Maserati: GranCabrio News
08-27-2009 | 01:15 PM
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Maserati: GranCabrio News
Press release...
The Maserati GranCabrio, the first four-seater convertible in the Trident carmaker's history, will make its world wide debut on September 15 at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The introduction of the GranCabrio – the Trident's third prong – completes Maserati's product line-up that now consists of three different families of models: Quattroporte, GranTurismo, GranCabrio.
The GranCabrio represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars. It's a Maserati in the purest sense of the word: from the unmistakable style by Pininfarina to the spacious interior, from the craftsmanship of each detail to the driving pleasure and performance. The Maserati GranCabrio enriches all five senses in a shared open-air experience, without sacrificing comfort and performance. A dream car designed and built for men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner. Like all the made in Maserati open-top convertibles: special cars aimed at refined connoisseurs.
In fact the GranCabrio is continuing the Maserati tradition in open-top cars, joining models that have played such an important part in the Modena carmaker's history such as the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, 1960 3500GT Vignale Spyder, 1964 Mistral Spyder, 1968 Ghibli Spyder and 2001 Spyder designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car that marked Maserati's return to the United States. In the footsteps of tradition, the GranCabrio opens a new chapter, because never before have four-seater top-down models ever been produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory. Four proper seats, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey.
The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 litre V8, 323 kW engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market. The GranCabrio's roof is strictly canvas-made, emphasizing the link with the Maserati tradition.
The Maserati GranCabrio will be marketed starting next winter, and experienced by customers the world over from the following spring.
The GranCabrio represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars. It's a Maserati in the purest sense of the word: from the unmistakable style by Pininfarina to the spacious interior, from the craftsmanship of each detail to the driving pleasure and performance. The Maserati GranCabrio enriches all five senses in a shared open-air experience, without sacrificing comfort and performance. A dream car designed and built for men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner. Like all the made in Maserati open-top convertibles: special cars aimed at refined connoisseurs.
In fact the GranCabrio is continuing the Maserati tradition in open-top cars, joining models that have played such an important part in the Modena carmaker's history such as the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, 1960 3500GT Vignale Spyder, 1964 Mistral Spyder, 1968 Ghibli Spyder and 2001 Spyder designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car that marked Maserati's return to the United States. In the footsteps of tradition, the GranCabrio opens a new chapter, because never before have four-seater top-down models ever been produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory. Four proper seats, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey.
The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 litre V8, 323 kW engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market. The GranCabrio's roof is strictly canvas-made, emphasizing the link with the Maserati tradition.
The Maserati GranCabrio will be marketed starting next winter, and experienced by customers the world over from the following spring.
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02-23-2011 | 10:55 AM
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2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sport
Press release...
The new Maserati that will debut at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show will offer more driving enjoyment thanks to an improved overall vehicle dynamics, more horse power, a more responsive and efficient engine and optimised gearshift response.
Modena, February 21, 2011. After stunning the world with the GranCabrio at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Maserati will use the 2011 Geneva Motor Show to take its grand-touring convertible to a new level of performance and handling with the GranCabrio Sport.
Conceived to give the GranCabrio a harder-edged model to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, the GranCabrio Sport uses a more powerful and fuel-efficient version of Maserati's, all-alloy 4.7-litre V8, coupled with the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.
This naturally aspirated engine produces in this configuration 331 kW (450 horsepower) and has 510 Nm at the peak of its rich, thick torque curve. Maserati's Friction Reduction Program has made the GranCabrio Sport's engine more reactive to the driver's most-nuanced inputs, while reaching a 6% reduction in fuel consumption. The top speed of the GranCabrio Sport is 285 km/h.
This six-speed transmission is equipped with the super-fast MC Auto Shift software and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S. The MC Auto Shift provides optimised gearshift response resulting in an even-greater engagement.
The handling has received attention, too, with an upgrade and revision of the Skyhook active-suspension system – now with a sportier tuning – and the adoption of grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.
Visually, the GranCabrio Sport is characterised by a more-pronounced dynamic look. This look begins at the GranCabrio's distinctive nose with a black grille and a Trident with red accents. The headlights now have a black look with white sidemarks, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured. The GranCabrio Sport also debuts a new body colour for Maserati: Rosso Trionfale inspired by the red Italian national colours used on 1950s racing Maseratis – in 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth F1 World Title at the wheel of a red Maserati 250F.
The GranCabrio Sport will be on sale in all of Maserati's 62 markets starting from summer 2011.
Modena, February 21, 2011. After stunning the world with the GranCabrio at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Maserati will use the 2011 Geneva Motor Show to take its grand-touring convertible to a new level of performance and handling with the GranCabrio Sport.
Conceived to give the GranCabrio a harder-edged model to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, the GranCabrio Sport uses a more powerful and fuel-efficient version of Maserati's, all-alloy 4.7-litre V8, coupled with the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.
This naturally aspirated engine produces in this configuration 331 kW (450 horsepower) and has 510 Nm at the peak of its rich, thick torque curve. Maserati's Friction Reduction Program has made the GranCabrio Sport's engine more reactive to the driver's most-nuanced inputs, while reaching a 6% reduction in fuel consumption. The top speed of the GranCabrio Sport is 285 km/h.
This six-speed transmission is equipped with the super-fast MC Auto Shift software and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S. The MC Auto Shift provides optimised gearshift response resulting in an even-greater engagement.
The handling has received attention, too, with an upgrade and revision of the Skyhook active-suspension system – now with a sportier tuning – and the adoption of grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.
Visually, the GranCabrio Sport is characterised by a more-pronounced dynamic look. This look begins at the GranCabrio's distinctive nose with a black grille and a Trident with red accents. The headlights now have a black look with white sidemarks, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured. The GranCabrio Sport also debuts a new body colour for Maserati: Rosso Trionfale inspired by the red Italian national colours used on 1950s racing Maseratis – in 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won his fifth F1 World Title at the wheel of a red Maserati 250F.
The GranCabrio Sport will be on sale in all of Maserati's 62 markets starting from summer 2011.
07-22-2011 | 07:03 AM
#26
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Maserati Grancabrio Sport
Autocar
What is it?
Not only will you need to be a true extrovert to drive the sensationally loud, undeniably gorgeous new Maserati GranSport Cabrio, you’ll also need to be exceedingly wealthy, too. For when it goes on sale in ‘early autumn’ this car will cost £102,615, and as such it’ll be competing with some of the world’s most desirable convertibles.
Yet in its way the dramatically elegant, much improved Maserati is easily capable of pulling it off. Rumble along any stretch of road, anywhere in the world, and you will get noticed in this car without any problem at all. And my goodness will you be heard as well as seen.
The key improvements include various upgrades both to the styling and what lies beneath, hence there are 15 per cent stiffer springs, thicker anti-roll bars, a 10bhp power increase for the 4.7-litre V8 and a brand new electronic damping system. But it’s what happens when you press the button marked sport, just to the right of the steering wheel, which makes the biggest difference of all.
What’s it like?
Pretty wonderful to be honest, so long as you find the right road, the right weather and have the right attitude with which to drive it. But the key thing to realise is that despite the addition of a range of upgrades intended to make it more sporting, the GranCabrio Sport isn’t the bone rattling madman of a car you’d half expect it to be. It’s actually a much more complete machine than the regular GranCab, featuring a more mature ride, crisper feeling steering, much better body control and an exhaust note to die for – so long as you press the right button.
Do so and, at a stroke, the throttle response gets punchier, the dampers become stiffer, the steering weight deepens, the shift times within the excellent six-speed semi-automatic gearbox are cut – and the exhaust note goes completely berserk. The transformation is a bit like what happens when Clark Kent emerges from the telephone box, and the effect it has on the GranCabrio Sport’s personality is as close to total as it gets.
Despite this, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the car is its ride. Previously this was a weak area, not merely because there was a degree of shake through the huge 1890kg open top bodyshell (which is still there if you look hard enough for it) but because its suspension was simply too stiff for the dampers to be able to cope with.
Now, though, thanks to the addition of a brand new version of Maserati’s Skyhook electronic damping system, the ride has been transformed. So much so that even on quite rough roads and with sport mode engaged, the GranCabrio Sport glides along with impressive refinement. And in normal mode, which to be honest is what you end up using most of the time once the novelty of deafening yourself has worn off, this car is now a truly impressive cruiser.
Should I buy one?
The GranCabrio Sport’s only genuine four-seater rival is the BMW 6-Series cabrio, although of course there’s a raft of other cars with which it indirectly competes, ranging from the 911 convertible to the Aston Martin Virage. Compared with the BMW there’s little or no contest; the Maserati is infinitely more desirable, not least because it’s become a very complete car in its own right. And when it comes to charm there’s no question, the Maserati wins hands down.
Steve Sutcliffe
What is it?
Not only will you need to be a true extrovert to drive the sensationally loud, undeniably gorgeous new Maserati GranSport Cabrio, you’ll also need to be exceedingly wealthy, too. For when it goes on sale in ‘early autumn’ this car will cost £102,615, and as such it’ll be competing with some of the world’s most desirable convertibles.
Yet in its way the dramatically elegant, much improved Maserati is easily capable of pulling it off. Rumble along any stretch of road, anywhere in the world, and you will get noticed in this car without any problem at all. And my goodness will you be heard as well as seen.
The key improvements include various upgrades both to the styling and what lies beneath, hence there are 15 per cent stiffer springs, thicker anti-roll bars, a 10bhp power increase for the 4.7-litre V8 and a brand new electronic damping system. But it’s what happens when you press the button marked sport, just to the right of the steering wheel, which makes the biggest difference of all.
What’s it like?
Pretty wonderful to be honest, so long as you find the right road, the right weather and have the right attitude with which to drive it. But the key thing to realise is that despite the addition of a range of upgrades intended to make it more sporting, the GranCabrio Sport isn’t the bone rattling madman of a car you’d half expect it to be. It’s actually a much more complete machine than the regular GranCab, featuring a more mature ride, crisper feeling steering, much better body control and an exhaust note to die for – so long as you press the right button.
Do so and, at a stroke, the throttle response gets punchier, the dampers become stiffer, the steering weight deepens, the shift times within the excellent six-speed semi-automatic gearbox are cut – and the exhaust note goes completely berserk. The transformation is a bit like what happens when Clark Kent emerges from the telephone box, and the effect it has on the GranCabrio Sport’s personality is as close to total as it gets.
Despite this, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the car is its ride. Previously this was a weak area, not merely because there was a degree of shake through the huge 1890kg open top bodyshell (which is still there if you look hard enough for it) but because its suspension was simply too stiff for the dampers to be able to cope with.
Now, though, thanks to the addition of a brand new version of Maserati’s Skyhook electronic damping system, the ride has been transformed. So much so that even on quite rough roads and with sport mode engaged, the GranCabrio Sport glides along with impressive refinement. And in normal mode, which to be honest is what you end up using most of the time once the novelty of deafening yourself has worn off, this car is now a truly impressive cruiser.
Should I buy one?
The GranCabrio Sport’s only genuine four-seater rival is the BMW 6-Series cabrio, although of course there’s a raft of other cars with which it indirectly competes, ranging from the 911 convertible to the Aston Martin Virage. Compared with the BMW there’s little or no contest; the Maserati is infinitely more desirable, not least because it’s become a very complete car in its own right. And when it comes to charm there’s no question, the Maserati wins hands down.
Steve Sutcliffe
do want.
08-03-2011 | 01:41 AM
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08-12-2011 | 06:31 PM
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Press release for the Sport...
The International press test drive of the Maserati GranCabrio Sport starts today in Trieste, Italy. Over 130 journalists from 30 countries will drive the sportiest version of the Modena-born convertible on the streets of and on the roads around a town central to the history of Italy and of Maserati.
Trieste was chosen for this exclusive, invitation-only event because of its architectural beauty, cultural background and European imprinting, as well as for its strong link with Italian history, in the year of the 150° anniversary of the unification of Italy. Trieste is also significant in the history of Maserati, which triumphed in the Trieste-Opicina hill climb race four times: three overall victories (1957, 1960, 1961) and one category win in 1955.
Maserati comes to this international event proud of the brilliant commercial results of the first semester 2011: nearly 3000 units delivered to customers, for a worldwide increase in sales of 6%. North America remains the largest market, followed by Asia Pacific: +16% increase in the United States; +36% in Asia Pacific, the fastest growing area for Maserati.
China is the second market worldwide after the U.S., with 383 units delivered to final clients, 120% more than last year.
The Maserati GranCabrio Sport, now on sale in all 63 markets where Maserati is present, completes to date the GranCabrio range. The GranCabrio, which premièred in Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009, arrived to dealers in spring 2010 and counts to date a total of nearly 3000 units delivered, 857 in the first six months of this year, 50% of them in the United States.
To follow the GranCabrio Sport International Press Test Drive the official hashtag on Twitter is: #GCS_Trieste
Trieste was chosen for this exclusive, invitation-only event because of its architectural beauty, cultural background and European imprinting, as well as for its strong link with Italian history, in the year of the 150° anniversary of the unification of Italy. Trieste is also significant in the history of Maserati, which triumphed in the Trieste-Opicina hill climb race four times: three overall victories (1957, 1960, 1961) and one category win in 1955.
Maserati comes to this international event proud of the brilliant commercial results of the first semester 2011: nearly 3000 units delivered to customers, for a worldwide increase in sales of 6%. North America remains the largest market, followed by Asia Pacific: +16% increase in the United States; +36% in Asia Pacific, the fastest growing area for Maserati.
China is the second market worldwide after the U.S., with 383 units delivered to final clients, 120% more than last year.
The Maserati GranCabrio Sport, now on sale in all 63 markets where Maserati is present, completes to date the GranCabrio range. The GranCabrio, which premièred in Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009, arrived to dealers in spring 2010 and counts to date a total of nearly 3000 units delivered, 857 in the first six months of this year, 50% of them in the United States.
To follow the GranCabrio Sport International Press Test Drive the official hashtag on Twitter is: #GCS_Trieste
08-13-2011 | 01:50 AM
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Last edited by krio; 08-13-2011 at 01:53 AM.