Très Chic: Maserati Joins Forces with Fendi to Create GranCabrio Special

At the upcoming Frankfurt auto show, Maserati will display a new special edition version of its sleek GranCabrio designed by Italian fashion house Fendi, which is best known for its expensive "baguette" handbags.

The Fendi treatment starts with a unique three-layered body color named Grigio Fiamma Fendi and which is described by the automaker as a special dark grey with an iridescent golden finish on the surface. The yellow brake callipers and the Fendi logo on the 20-inch Trident design alloy wheels complete the exterior touches.

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Posted on 06.00 / 0 comments / Read More

Maserati Launches 450HP GranCabrio Sport, New Gallery with 55 Photos

Revealed to the public at this year's Geneva Motor Show, the Maserati GranCabrio Sport is the flagship version of the Italian firm's four-seat convertible model. Following the international press drive in Trieste, Italy last week, Maserati has now announced the launch of its new soft-top sports car.

In the UK, the harder-edged GranCabrio is priced at £102,615 on the road, with the first right-hand examples to reach the market in early October.

The GranCabrio Sport combines an upgraded 4.7-litre V8 engine with a 10 horsepower increase to 450-horses with the faster MC Auto Shift 6-speed transmission for 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5.2 seconds and a 285km/h (177mph) top speed.

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Posted on 05.55 / 0 comments / Read More

Novitec Brings it on the Maserati GranCabrio

Enough is never enough for vehicle tuning houses like Novitec Tridente, which has presented its latest line of enhancements for the Maserati GranCabrio. Bone stock, the drop-top variant of the GT gets a 4.7-liter V8 engine that cranks out 440HP at 7,000 rpm and 490Nm (362 lb-ft) of torque at 4,750 rpm.

The installation of a supercharger system along with a watercooled intercooler and a modified ECU, help boost output to an impressive 590HP at 7,300 rpm and 572Nm (421.9 lb-ft), consequentially allowing for a new 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.5 seconds.

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Posted on 14.04 / 0 comments / Read More

Geneva Preshow: Maserati's Go-Faster GrandCabrio Sport

It's been a year-and-a-half since Maserati lifted the wraps off a drop-top version of its GranTurismo coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 2009, and now the Italians are getting ready to expand the range of the GranCabrio with the presentation of a sportier variant at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.

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Posted on 05.46 / 0 comments / Read More

Human Ad Boards: Fernando Alonso's New Ride

Wearing his full suite of commercial armor, two-times Formula 1 World Champion and current driver of Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Fernando Alonso, proudly presented his newest ride in Fiorano, the Maserati GranCabrio.

"Fernando Alonso was particularly impressed with the roominess offered by the GranCabrio, perfect for four adult passengers," says Maserati, which just like Ferrari, belongs to the Fiat Group.

That said, we might have been impressed by the Spanish pilot's choice if he wasn't driving for Ferrari...

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Posted on 08.42 / 0 comments / Read More

Maserati GranCabrio Priced from £95,630 in the UK

The convertible version of the Maserati GrandTurismo coupe, the GranCabrio, is available for order now in the UK with OTR prices starting from £95,630. The first right-hand drive examples will reach Maserati's showrooms in April 2010. It comes equipped with a folding fabric roof and according to Maserati, it features the longest wheelbase (2,492mm) of any convertible available on the market, meaning that it should offer adequate room for all four passengers.

The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7-liter V8 delivering 440 HP and 490Nm (362 lb-ft) of torque. All that action is sent to the rear wheels through a ZF automatic six-speed gearbox with Maserati announcing a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 281 km/h or 175 mph.

Buyers can choose from 14 different colors for the body and six different shades for the soft top. In addition to the wide range of options, Maserati also offers a bespoke four-piece leather luggage set which fits perfectly into the boot.

Posted on 06.30 / 0 comments / Read More

Frankfurt Show: Maserati GranCabrio Photo Galore

Maserati blew the top off the dazzling convertible version of it GranTurismo coupe, which goes by the name GranCabrio, at the Frankfurt Show today. The first four-seater convertible in the history of the Italian automaker borrows the GranTuismo S' 440HP 4.7 liter V8 engine which is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. All it takes for the driver and the passengers to enjoy an open-air experience is a push of a button and 28 seconds latter presto, the cloth top is neatly tucked away under a special compartment behind the rear seats.

The Italian firm's engineers paid particular attention to vehicle's aerodynamics, with the creation of a flat aluminum base that not only adds to the overall body's rigidity but also reduces Cx by 6 points. Amazingly and for the first time -or so Maserati claims- the topless version is able to maintain the same aerodynamic performance of the coupe, with a Cx of 0.35.

The new Maserati GranCabrio will be available for order this coming winter, with first deliveries expected to arrive the following spring of 2010.

NOTE: New Zoom Function for Photo Albums

In our never-ending quest to better our blog, (we'll list the changes in a post after the Frankfurt Show), one of the latest additions is a new zoom function for the photo galleries. The pictures not only load faster now but they also open in the same page and more importantly, are automatically re-sized according to the width/height of your browser screen without affecting the download size that remains the same.

Try it out after you refresh your browser and tell us what you think. If there's a bug, we'd appreciate it if you sent us an e-mail, and yes, a next-previous image function is in the works

Posted on 15.34 / 0 comments / Read More