, the hindquarters of the car needn’t be artificially expanded to accommodate storage as with many hard top convertibles (Ferrari California please take a bow). With the top lowered, the GranTurismo cuts an exceptionally striking profile. The roof also has the added benefit of keeping the car’s centre of gravity low, not changing front to rear weight distribution significantly when stowed, and allowing the trunk to hold the all-important two golf bags. A bespoke Maserati luggage set is offered.
 Rome’s first snowfall since 1985 . Click image to enlarge |
The GT C has the longest wheelbase in its class and consequently a large area open to the sky, so much chassis stiffening was required – reinforced A-pillars, larger box sections in the sills, a torsion wall behind the rear seats and an aluminum under-body stiffener. Maser claims best-in-class torsional rigidity.
Over some of the more cobbled city streets there was some noticeable cowl shake, but overall this convertible felt very rigid. The fact that there is only a 100-kg weight penalty over the Coupe is quite remarkable.
Maserati’s mission with this car was to ensure maximum comfort for rear passengers. The rear buckets are contoured like the front chairs with a natural 22-degree rake. At a smidge under six feet, I could sit behind myself – just. My knees were grazing the seat back and my head brushed the headliner. Those a little shorter will certainly be lodging no complaints, either with their accommodations or the terrific 12-speaker Bose audio, although they most certainly would have been calling for a barf-bag on the mountainous portion of our drive.
 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible. Click image to enlarge |
In recent years Maserati has arrived at a distinctive dynamic signature that melds robust free-revving V8s with a lightning-quick paddle-shifted six-speed ZF auto and tactile steering, Helping is the GT C’s near ideal 49/51 percent front to rear weight distribution and a chassis developed by ex-Ferrari whiz Fredrico Landini.
It all comes together on roads like these; pressing the Sport button on the console firms the Skyhook suspension, calls up a more aggressive transmission shift map, and allows the exhaust gasses to by-pass the mufflers above 3,000 rpm. With the road surface being quite damp, the leniency in the stability control allowed this inherently well-balanced drop-top to wag its tail in a very controllable fashion.
 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible. Click image to enlarge |
The only real impediment to swift driving (besides the rain, snow and lone road-side wolf) was the very thick A-pillar that did a marvelous job of blocking my line of sight in left-handers.
Returning to Rome, the skies cleared so we dropped the top (28 seconds) at a red light. This is when the GranTurismo Convertible really started to make sense. The exquisitely crafted beige and burgundy leather interior, trimmed in exotic Brazilian Carbalho wood, came alive in the afternoon light, and seeing the sights unrestricted was nearly as much fun as being seen in this Bianco Fuji (pearl white) specimen with optional 20-inch wheels (up from standard 19s).
But what really impresses is the sound of that heroic 4.7-litre V8. Unlike the Ferrari California, which spits and shrieks as only a Ferrari can, the mellifluous Maser (with the Sport button pressed, natch) first comes across as Enrico Caruso gargling with grappa, then escalates to a sound not unlike the trumpet of a very pissed-off bull elephant. We may have loosened some masonry in a few Roman tunnels that afternoon.
 2010 Maserati Gran Turismo convertible. Click image to enlarge |
Fully equipped at 170 large, this gorgeous Maserati, steeped as it is in passione, comes across as somewhat of a bargain when looking at other drop-top exotica that claim to seat four: the Aston Martin DB9 Volante ($237,000), the Bentley Continental GTC ($221,700) and the Porsche Turbo Cabriolet ($178,400). Less pricey alternatives include the BMW M6 Convertible ($131,300) and the Audi S5 Cabrio Premium ($72,000).
If you wish to explore some other branches of the recently expanded Fiat family tree, you’ll find the Ferrari California ($262,000) which is an insult to anyone considering sitting on the back perches, and the Chrysler Sebring Convertible LX ($24,665), which is just a plain insult.
The mind boggles.
