Road Test - Maserati GranCabrio 4.7 V8 (A)

Road Test - Maserati GranCabrio 4.7 V8 (A)

We reckon the best way to appreciate Maserati's operatic V8 soundtrack is with the top down... Enter the GranCabrio.

Nothing quite beats the emotionally-charged soundtrack of a well-tuned exhaust. The vehicle needn't have to be tarmac-shreddingly fast, but in most cases, if it sounds good on the move, that's already half the battle won.

As most petrolheads will readily tell you, there are V8s and then there are V8s; this brings us to the charismatic unit at the heart of the GranCabrio, which is essentially a rag-top version of the popular GranTurismo. Of course there's no mistaking that deliciously fruity note of the GranTurismo, since almost all the ones we've seen on the road seem to

be driven with a vengeance, but in a good way of course.

After our drive of the GranTurismo wh since pulled the plug on penetrating the Singapore market). After its casual demo run, the Tesla was slowly (and quietly) herded back into a waiting lot that happened to be beside a GranTurismo.

As chance might have it, this was about the same time the Maserati was fired up and eased out of its slot, its bassy pulses at idle transforming into the most fearsome grumbles and snorts with every prod of the gas pedal (something the driver took sublime delight in demonstrating, we'd like to add), which stood in pretty stark contrast to the eerily quiet Tesla, as it practically ghosted into the lot.

Needless to say, the unspoken thought on everybody's mind present was how inextricably bound the sound of a sports-tuned exhaust is to the very essence of a sportscar's being. A rousing exhaust stirs the soul and frees the mind from the numbing routine of a daily commute. Throw a long tunnel like the KPE into the fiery mix and this Molotov cocktail quickly explodes into a volatile conflagration of motoring nirvana, as every journey in the car will become a major event.

Exterior

Judging by the glances the GranCabrio was receiving, Pininfarina has certainly not lost its touch. Some convertibles come across as awkward and don't translate well from their Coupe counterparts, or at best, have one or two 'good sides'. Thankfully, the GranCabrio isn't one of these, which is no small feat considering the GranTurismo on which it is based on is a stunner, with its classical silhouette fused with modern, aggressive edgy lines.

The GranCabrio has certainly filled those shoes well, with the car scoring a perfect 10 from every angle, with both the canvas roof up, as well as down. Some might feel that the car's aggressive, evil glint is a passing phase that will lose its shine over time, but as long as we're living for the moment, the powerful aesthetics of the GranCabrio are as 'with-it' as can be.

Taking just under 30 seconds to deploy, the canvas soft-top was chosen over a hard-top not only for the car to enjoy a lower centre of gravity (this soft-top system weighs just 65kg), but Pininfarina also felt that the complex mechanism of the latter would interfere with the car's sensuous aesthetics. Moreover, there's just something eternally elegant about a soft-top that a hard-top convertible cannot quite live up to.

Interior

Despite what some might think (especially given its powerfully sculpted visuals), the GranCabrio is more a comfortable Grand Tourer than sportscar (as if the GranTurismo moniker didn't give the game away), which is not to say it cannot lay down the law when the time calls for it.

One always expects some degree of quirky eccentricity as far as an exotic is concerned, whether in terms of interface, seating position or drive. Compared to the R8 Spyder and 911 Cabriolet, the GranCabrio is easily the most exotic looking of the lot, so its tractability comes as some surprise.

There's something delightfully foreign and exotic about the GranCabrio's cabin. Not just by virtue of the huge expanse of Poltrona Frau's finest selection cladding a large part of the cabin, but also because the interior configuration is a welcome change from the usual offerings from the more familiar brands like Porsche and Audi. With its chic black-tan (exterior-interior) combination, we couldn't help but think of a refreshing draught of Guinness, especially since the day of our drive was unseasonably hot!

The cockpit has an intuitive layout with firmly padded seats that offer comfortable support. Unlike most of its contemporaries that have adopted a starter button (for that 'authentic' motorsports flavour), starting the GranCabrio requires a deliberate twist of the key, which gives one a moment of contemplative introspection (during the pre-ignition as the systems start coming alive) before the tranquillity is shattered by the eruption of the throbbing V8 (complete with crackle-red cam finish).

The GranCabrio's 2942mm wheelbase is one of the longest in its class. A practical consequence of this is the Maserati's ability to accommodate four adults in comfort, a fact we can personally attest to, since at one point, we were hooning around the wilds of Ubi with four on-board (rear head-room with the roof-up is restrictive, but the rear seats have been designed such that you're not sitting ramrod straight

The Drive

The car never steers like a boat, but instead provides reasonably keen and communicative steering. However, as you're pressing hard, there's no getting away from the GranCabrio's proportions and 1.9+tonnes kg kerbweight. The ride is never harsh, even in 'Sport' and the suspension proves well-controlled. Just a hint of scuttle shake with the roof down as we passed over an uneven man-hole was the only jarring mar to the entire experience.

The six-speed ZF automatic makes swift and smooth progress and it's possible to keep your foot planted in the pedal during maximum attack from a standing start. We found it better to switch to Manual for better control via the paddle shifters while cornering to ensure the V8 was always in the power-band to be able to punch out of corners, since this is a car that loves being ridden to the red-line.

Moving off, one never feels intimidated by the car's size. Even with the roof up, there are no obvious blind-spots. Point-and-squirt driving was never more fun, especially as you work your way up through the gears to the accompaniment of the V8's scintillating overture. 440bhp and 490Nm will get you to the 100km/h mark in 5.3 seconds; the GranCabrio may not possess blistering pace but at least you'll look good getting there. The upcoming GranCabrio Sport will offer 10bhp and 20Nm more, as well as an improvement of 0.1 seconds to the 100km/h mark.

Although it's perfectly possible to make quiet progress (out of the factory, the exhaust note only goes bananas above 3000rpm in 'Sport'), a nondescript button allows the driver to get around this by keeping the valves permanently open. For instance, there's a tendency for the exhaust switchover to get tiresome if you're stuck in start-stop traffic when it goes 'phwooooar' and then quiet again every few seconds; hitting this button leaves it in a state of constant blare (exhaust valves are kept open), which isn't as obnoxious from inside the cabin as you might imagine, since the V8's note is always agreeable rather than intrusive.

Conclusion

Exotic looks without a corresponding price-tag, the pose-worthy GranCabrio offers a spirited and tempestuous alternative to the 911 Cabriolet and the R8 Spyder. With a V8 that's been zealously-tuned to auditory perfection, the GranCabrio ably proves that it's not only the good looks that kill, but also the killer sound.