Growl worthy of applause

With its roof down and its wick turned up, nothing looks or sounds quite like Maserati's GranCabrio, writes ROB MAETZIG.

A couple of years ago when I travelled to Italy to drive the new Maserati GranTurismo S coupe, as a fellow journalist and I motored over a particularly winding section of secondary road, locals actually applauded us as we drove past.

The reason was obvious - it was the push-button Sport mode, which pneumatically controls valves that manage the exhaust system.

Hit Sport and get the big 4.7-litre V8 engine above 3000rpm, and all the valves open, together with the exhaust note, which gives full vent to deep growls, throaty rasps and loud crackles.

No wonder the locals took time out from work to applaud. They must have heard us coming as we wound our way through the northern Italian hills, using the car's steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles to keep gear ratios down and revolutions up. Bellissimo!

Fast-forward to last week in Byron Bay, northern New South Wales, and this time it was us who were applauding the emotive engine note, because we were driving the new GranCabrio version of the car in Sport mode with the top down.

I wasn't sure which sound was better. Was it the massive bellow when the car was under hard acceleration and the rev counter was getting up around 7000rpm, or was it the hair-raising crackle when my foot lifted off the accelerator pedal?

It didnt really matter. And my driving partner didn't think so either when it was his turn. He left the car in Sport, flicked the transmission into manual and used the paddles to cruise through the streets in first or second gear so everyone could experience the sound.

Most people will only ever get to experience the magic of the Maserati GranCabrio that way - from the outside looking in - a price of $338,000 means a limited number will be bought.

Only 45 GranCabrios will be sold Down Under this year, Maserati says, with just four going to New Zealand.

Exclusive it may be, but it does add to the mix of the Maseratis available here. It joins the GranTurismo in offering two-door sporting talent, while the larger four- door Quattroporte offers luxury express motoring.

The Maserati development engineers installed the soft top and underbody stiffening by adding just 100 kilograms to the vehicle's weight, compared with the GranTurismo.

Development work was done in New Zealand, where engineers used the Cardrona facility to test the top's ability in the cold and wet.

With a lusty 4.7-litre V8 like the GranCabrio's, an extra 100kg doesn't really matter. The car is capable of 100kmh in only 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 283kmh top up, and 274kmh top down.

Also, 323 kilowatts and 490 newton metres combine to give the car rolling acceleration from 80kmh to 120kmh in 4.2 seconds.

The hood features five crossbars and three layers, so it doesn't balloon at high speed. It folds down into a special compartment in 20 seconds, or eight seconds longer if the car is moving at up to 30kmh.

A large compartment is required to stow the hood, reducing boot space to 173 litres. Maserati says that is sufficient to accommodate a set of golf clubs, but I don't believe it.

Owners can have two different sets of luggage, in leather or leather and fabric, that fits exactly into the boot, as well as a bag designed to be placed on the rear seats, with its own seatbelt.

Being a large car, the Maserati doesn't have the agility of, say, a Porsche 911 Cabrio, but it is an exceptional car to drive quickly.

It offers almost perfect 50-50 weight balance, with a slight bias towards the rear wheels, and the suspension system is Maserati's Skyhook system, which features continuously variable gas dampers that automatically adapt to changing road conditions.

Under normal circumstances this gives a comfortable, soft ride. But hit the Sport button and the suspension firms, the automatic transmission's gear change protocols turn all sporty, the exhaust note deepens and gets aggressive and the GranCabrio transforms into a sensational drive.

Does this seem unusual for a luxury cabriolet? Yes, but it also means that this Maserati offers something special - a combination of wind-in-the-hair motoring, at pace, and with an accompanying hair- raising exhaust noise. That's a very heady mix indeed.

- © Fairfax NZ News