Maserati GranCabrio blends drop-top performance with effortless elegance

There’s something appealing about the Maserati marque that’s difficult to put your finger on. Maybe it’s the potent the mix of sporting performance and sculpted aesthetics. Or that historically, it’s always been a slightly more sophisticated alternative to Ferrari. Either way, it’s a marque that has an enviable sporting legacy dating back to the days when Juan Manuel Fangio was winning world championships in the 1950s and one of the greatest design back catalogues of any car brand – from the A6GCS to the original Quattroporte and, more recently, the new GranTurismo.

Following the launch of the hard top GranTurismo in 2023, Maserati added its drop-top sibling, the GranCabrio, in 2024. The boulevard cruiser was initially available as either a petrol V6 (the Trofeo, £156,325), or a fully-electric, tri-motor battery-powered convertible (the Folgore, £185,610), which claimed the title as the world’s first luxury electric convertible. Now adding another trim level, confusingly just called the ‘GranCabrio,’ the latest ‘entry level’ convertible comes equipped with a less-powerful V6, churning out 496bhp compared to the Trofeo’s 542bhp and Folgore’s 751bhp.

With less power comes a slightly lower price point, with the standard GranCabrio starting from £131,325. While it’s still got more than enough punch to power you down to the Cote d’Azure in good time, the Trofeo is a little more athletic in its abilities, as is the Folgore, which deploys its ruthless levels of power almost silently.

‘When you put the roof down, you experience nature and actually let the world come into you,’ says Maserati’s Head of Design, Klaus Busse, at the launch of the new entry level GranCabrio at the International Concourse of Elegance (the I.C.E) in St Moritz. ‘For me, that’s what the car is all about, just really enjoying the environment you’re in.’

Given Maserati’s long association with the Grand Tourer, which dates back to its first road car, the Pininfarina-designed Maserati A6 1500 in 1947, the marque has developed a reputation for designing cars that can cover off long distances in style and comfort. ‘We didn't invent Gran Turismo as a format but I don't think there's any other brand that embraces it as much as we do,’ said Busse at the launch of the GranTurismo in 2022.

Now more than two years later, his latest work adds a new top-down dimension to the grand tourer recipe. In Trofeo spec, the V6-engined convertible is a formidable force on the road, blending pace and performance with a comfortable, well-appointed interior and an impressive soundtrack to match. The V6’s engine note doesn’t quite match up to the tune of the previous generation’s V8 but it does feel lighter and nimbler as a result.

On the motorway, the GranCabrio is a quiet, comfortable and refined with the roof up. In ‘Comfort’ mode, it’s wonderfully inoffensive on a long drive – the slightly sticky touchscreen grates a little but it’s a minor complaint in what is a well-made and well thought through cabin with enough room to seat four adults comfortably.

‘With the GranCabrio, the interior even more is the protagonist, because when you have the roof open, everyone can stand around and look in, so for us as designers, it's even more of a motivation to do something special,’ says Busse.

But it’s off the motorway and onto the twisty roads that weave their way to St Moritz that the convertible tourer really comes alive. With ‘Sport’ or ‘Corsa’ driving modes engaged, it’s a fun and rewarding car to drive fast. With the roof down and the sun shining, it’s difficult to think of a better way to tackle a twisty mountain pass. While the GranCabrio might lack the rawness of a V8-engined Aston Martin Vantage or the precision of a Porsche 911, Maserati really is the master when it comes to elegant yet eager top-down cruising.

While understated elegance might have been the brand’s unofficial calling card for the best part of a century, the marque has changed its style significantly over the decades, assures Busse. ‘Historically, Maserati is about generational design; when you look at the designs of the 1950s, they have nothing to do with the 1960s, and they have nothing to do with the 1970s,’ he explains, ‘The Italian culture is about embracing new opportunities and new ideas, so every decade or so, Maserati does something completely different. You had the dandy 1960s with the Ghibli, then the modernist 1970s, then the pragmatic, brutalist 80s and 90s, first with Bi-Turbo, then with Shamal, then the romantic late 1990s and 2000s, starting with the 3200. Right now, the design is very sculptural but let’s see. If we feel there's something new, we won’t be held back.’

With the new GranCabrio proudly flying the flag for the school of sculptural design, it’s hard to find another drop-top sportscar currently on offer that matches up to its aesthetic appeal. The Ferrari Roma Spider might be faster and sport a finer interior fit and finish but it’s more awkward looking than the GranCabrio and significantly more expensive – prices for the ‘entry level’ convertible Ferrari start at more than £210,000.

Ranked against another all-out, four-seater grand tourer like the £236,600 hybrid V8-engined Bentley Continental GTC, the GranCabrio is both better value and more svelte in the styling department. Only the £203,000 Aston Martin DB12 and forthcoming Vantage Volante could prove to be a match, yet the former is more expensive and the later only equipped with two seats.

For now, the GranCabrio still reigns supreme in its own niche, appealing to those looking for a car that can happily take on the daily duties but have fun and look good while doing so. When it comes to a car that tows a fine line between performance, looks and practicality, the topless ‘Il Tridente’ is hard to ignore.

Maserati GranCabrio, from £131,325, more information at Maserati.com, @Maserati