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Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderful? Isn’t she precious? I hope that’s not too sexist, but if such eloquent sentiments are good enough for Stevie Wonder, then they’re good enough for me to purloin – all the better to introduce you to the Maserati GranCabrio, the latest in a line of exquisite sports coupes and convertibles that dates back to the A6 in 1950. (That, funnily enough, was also the year when Little Stevie Wonder came into the world. It’s a rather lovely, wonderful and precious thing that both are still going strong.)
I probably go on about the looks of a car far too much, but I like to keep in mind what that great French philosopher and semiotician Roland Barthes said, again back in the golden age of automative styling, the 1950s: “I think that cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals; I mean the supreme creation of an era, conceived with passion by unknown artists, and consumed in image if not in usage by a whole population, which appropriates them as a purely magical object.”
Once again, I couldn’t have put it better myself, and I very strongly suspect that, aside from the strange human tendency to conspicuous consumption, this is the main reason those wealthy enough to indulge themselves thus will opt for a Maserati. The GranCabrio’s proportions are as near perfect as you’ll see, even for something that is as long as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine. It has curves that swell and flow and carry the eye irresistibly.
The sense of seamlessness is enhanced by the vast one-piece panel embracing both bonnet and wings. It hugs the ground as if for dear life (well, it does help with stability as it builds speed), and there is just enough detailing to assert its identity without too much insistence.
The famous trident badge was inspired by the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna – Maserati’s home city – with the god Neptune waving his fork around at the sea, see. It is still there, set in the classic elegant oval-ish grille. This element evolved from the last GT Cabrio, which first appeared in 2010 and ran for the rest of the decade. The grand touring Maseratis, still made in tiny numbers, are obliged to have timeless styling. It also helps them to become instant classics.
The natural assumption is that such cars are incredibly expensive and depreciate heavily. Both things are true in the shorter term – the price is pushing £200,000 for a GranCabrio with a few bespoke touches, but you may be sure that the model you buy today will find itself in a prestige auctioneer’s listings in a couple of decades.
To add to the classiness, you’ll note the canvas roof, finished in a range of classic colours and probably more durable than a complex folding metal version. The overall effect is one of presence rather than ostentation. It’s a mad time of year to drive open-topped, but it’s very good to see how snug it is in the cold. It’s snug.
It is, then, a special car, and the superb hand-finished interior cossets you in some considerable style. It’s bang up to date on technology now, and the “folded” twin touchscreen works extremely well – it’s easy to use and responsive, with the radio controls (for stations and volume) on little buttons on the back of the steering-wheel rim.
There’s also a stop-start button on the wheel, plus a dial for you to set your GranCabrio up for your required driving style, such as Sport or Comfort – or, if you’re a competent driver and on a racetrack, you can opt for “Corsa”, which dispenses with all the stability controls and lets nothing stand in the way of you and the 550 to 700-plus horsepower ahead of you. Sadly, for purists, it’s not a V8, but the twin turbocharged three-litre V6 can reach up to 8,000 rpm, so no complaints really.
There’s no denying, frankly, that the petrol model makes the nicer sound. The automatic gearbox controls P-R-N-D are accessed via a line of buttons on the dash – a hint to Maserati’s corporate parent, Stellantis; any Peugeot or Vauxhall driver would recognise them.
Best of all, the GranCabrio comes in two flavours – the petrol-powered Trofeo, as tradition dictates, plus the option of a proper battery-electric version, as the planet prefers (and which goes even faster). The leccy one is badged “Folgore”, Italian for lightning. Both send the drive through all four wheels, and both feel safe as well as exhilarating to use on the straight or the twistier roads.
It’s a heavy beast, at 1,895kg (a colossal 2,340kg for the Folgore), and obviously more grand tourer than pure hardcore sports car, but the electronics look after it (and you), though I can’t say if it still feels that way at the near-200mph top speed. I like the Maserati, but I like living more.
The only obvious design fault is the boot, which is tiny – it’s actually non-existent on the electric version if you store an additional cable in there for slow charging. Then again, storage is really what the cramped back seats are for, and your typical customer will have a Range Rover or maybe a Maserati Grecale SUV for lugging stuff about. Fuel consumption is, realistically, irrelevant, but you should get at least 200 miles out of the Trofeo on a single charge.
As for rivals, there’s Porsches, an Aston Martin, and the convertible version of the Ferrari Roma – this last being the only one that matches the Maserati’s visual appeal, though it’s maybe a bit too flash. But as yet, the GranCabrio Folgore stands in a class of its own – a super-premium convertible BEV. A cathedral for our age. There’s nothing like it.
