Maserati GranCabrio review

Effortless insouciance on wheels. Where every other convertible strives to make a statement, Maserati’s GranCabrio just sits there oozing laid back charisma without even trying. It’s always been this way.

Before we get into that, the dry headlines: it comes with a choice of two powertrains: petrol V6 (in two tunes) and tri-motor fully electric. The latter is the Folgore, the first fully electric convertible in the luxury segment. The GranCabrio is, of course, the convertible version of the GranTurismo coupe.

Ok, so explain why Maserati is cool.

Because it doesn’t try too hard. Because the cars aren’t overtly sporty or aggressive, nor flashy or particularly fashionable. Like a good suit, they’re just cut well. Or they were. Because the other thing that made Maserati cool was its just-getting-by vibe caused by its regular financial meltdowns, followed by the arrival of yet another breathtaking, elegant grand tourer.

Trouble is, under Stellantis it’s all becoming more mass market and conventional. The Grecale SUV undermines the appeal of a £169,000 sophisticated super GT. Especially when they have the same screen set-up inside.

Oof, is that what the GranCabrio costs?

£169,585 for the Trofeo petrol, or £16k more if you want to go all electric with the Folgore. Prices up around five grand over the hardtop GranTurismo. In due course there’ll be a less powerful V6 Modena which will bring the entry price down to around £140k. We suspect that could actually be the sweetest car in the range.

How’s that?

Because a four-seat convertible is not about power, speed and handling. It’s about cruising, wafting and touring. It’s for sauntering down French N-roads and purring through Antibes. And 483bhp is more than enough to do that with. You don’t need the Trofeo’s extra 60bhp and sharper dynamics. Electric, though… that works rather well here.

And yes, we know grand touring isn’t a thing any more, but in this Instagram age, it’s all about conveying the right impression. And this does that. And Maserati claims it has more right to the breed than anyone else, claiming the A6 1500 from 1947 was the world’s first GT.

Since then Maserati has perhaps contributed more to the idea of long-haul glamorous motoring than any other marque. Not least because its cars kept the Italian coachbuilding industry going pretty much single-handedly: Allemano, Bertone, Frua, Pininfarina, Touring and Vignale all had a go.

Does this deserve to sit alongside legendary Maseratis of yore?

In terms of technology and engineering it’s right up there, but for design and styling, it’s a little safe, too little modified from the last generation cars that were 15 years old when they were replaced. The stylistic conservatism is more to do with the fact that Maserati believed a wildly louche new GT wouldn’t land with its customer base, so “a decision was made to maintain continuity with the design of the previous generation, widely appreciated among customers,” Maserati says.

The new GranCabrio has curves in all the right places, and the single-piece ‘cofango’ – it’s a portmanteau of cofano (bonnet) and parafango (fender or wing, for UK readers) – is an impressive piece of sculpture. Indeed, unlike some convertibles, the design works equally well roof up or down.

And still uses a fabric roof, I see.

Yep, the retractable hardtop is currently as fashionable as yesterday’s Pret cheese and pickle sandwich, possibly for packaging reasons but more likely aesthetic ones. Big convertibles just look better with canvas roofs. It’s available here in five colours – Black, Blue Marine, Titan Grey, Greige, and Granata. If you have a few moments, it’s worth heading over to the Maserati online configurator. Among the 26 available Fuoriserie colours you’ll find a texturised Powder Nude, a Hypergreen or an Azzurro Astro Matte – each costs £29,160. Yikes.

And yet the GranCabrio drives with a svelte dexterity that belies its weight. Turns out there is something in all that chat about weight distribution and centres of gravity. We’ll go into more detail on this in the Driving tab, but although it suffers from scuttle shake, the GranCabrio knows how to satisfy its occupants. The Nettuno V6 is tuneful enough, the Folgore beautifully calibrated. No, it doesn’t flow as well as an Aston, or respond like a 911, but roof down, low speed cruising? It’s got you covered.   

Good point about potential rivals. What’s it up against?

Maserati would claim this is a more exclusive, upmarket product than a Porsche 911 as they desperately try to justify the cost. We’re not sure it is. The cabin, although lovely, doesn’t exhibit Aston/Bentley/Ferrari levels of craftsmanship and materials. Like a 911, it has elements in common with more affordable models in the range that cheapen the overall effect.

But an Aston DB12 Volante starts at £203,000, while the new Continental GTC is £236,600 before options and the Roma Spider is from £210,313. Better perhaps to consider this alongside the likes of the latest Mercedes SL and Lexus’ rare-groove LC. But better than that. Mostly.

Call it muscle memory. Decades of experience mean Maserati knows how to do a luxury four seat convertible very well indeed. The GranCabrio is a wonderfully satisfying way of purring around town, and holds itself together perfectly well when it gets going. It’s handsome in the way a Maserati should be – understated yet elegant.

This car is Maserati to a tee, the epitome of what Maserati is and what it stands for. It’s the lynchpin of the range and they need it to succeed. The glamour of this will rub off on the Grecale et al. The question is whether buyers still perceive Maserati as a desirable brand when its range extends down to a £60k four-cylinder crossover.

The GranCabrio knows exactly what job it’s doing and how to do it, and that confidence rubs off. It handles itself very well indeed. What’s more, the Folgore version handles itself best of all. It might be heavy and costly, but this is a charming and capable EV version, and is the pick of the range. Fair play, Maserati.