Glamorous GranCabrio marks a century of Maserati

By Ghaith Madadha - Nov 24,2014 - Last updated at Nov 24,2014

Marking Maserati’s 100th anniversary, the GranCabrio MC Centennial also arrives in the same year the seductive Italian brand officially enters the Jordanian market.

A special edition version of Maserati’s lusty, long and low four-seat grand touring convertible the GranCabrio MC Centennial features new rich three-layer paint and new interior and exterior colours, including fiery Magma red and sophisticated Inchiostro blue, to reflect the Maserati badge’s traditional palates.

A luxurious 4933mm long grand tourer with dramatic design and charisma, the GranCabrio MC is more than just a boulevardier, but is a buttoned-down, agile, exacting and responsive high performance sports car, with adaptive magnetic dampers providing both forgiving comfort and taut composure, as needed.

Swooping and dramatic

A sultry and swooping design with voluptuous curves over the front wing and around the rear haunches, the GranCabrio MC strikes an indulgent, luxurious yet assertively dynamic shark-like figure. Hungry, aggressive and menacingly moody, the GranCabrio MC, wide gaping grille sits low to the ground, with the brand’s iconic Neptune’s trident badge set in the middle of a row of dramatic vertical concave slats.

With low ground hugging air splitter, big honeycomb side intakes, bonnet-top air scoop, triple side ports, horizontal side vents, aggressive sills, high-set dual exhaust pipes and swathes of carbon-fibre accents, the MC Centennial’s performance potential is clearly and proudly hinted at.

A striking and athletically elegant GT convertible, the near 5-metre long and 1.9-metre wide GranCabrio MC has a big footprint on the road, occupying a similar space as a large saloon car, but is stands rakishly low at 1343mm.

With a front-mid engine layout, the GranCabrio MC’s sensual V8 engine sits far back and low in its long frame, which provide for excellent within wheelbase 49:51 weight distribution — which alters to 48:52 when the rag-top roof is folded back behind the rear seats. Flush folding between rear seats and boot, the GranCabrio MC’s features and elegantly clean waistline in convertible mode, but consequently reduces boot space to 173 litres.

Vicious and vocal

The GranCabrio MC’s 4.7-litre is a more conventional derivative cross-plane crankshaft version of Ferrari’s V8 engine, but like Ferrari-brand flat-plane V8s, is charismatic and finger-snap responsive engine in how quickly and progressively it accumulates power and swiftly it winds down on lift-off.

Tearing through revs to a soulful staccato tune that rises to more assertive growl and before coalescing to an urgent higher pitched howl, the GranCabrio MC is eager and viciously progressive in delivery as it reaches towards 454BHP at 7000rpm.

With a full-bodied soundtrack best enjoyed with the top down, the the GranCabrio MC delivers muscular and tractable low- and mid-range ability, and a ferociously urgent top-end.

Visceral and theatrical, the GranCabrio MC addictive Ferrari-built V8’s tune changes with every twitch of the driver’s foot, with its bass-heavy mid-range warble tinged by a rising and seductive tremble.

Though crisp and high-revving engine with 7200rpm redline, the MC’s naturally aspirated V8 nevertheless still delivers accumulatively muscular and hard-pulling low to mid-range torque, which peaks at 438lb/ft at 4750rpm.

Well up to the task of shifting its 1973kg mass, the MC’s punchy engine allows for a 4.9-second 0-100km/h time and 289km/h top speed. But given the MC’s aggressive high revving nature, weight and top down aerodynamic penalty, it is somewhat thirsty, with 14.5l/100km combined fuel consumption and 337g/km carbon dioxide emissions.

Tenacious and tidy

A full-sized convertible version of the GranTurismo coupe — which itself is based on a shortened previous generation Quattroporte luxury saloon — the large GranCabrio MC gains some 180kg over the coupe version, because of the necessary structural reinforcement in the absence of a fixed-head roof.

On road however, the GranCabrio MC masks and handles its near two-ton kerb weight with panache. The GranCabrio MC’s body rigidity proved good or convertible of this length, with its’ adaptive Skyhook damping taking the edge off of rough road imperfections, with a forgiving suppleness that belies the its’ firm and grippy front 245/35ZR20 and 285/35ZR20 low profile tire and alloy wheels.

With its dampers fluidly adapting to conditions, the GranCabrio MC pounces through corners with eager agility and with buttoned down composure in terms of later all body lean and settled vertical rebound over sudden dips and crests, but is confidently planted at speed.

Reassuringly tenacious through coirners, the GranCabrion MC’s high grip levels are complemented by double wishbone suspension and balanced chassis with neutral and predictable handling.

A limited-slip rear differential also provides excellent traction when launching aggressively from standstill, while through tight hard corners, it reapportions more power to the driven rear wheel that can best put it down on tarmac. The GranCabrio MC’s quick and precise steering feels intuitive through snaking corners and tidy on turn-in.

Alfresco accommodation

Swathed in lush leathers, futuristic carbon-fibre, elegant Alcantara and supple textures, the MC Centennial’s cabin is a comfortable, stylish and driver-focused with ideal driving position and good front visibility aided by the curvy scalloped front wings serving as markers for turning into corners. Large and fixed on the steering column, the GranCabrio MC’s gearbox paddle shifters control the swift shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox shifts.

Well-spaced gearbox ratios well utilise the engine’s tall rev range and are complemented by exact throttle response. Smooth in automatic mode, the MC’s gearbox can be used in a dedicated manual mode, while automatic shifts can be temporarily over-ridden by the paddle shifters.

Sporty and sophisticated, the MC Centennial’s interior has distinctly Italian sense of chic, with soft cream leather upholstery contrasted with blue accents — including trident logo on each headrest — and a liberal use of carbon-fibre dashboard and console trim and seatbacks.

Supportive body-hugging sports seats and contoured steering wheel are accommodatingly adjustable, while instrumentation is clear and Satnav, USB and Bluetooth infotainment not difficult to learn. Ergonomic inside, the GranCabrio’s door mirror controller is however positioned somewhat close to the driver’s left leg. Spacious in front, rear headroom is somewhat less that the GranCabrio’s GranTurismo coupe sister when the roof is up, while top down driving is refined and wind-buffeting minimal.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 4.7-litre, 32-valve, in-line, V8 cylinders

Bore x Stroke: 94 x 84.5mm

Compression: 11.25:1

Gearbox: 6-speed, automatic, RWD, limited-slip differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 454 (460) [338] @ 7000rpm

Power-to-weight: 230BHP/ton

Torque lb/ft (Nm): 384 (520) @ 4750rpm

Redline: 7200rpm

0-100km/h: 4.9 seconds

Top speed: 289km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 14.5 litres/100km