Maserati impressed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show with their GranTurismo and this writer was there at its unveiling. I was struck by its shape, one that has only grown better with age. Along the way, the Trident marque has relentlessly improved on the original with successive versions that have kept the Italian grand touring coupe in stride with the best of them.
Each version has improved on the ones that came before, but the last round left us torn. If we had the money would we go for the performance-oriented GranTurismo MC Stradale – arguably the ultimate evolution of the original coupe – or the open-air GranTurismo Convertible (sold in Europe as the GranCabrio)?
We need be divided no more with the latest version, as the GranCabrio MC, unveiled to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show, combines the best of both: a four-seat open-top body-style of the GranTurismo Convertible with the engine and aerodynamic improvements of the GranTurismo MC.
The revised front end is punctuated by a more aggressive nose that juts two inches out from the standard model and adaptive headlights with LED daytime running lights. The tail includes a rear spoiler that helps keep the back end planted to the road at speed. The seats are more aggressively bolstered and offer more space for the rear passengers, while the 4.7-liter V8 produces 460 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission for smooth shifting.
In short, the GranCabrio MC offers everything you could ask of an Italian convertible, and gives the likes of the Aston Martin DB9 Volante and Bentley Continental GTC a run for their sterling pounds. Dilemma solved.
