Maserati has built plenty of convertibles in its 95-year history, including classics like the Mistral and Ghibli spyders, or the just-plain Spyder that re-launched Maserati in the United States eight years ago. Yet every previous open Maserati has been a two-seat roadster. The Gran Turismo Convertible, which goes on sale in April, 2010, is the company's first four-seater with a folding top.
Maserati's decision to build a four-place convertible is largely a function of the market for expensive open cars. Nearly three quarters of the convertibles sold worldwide for $90,000 or more have a back seat, as either 2+2s or full four-seaters. Only 28 percent are classic two-place roadsters.
Known alternately as the Gran Cabrio, the Gran Turismo Convertible is big, bold and self-assured. Its slightly convex, vertical grille is imposingly aggressive; the upswept flair of its fenders is not apparent in photographs. The Gran Cabrio is the latest in a line of successful collaborations between Maserati and Italian design house Pininfarina. It is, in our estimation, the best looking Maserati since the company returned to the U.S. market in 2002.
