Maserati Grancabrio
sexy four-seater convertibles are thin on the ground. Car designers seem obsessed with stowing golf clubs rather than real-life concerns like children, friends or dogs. But Maserati’s 2010 Grancabrio has room for everybody, along with gorgeous looks, strong heave and a sensational soundtrack. But the first four-seat convertible in Maserati’s history is cheaper than you’d think and almost as spacious as a Bentley Continental GTC.
The earliest low-mileage Grancabrios are down to £39k, which is a far cry from their heady original list price of £100k. The Performance Paddock in Kent has a 2010 in Grigio metallic with 25,000 miles and full Maserati history for £39,900 while Evans Halshaw in Coventry has a 2011 in black with 39k and history for £39,520. Out of the 500odd Grancabrios registered with the DVLA there are 160 up for sale at the moment, so those asking prices will get cheaper still.
With 434bhp from the 4.7 V8 they’re good for 177mph and 0-60 in 5.1 seconds. The switchable six-speed ZF auto works well, you can fiddle with the suspension settings and the steering always feels meaty and sharp. But the Grancab’s most compelling virtue is its cacophony. Press on and the thrumming cackle of the V8 rises to a falsetto F1 shriek. The 2012-on 444bhp Sport is even more vocal and sounds like Beelzebub’s chainsaw above 3000 revs. The Sport also has the MC Shift gearbox, better ride quality from the Skyhook electronic damping plus stiffer springs and roll bars. Benz Bavarian in Derby has a 2013 Sport in white with 33k miles and full history for £49,950. The Sport is definitely worth shelling out the extra ten grand for.
Steer clear of anything too shouty or tasteless and go for single-colour black, tan or magnolia leather. A Grancab with a duo-tone red interior with yellow stitching will always be a tough sell. Unlike the earlier Granturismo coupé, Maser’s convertible doesn’t seem to suffer the same reliability problems.
Downsides include a small boot and only around 17mpg. The Merc SL63 and Aston DB9 Volante may be slightly faster, but when it comes to rear accommodation the Grancab is a proper family-sized convertible that doesn’t feel like a wind tunnel with the top down. And for most of us, being able to share the joy of an exotic Italian supercar with others is much more important than having a place to put your putter.