Car Reviews > Maserati > GranCabrio Sport > Maserati GranCabrio Sport Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £102,614
Engine: 4.7 litre V8
Gearbox: 6-speed semi auto, rear wheel drive
Power/torque: 444bhp/ 510Nm 0-60 mph: 5.2 seconds
Top Speed: 177 miles per hour Combined
Economy: 19.5 miles per gallon
Emissions: 337g per kilometre
Equipment: GPS, Bose stereo, Bluetooth, electric heated seats, 20-inch alloys, full leather upholstery
On Sale: Now

The new Maserati drop-top aims to be both faster and louder, but will it live up to its name?

Once upon a time, purchasing a Maserati GranCabrio was a simple task, given that there were no trim options, no choice of gearbox, and even just the one engine – a 4.7-litre V8 capable of 434bhp. Now however, the Maserati GranCabrio is getting a new hardcore model, the GranCabrio Sport, which comes with a stiffer set up and an extra 10bhp for a much sharper drive.

The GranCabrio has always been a striking car in terms of its looks, and the Sport is upping the game with its redesigned side skirts, black grille, and all new front corner splitters. The real changes are located underneath the outer shell of the vehicle, however.

There has been a stiffening of no less than 15 per cent of the springs and adaptive dampers at both the front and the rear, while the anti-roll bars have also been toughened up in order to make the handling that bit more precise than it ever was before. Likewise, the brakes have also seen some significant improvements made to them.

The overall impact of these alterations means that the Sport feels both more agile and much more focused than the standard Maserati GranCabrio yet still keeps the comfort level that regular customers have come to know and expect. The Sport is also capable of coping extremely well even with very large potholes and the ride never once feels at all harsh in any way.

Turning in is both precise and crisp and the steering is very enjoyable to use as well as being surprisingly weighty. The suspension has been massively upgraded, with the result of keeping understeer firmly at bay while the massive two-ton weight of the GranCabrio is hidden by what is very taut body control indeed.

While the Sport has been given an extra 10bhp, the 0-62 miles per hour time of 5.2 seconds is barely a tenth speedier than its predecessor. The way the power is delivered has not been altered in any way either – the car has to get to as much as 7000 revs per minute before the engine is truly capable of being the best it can be.

The engine does, however, sound better than ever before at the very least, thanks to changes to the valves and new oval exhaust tips. When Sport button is pushed and the roof folded down – which takes about 28 seconds to complete – the exhausts deliver an addictive burble that soon changes into a howl once the revs start to rise. With the roof raised, the triple layered fabric delivers superb refinement and even when travelling at motorway speeds only a very small amount of wind noise is noticeable.

On the downside, while the rear seats are pretty generous as far as four-seat convertibles go, they are still likely to feel a little cramped for taller passengers and the boot is disappointingly small with just 173 litres of space on offer.

Those criticisms also apply to the normal Maserati GranCabrio, however, and at the end of the day there is no doubt that the Sport is definitely the superior model.

by Autoweb