MotorAuthority

Spy Shots: Maserati GrandTurismo Spyder folding hard-top

Posted Tue Aug 19 2008 5:33 PM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Maserati officials have confirmed the convertible version of the GranTurismo coupe will arrive in showrooms by March of next year and these latest spy shots reveal the car's folding hard-top roof for the first time. The introduction of the new model will help Maserati meet its ambitious goal of selling 12,000 cars per year by 2011 as well as continue the carmaker’s recent return to profitability.

Maserati is yet to reveal if the car will sport a traditional canvas roof or a new hard-top, but the spy shots of a GranTurismo convertible prototype suggest that it will feature a metal folding roof. Otherwise, the convertible should feature the same mechanical package as the coupe, although in fitting with its premium status the car could come standard with the new 434hp 4.7L V8 engine from the recently revealed GranTurismo S. This means it will likely get Maserati’s updated automated manual gearbox and Brembo brake package as standard.

Performance will likely be down on its coupe sibling as the convertible will require extra reinforcements due to its missing roof. Remember, the coupe already weighs in excess of 1,800kg so the extra weight of this reinforcement plus the complicated folding mechanism of the roof system could easily push the drop-top past the two ton barrier.

The renderings below give us a good indication as to what the final styling may look like with the top down. Head over to our friends at AutoGespot to check out the spy shots in full. Expect to see it make its world debut at October's Paris Motor Show before going on sale early next year.

story Tags:

• Convertibles
• Maserati
• Spy shots

Reader Comments

• Mon Apr 7 2008 11:06 AM

  Gus says

  I've seen that gaping mouth in person now, and it is really ungainly looking. It will age the car very quickly...

• Mon Apr 7 2008 6:31 PM

  archony says

  With all due respect to the most excellent writers, this is the fourth time that a convertible has been described as a "poser's" car; in defense (or defence) of drop-top drivers, it's not about the posing so much as the open air.
  Driving home late on a warm summer's night with the top down is infinitely pleasant and involves no showing off. How about giving convertible drivers a break?

• Tue Apr 8 2008 12:10 AM

  Gus says

  I guess they don't consider the S2000 or Boxster real sports cars... :)

• Tue Apr 8 2008 12:25 AM

  admin says

  archony, don’t take it personally. We love driving convertibles for the same reasons you do, but compared to their coupe siblings convertibles will always have some compromises be it rigidity, space or weight issues.
  
  Note that the best convertibles - the S2000, MX-5, SLK, Boxster - were all designed to be convertibles from the beginning.

• Tue Aug 19 2008 9:21 PM

  Gus says

  Correct.
  If the car was designed to be a convertible from the beginning, or maybe even nothing other than a convertible, the results tend to be better.
  I'm sure this car will be excellent, but that gaping, huge, incredulous, magnanimous, monstrous, fish-mouth is hard to get used to...
  Not that I'd mind if someone gave one to me, but there's prettier cars for the money...

• Tue Aug 19 2008 10:24 PM

  NoNameDenton says

  I get vibes that this is similar to the Ferrari California, with only so differences.

• Tue Aug 19 2008 10:24 PM

  NoNameDenton says

  Dern, so for the double post, my original one did not show up on my computer for some reason.