Maserati unveils high-performance GranCabrio Sport

22 Feb 2011

Maserati has unveiled its GranCabrio Sport, offering extra performance and promising even more driver enjoyment. Designed to give the GranCabrio a harder-edged model to sit alongside the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S, the GranCabrio Sport uses a more powerful yet fuel-efficient version of Maserati's 4.7-litre V8 coupled with the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

The naturally aspirated engine produces 450bhp and peak torque of 510Nm. Maserati's 'Friction Reduction Program' has made the GranCabrio Sport's engine more reactive to the driver's inputs, while also seeing a 6 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. Its top speed is 177mph.

This six-speed transmission is equipped with the super-fast MC Auto Shift software and has been developed for the GranCabrio Sport directly from the transmission in the Quattroporte Sport GT S. The handling has been tweaked too, with an upgrade and revision of the Skyhook active-suspension system - now with a sportier tuning - and the fitting of grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.

To help it stand out, the GranCabrio Sport gets a black grille and a Trident with red accents. The headlights have a black look with white sidemarks, while front corner splitters and the redesigned side skirts are both body coloured. The GranCabrio Sport also debuts a new body colour for Maserati: Rosso Trionfale inspired by the red Italian national colours used on 1950s racing Maseratis. The GranCabrio Sport will go on sale from summer 2011.

Full coverage of the Geneva Motor Show 2011