2018 Maserati GranCabrio pricing and specs
Slight price cut for convertible GT
Australian pricing and specs for the revised 2018 Maserati GranCabrio have been announced, with the V8 Italian drop-top to kick off from $335,000 before on-road costs.
The car will be offered in two trim levels: Sport (below in blue) and MC, or Maserati Corse (above). Both are powered by the same naturally-aspirated 4.7-litre V8 engine, making 343kW and 520Nm. It's hooked up to a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox with unique Maserati tuning.
Despite sharing an engine, the Sport hits 100km/h in 5.0 seconds and tops out at 288km/h, 0.1 seconds and 3km/h slower than the MC. It also gets adaptive Skyhook dampers, where the MC runs with a fixed double-wishbone suspension setup.
Both models have been treated to new looks for 2018, although the changes are subtle – Maserati says it treated the original Pininfarina design with "the utmost respect" – and largely aimed at delivering better pedestrian safety and aerodynamics.
The new hexagonal shark-nose grille and outboard air intakes are inspired by the Alfieri Concept, and help slice the drag coefficient from 0.35 to 0.33, while MC cars gain a more pronounced chin spoiler. Both models have restyled bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights, too.
The differences between MC and Sport cars are more pronounced at the rear, where each has a unique diffuser design. Where the Sport has oval exhaust pipes running through the bumper, the MC has a lighter system exiting straight through the diffuser.
Not only does that look cool, the system bypasses its silencer in Sport Mode to create more noise. Anyone who's seen a GranTurismo or GranCabrio on the road will know they both sound incredible already, but there's always room for improvement – right?
There are 16 colour choices for the exterior, including a new three-layer blue. Maserati also offers six wheel designs, each available in at least two different finishes. The wheels are now wrapped in fourth-generation Pirelli P Zero tyres, designed to cut unsprung mass, shorten braking distances and last 30 per cent longer.
Maserati has added an 8.4-inch touchscreen to the centre console, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are fewer buttons than before, although the climate controls and seat-heating controls still get their own buttons.
Along with the new screen, the car gets a more prominent clock atop the dash, although buyers are more likely to appreciate the now-standard rear-view camera.
The interior can be finished in eight colours, and there are five options for the dashboard trim. A high-end Harman Kardon audio system is standard for 2018.
2018 Maserati GranCabrio pricing
- GranCabrio Sport – $335,000 (-$3000)
- GranCabrio MC – $355,000 (unchanged)
All prices are before on-road costs