On Maserati’s Latest

Autumn in NY by Maserati

By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG Maserati of North America

ACCEPTING that the drive behind parting with $120K on the lovely new Maserati GranTurismo Convertible boils down to more than buying into sheer performance figures, let’s nonetheless do a quick ‘n dirty comparo of what Maserati North America’s billing as supporting statistics.

• A hand-built 4.7 liter V8 , 433hp engine | They might’ve said: “righteous & sonorous Ferrari-sourced 4.7 liter V8″. Avanti!
• Top speed 176 mph | Will see off ze Germans. But not an Aston V8 Vantage Roadster.
• 0-60 in 5.3 seconds | BMW’s M6 (con) obliterates this figure with typical M Power Sturm und Drang!
• The longest wheelbase in its segment | Hooray, the useful topless GT lives!
• The same trunk volume with the soft top either up or down | This might be a good thing. Or not.
• A racing-style aluminum undertray producing an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.35 Cd | An old Volvo 850 wagon = 0.34 Cd.
• Monocoque body stiffness with benchmark Torsional dynamic rigidity of 27.2 Hertz | Sounds good. But what’s “27.2 Hertz?”
• The roof is opened automatically in only 24 seconds | An SL does the same job in less than fifteen.

Too bad style can’t be qualified. Judging by tantalizing imagery alone, the GT decappottabile trumps every rival save for Aston Martin’s fairest.