The 1st thing you notice about the new 2011 Maserati GranTurismo convertible is its elegant body styling.  Try pulling your eyes away from the curvaceous lines of the famed Pininfarina coachwork – if you can.  Pininfarina is the business responsible for Ferrari’s body designs and for the GranTurismo’s sibling, the Quattroporte.  This latest Maserati model is by far the sexiest released since the company’s re-entry into the marketplace in 2002.  The soft-top convertible looks gorgeous when in the up position, carrying the roof lines all the way through to the trunk.  If you decide to retract it for warm weather motoring, this can be carried out in a mere 28 seconds with the push of a button, such as the retraction of all four windows.  When you first open the door and slip in behind the controls, you recognize not only is this car beautiful and elegant on the outside, but in the cockpit too.  Maserati’s attention to detail flows evenly from the exterior styling to the interior appointments, so there is small left to want in this luxurious Italian function of art.

The GranTurismo’s engine gives a comely exhaust note upon start up.  It is a 4.7 liter V8, the same block employed in the Ferrari F430.  It produces 440 horsepower at 7000 RPMs, and a 361 lb-ft of torque at 4750 RPM.  The engine is mated with a six speed automatic ZF built transmission, which can be operated either by choosing the designated gear like a typical automatic or by utilizing the paddle shifts situated on either side of the steering wheel.  The transmission also has two operating modes in which to drive: regular mode or the more aggressive (and less gas conscious) sport mode.  Regular mode operates just as it need to by creating a comfy ride for its occupants.  The sport mode takes this car to a whole new level and unleashes the Italian racing heritage from beneath the hood.  Sport mode is activated by the push of a button located in the center next to the radio.  Upon depressing the button, the first alter you instantly notice is the sound of the vehicle.  When sport mode is activated, the exhaust baffles open up, creating a sort of by-pass program to enable for free flow.  The result is the most exquisite baritone sound I have ever heard come from a car.  The latter mode was the one I preferred to drive, heads almost certainly turning on the street at the sound of the humming motor miles before I was really in sight.  The steering of the GranTurismo is extremely matter of truth.  The car points and shoots where you want it to go and, if anything, possibly a hint of over steer.  One downfall traversing the curves in the road was that the A-pillars partially blocked some strategic views at an angle – but I was tough pressed locating any real flaws otherwise.  The gears respond quickly and seamlessly as you shift through them, powering via the RPMs effortlessly as the speedometer needle rapidly winds its way around the gauge.

The Maserati fulfills the will need for speed, sensuality and even comfort in one automobile.  The rear seats can effortlessly accommodate two adults along for the ride - and are not merely there for insurance purposes.  And for the days on the golf course the 6.1 cubic feet trunk will easily transport your bag- but alas not guarantee you a excellent score on the links.  From the sound of the engine to the beauty of its exterior, if you are searching for something that really stands apart from the Mercedes SL or BMW M6, then the Maserati Gran-Turismo Convertible, priced at a starting point of around 6,000 is for you.

 

Ferrari Motor Sports