Local specifications and pricing have been confirmed for the 2018 Maserati GranCabrio, the Italian drop-top opens at $335,000 plus-on road costs.
Maserati has streamlined the GranCabrio range for 2018. Two versions will be offered – Sport and MC. Both variants are powered by the familiar Ferrari built naturally-aspirated 4.7-litre V8 engine, producing 343kW and 520Nm. Putting the power down is a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox with five selectable operating modes.
Although the GranCabrio is more of a boulevard cruiser, its performance is relatively good with the 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds for the MC and 5.0 seconds for the Sport.
The exterior restyle is subtle, Maserati claims the timeless Pininfarina design was treated with the utmost respect by the Maserati Design Centre.
The changes are said to have improved aerodynamic efficiency and compliance with the latest pedestrian safety regulations.
There are new front and rear bumpers, redesigned headlights and a new rearview camera.
The front bumper now features a larger hexagonal grille with a ‘shark nose’ profile with chrome inserts. Apparently, the new nose is inspired by the Alfieri Concept car.
Visually distinguishing the two variants is a central splitter that gives the GranCabrio MC a bit more presence.
Changes to the rear include a new bumper design and a central diffuser is specific to each version. The GranCabrio Sport gets oval exhaust outlets appearing at the bumper’s edges while the GranCabrio MC features round outlets coming through the central, transparent diffuser.
The MC also gets a lighter and differently shaped exhaust. When in sport mode, a valve channels exhaust gases so they completely bypass the silencer. This reduces back pressure to deliver a sportier soundtrack.
There are 16 exterior paint colours available including a new three-layer blue (Blu Assoluto). Maserati is also offering a range of 14 light alloy wheels in six designs, one of which is in forged aluminium.
On the inside, buyers get Poltrona Frau leather seats with integrated headrests, a resculptured dashboard and an 8.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The centre stack has been cleaned up by repositioning some of the buttons and both models now feature the high-end Harman Kardon Premium Sound system as standard.
2018 Maserati GranCabrio pricing (excludes on-road costs):
GranCabrio Sport – $335,000 (-$3000)
GranCabrio MC – $355,000
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