Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo 2024 review – a worthy rival to the Mercedes-AMG SL63?
While not as sharp as some of its rivals, the drop-top GranCabrio retains the outstanding GT abilities of the hardtop GranTurismo
How appropriate for a car that includes the variant ‘Folgore’ (or Lightning in Italian) in its line up, that giant forks of the stuff are straddling the road ahead. It’s almost as if Maserati has a direct line to the big man upstairs, but then again, giant hailstones clatter against the fabric roof as well, which then turns to a deluge of water so heavy that to top 15mph feels reckless. Possibly not the environment the Italian firm had in mind when they chose to launch the new GranCabrio Trofeo around the Italian Lakes. Still, if nothing else, it’s a stern test of the canvas above my head and one that it passes with ease: there are no puddles forming inside, as you would expect of a £169,585 convertible, and it feels as quiet and snug as if I was driving the GranTurismo coupe, which is an achievement in itself.
Talking of which, we’ve been fans of the big Italian coupe since we first drove it last year. So much so, it received an invite to eCoty 2023, where despite finishing in the final spot it still impressed us with its rather unique blend of pace, grace and practicality. The convertible version, in both ICE ‘Trofeo’ and EV ‘Folgore' forms, was developed alongside the coupe from the beginning, the platform designed to offer the flexibility to support all variants while sharing as much in common as possible, including passing down the same production line. For example, both cars use the same castings at the base of the A pillar, but the Cabrio’s windscreen surround is made from a stronger construction to withstand roll over accidents and provide additional bracing.
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> Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo 2024 review
The chassis is of a hybrid construction that consists of 65 per cent aluminium, but with additional bracing underneath to claw back rigidity lost with the application of the tin opener on the roof. Maserati’s engineers describe the cabrio as having comparable rigidity to the structure of the coupe, although there is a 100kg weight penalty once bracing and roof mechanisms have been taken into consideration. Incidentally, that difference narrows to 80kg on the all-electric version as the battery pack mounted underneath the car has a bracing effect all of its own. Then again, the weight penalty overall to go electric is considerable, the Folgore version tipping the scales at a hefty 2340kg.
Pop the bonnet - or the ‘cofango’ as Maserati refer to it, a sprawling panel that combines the bonnet with the front wings - and it’s immediately apparent that the long nose is by no means necessary to contain the engine, because the Nettuno twin-turbocharged V6 is entirely behind the front axle line, contributing to a 51:49 weight distribution (50:50 in the Folgore). The 3-litre motor features Maserati’s twin combustion tech (MTC) as seen first in the MC20, but unlike the supercar is in wet sump form here, producing 536bhp and 479lb ft of torque.
It may be well over 100bhp down on the Aston Martin DB12, but no one seems to have explained that to the little V6, and once into Sport or Corsa mode it absolutely lets rip from low revs, holding that frenzied momentum to the redline and the next gear in the eight-speed ZF auto ‘box. Aided no doubt by the GranCabrio’s four-wheel drive, it launches to 62mph from rest in just 3.6sec, just a tenth behind the big Aston, and only trails in top speed by 6mph (196 versus 204mph).
Such fireworks are not what makes the greatest impression initially with the GranCabrio. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it’s hard to deny that the CranCabrio has quite some presence, particularly with the roof stowed. It is extravagantly proportioned, but pleasingly free from visual clutter, and as you walk up to it, the sheer impressive scale of the car becomes readily apparent. It takes just 14 seconds to lower the roof (16 to raise it, both possible up to 31mph), and given the sun is now shining I swipe my finger across the touchscreen and hold to operate the mechanism. It’s a modish but slightly overwrought exercise in place of a normal button that would do perfectly well, but then the Maser’s interior is very touchscreen heavy, which brings the usual frustrations. Nevertheless, this one seemed to react a bit faster than the last one we tried, but there was no word now whether there’d been a software update in the meantime. Other than that, the interior is much like the coupe’s, with an excellent driving position, and a general air of quality. It’s just a shame it slightly lacks the wow factor of its (more expensive) rivals, although there’s no doubting it’s a comfortable place to be, and while I’d struggle for head and knee room to sit ‘behind myself’, those are a genuine pair of seats in the back, not just an excuse for additional storage.
The GranCabrio is particularly adept at relaxing progress, and wind buffeting with the roof lowered is especially well contained. A neck warmer (hot air blown out through the top of the seat) does away with any nasty drafts in cooler climes. Like the GranTurismo, it uses air suspension and is genuinely pliant in GT mode. The steering is quick but not nervously so, and has an oily accuracy that suits the soft-edged ride; it really does make very few demands on the driver. Like all air-suspended cars, it can feel a little flat-footed on certain smaller, awkward surfaces at speed, that occasionally catch it out with a wobble, but you’d think nothing of doing many hundreds of miles a day in this car. Up the ante to Sport and the suspension firms up, but it’s still a pleasingly fluid car to drive quickly, with loads of traction but one that never feels obviously four-wheel drive. It’s capable, secure, and rather satisfying, but this is the GranCabrio at its best. Corsa drops the ride height as well as stiffening the suspension further, and this is a little less successful: ultimately the GranCabrio is a big, heavy car - not the type you feel inclined to push overly hard in when raw physics start to come into play.
What of the electric Folgore? Well, as someone who’s always seen a charismatic Italian internal combustion engine as a key part of the Maserati recipe, particularly when the cars of the past have often been a bit flaky in other areas, I have to say the idea didn’t exactly thrill me. But in all honesty it does work well, as long as you’re buying this car principally as comfortable, stylish transport. It’s searingly fast in a straight line, too, and there’s a real novelty factor in being able to hear nature as you pass through it. Then again, without that sense of mechanical interaction the experience left me cold, there’s no hiding the weight when you want to push on a bit, and I’d never take one over the Trofeo. At £185,610, it’s more expensive, too.
Overall, the GranCabrio’s biggest strength is its unique blend of characteristics. More GT than a DB12, more sports car than a Bentley Continental GTC, it considerably undercuts that pair of £200,00-ish rivals on price. Maserati like to point out they’ve been making cars like this for decades, and it has to be said that with the new GranCabrio, that experience seems to count for plenty.
Price and rivals
The GranCabrio Trofeo will set you back from £169,585 in the UK, a £5995 premium over its GranTurismo sibling – unlike the coupe, there is no entry-level Modena variant available for the drop-top. The all-electric Folgore costs considerably more at £185,610, but rivals are virtually non-existent in 2024, with the 496bhp MG Cyberster the closest you’ll get (£59,995).
The £171,965 Mercedes-AMG SL63 is the GranCabrio’s closest match in terms of price and output, with 577bhp coming from its pure-combustion 4-litre twin-turbo V8 for an identical 3.6sec 0-62mph time. The new Bentley Continental GTC is another potential rival, but with a much higher 771bhp output from its hybrid V8 and a c£200,000 price tag, it’s not a perfect match. The same can be said for the 671bhp Aston Martin DB12 Volante at £199,500 and Ferrari’s 611bhp Roma Spider which starts at £210,313.
