In Corsa mode the situation changes and it is here that I finally realize what a masterpiece I have in my hands. The instrumentation leaves room only for what really matters when things start getting serious.  The same goes for my grip on the steering, there is no room for errors or distractions and despite the traction works on both axles, the power reserve shows a dispassionate malice towards the rear.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Bruno Serra

Since we first introduced Alps Attack into our editorial plan, the goal has always been to bring exceptional cars to roads enable to enhance driving pleasure. A seemingly simple task that would however inexorably raise expectations year after year. The fact is that without even realizing it, I had not yet involved that category of cars that fully embodies the nature of a traveler, that of grand tourers. This year things have changed, thanks to a car that has the meaning of its existence in its very name. I am talking about the Maserati GranTurismo, with the small exception that this is not a proper GranTurismo, but the convertible variant appropriately named GranCabrio. As you know, with the canvas roof there are – at the moment – only two versions: the internal combustion Trofeo and the 100% electric Folgore. Guess which one I chose to climb the Alps?

The Folgore is also more powerful and offers a very different experience, but when it comes to involvement and a warm late October sun, I could not have chosen anything other than the Trofeo. After all, the feeling of folding the canvas roof behind your shoulders is precisely the reason why a mountain road now abandoned by traffic and tourists is able to transmit unique emotions alternating with a silence interrupted by the roar of the V6 turbocharged that equips the new generation of GT for Maserati. Let’s proceed in order, because there is quite a lot to say.  

The GranCabrio is obviously the open-top sister of the GranTurismo. Both are based on the excellent Giorgio platform, here evolved in order to make the generous dimensions of this gigantic 2+2 such that they are not particularly perceived once the wheels are turning. The GC adds a few kilos on the scale compared to the coupe version, but it gains the opportunity to show off a sensuality that is increasingly rare in the world of cars, a work designed by the Maserati Centro Stile which, with top open, creates an elegant yellow silhouette, interrupted only by the many carbon fiber inserts and red leather upholstery, a chromatically daring choice, but which contributes to giving that touch of exclusivity with which the brand is imbued, especially thanks to the recent Fuoriserie program.

Under the hood, the 3-liter Nettuno V6 already tested on the other Trofeo and on the MC20, is ready to unleash 550 horses to the ground, using an all-wheel drive that manages torque and power distribution so as to make the GranCabio agile where the width of the road becomes limited. Once away from the motorway, where I was able to appreciate the exceptional comfort offered by a passenger compartment perfectly suited to long distances, it is finally time to fold down the roof and let the warm rays of the sun enter our Alpine adventure. The mechanism is electronic and activated via one of the two touch displays positioned in the central portion of the dashboard, like the so-called scarf, an adjustable jet of hot air that will ensure you avoid a stiff neck, in case of driving en plein air with non-tropical temperatures.

As I cover the first few kilometers along the narrow Gorges du Loup, I set the driving selector to Sport mode, which I consider ideal in a section with road surface in less than perfect conditions, but which guarantees greater volume from the two pairs of exhaust pipes. The other options are Comfort, GT and Corsa, which excludes traction control, transforming an apparently tame cruiser into a real yellow madness ready to widen the tail when coming out of corners. The rock walls envelop us and echo the explosions when changing gear. This soon becomes something I cannot do without and as I chase a red line obviously positioned lower than the previous generation of GranTurismo/GranCabrio, I begin to truly realize how much Maserati has transformed the driving experience.

Le Loup finally leaves room for a wider road and it matters little if the scenic factor is put in the background. With the concentration of a bomb disposal expert, I am almost straining my ears and tilting my head, searching for those differences that make the new GC one of the best Maserati ever made. And then there is space, enough to shift down a couple of gears and dig my right foot. The long hood hints at a slight upward movement and I am immediately pressed to the seat, with those side bolsters that embrace me and hold me still when I reach the bend as I hold on to the steering wheel. It is there that I notice the absurd precision with which you manage to throw 1,895 kg and almost 5 meters of car between corners. Bam, bam, I pull second and third and the speed with which I am dragged is surprising. The turbocharging makes the engine elastic like bungee jumping towards a bottomless abyss and all of this pleases me and draws a grin on my face.

The braking system is powerful enough and capable of managing such a mass at certain speeds, but if on tight mixed roads you have to keep in mind dimensions and weight balance, on more open stretches you can’t help but sink violently, so as not to risk unbalancing a mass designed to go fast, but which brings with it a technological package that is primarily aimed at long travels comfort. But you already know that, otherwise we would be here at the wheel of a car that weighs like its armrest. What you might never have imagined is the amazement felt by the undersigned, once I increased my confidence with the new GranCabrio Trofeo which has a starting price of at least €235,000, which compared to the approximately €170,000 of the previous MC is a factor to take into consideration. Important to analyze as the notable step forward made in terms of quality, first of all regarding the passenger compartment, but also for the power that despite having gone from a V8 to a V6 has allowed an increase of 90 horsepower and trust me you can feel it.

The GranCabrio should not be compared with what came before it, here we are talking about something completely new, more refined and above all dynamically more precise and that reflects on road behaviors indebted to a supercharging that makes the power always within reach of your foot. I mean 650 Nm of torque delivered from 3,000 rpm. I pass Gréolières and its majestic rocks, a succession of tunnels dug by the wind that amplify the sound of a V6 that writes pure love in the heart of a romantic traveler. While I am always amazed by how the GC is able to move on fast sections, it is on the more challenging turns that the Trofeo shows an agility that I did not think was part of its grand touring world.

In Sport mode you have the perfect meeting point between performance and drivability, but engaging Corsa changes the situation again and it is here that I finally realize what a masterpiece I have in my hands. The 12-inch digital instrumentation changes graphics, leaving room only for what really matters when things start getting serious. The same goes for my grip on the steering, there is no room for errors or distractions and despite the traction works on both axles, the power reserve shows a dispassionate malice towards the rear. Having taken the measurements along the deserted climb towards Gréolières-les-Neiges, I put into practice what I have learned by attacking the Col de Vence.

This winding road that doesn’t even exceed 1,000 meters in altitude is however the ideal place to test the chassis of the GranCabrio, especially along the northern side, much wider and with a road surface in perfect conditions. The sun has in fact dried every trace of humidity and the GoodYear do an impeccable job, proving to be a surprisingly successful rubber, despite still being a model that will rarely be pushed beyond certain limits. I shoot a couple of gears until I pinch the red line and even when I steer more violently than usual, the GC doesn’t seem to break down more than you would have expected. Each curve is painted as a much more streamlined and agile sports car would, virtually shortening the stride and moving the Trofeo on the map with a speed that is nothing short of ridiculous.

We crest the hill and while I attract the hate of Bruno (our photographer, ed.) I decide that there is a place where I can ultimately consecrate the quality of a car that I was sure would have fascinated me, but for different skills than the bellicose ones that see a nearly 2-ton grand tourer awaken the mountains now close to their winter hibernation. The hours of light are increasingly fewer and with a constant glance at the clock we know that reaching the Colle della Lombarda before sunset will not be an easy feat. The positive side is that any task that must be undertaken at the wheel of this Trofeo is an excellent way to spend your time. And they call this a job? Crazy.

There are about 100 km, for an estimated 2 hours drive. However, we had not taken into account the traffic caused by a series of landslides along the MM2205, the arterial road connecting Vence and Isola, located at the feet of the pass that will take us back to Italy in the most tortuous but fun way possible. With the sun starting to set lower and the roof temporarily closed over our heads, the GranCabrio brings its primary quality into play, which I do not mean to say is necessarily the most important. You travel cradled in top of the game relax, in an environment of leather and satin carbon panels. The entire infotainment system works wonderfully, confirming how Maserati has reached levels of excellence even in those aspects that for example 10/15 years ago could represent a point for the competition.

Another traffic light, another slowdown and then without even realizing it I have the road clear. Or rather, there were a couple of cars, but they were swallowed up without problems by the Nettuno and its desire to scream. If the decibels are logically lower than the V8 of the previous GTs, the power sweeps away any residual doubts: if you want to go fast, really fast, the Trofeo’s V6 is your ideal choice. We pass Isola and start climbing again. The hairpin bends that lead to Isola 2000 are not dry and brushing the exit of some switchbacks is inevitable. The steering is precise and unless you are at three-digit speeds, straightening the bulky hood of the GranCabrio is not as difficult as you might think.

Finally, the available torque allows you not to have to stress the transmission too much, which if left in Auto mode perfectly manages the always precise gear changes, fast and able to read the driver’s intentions. The color of the sky begins to lose intensity and in some places the sun is already hiding behind the highest summits. There is not much time left and while the mountain pass is now abandoned to the solitary evening hours, the shadows begin to lengthen, almost as if chasing us, the only company of this last attack on the bare peaks of the Lombarda. The hairpin bends become tighter, the braking distances require greater pressure on the pedal, all to the advantage of exiting the curves in first gear, leaving a slight hint of skidding to mark an asphalt that will soon be covered in snow.   

In a sort of ultimate sacrifice to the cause, I open the roof and set the air conditioning and scarf to the max. It is barely 3° outside as the silence of a mountain watches this yellow object slide along its narrow path. Finding myself driving, here in this precise moment, is something extremely difficult to describe. My eyes bounce between the strip of asphalt and the most distant peaks now tinged with the orange of twilight. The absolute silence is interrupted by the screams of the V6 that once reached the summit fades out in religious respect for an adventure that finally saw me reach 2,351 meters before the sun completely sets. I observe it, the GranCabrio. With the roof and door open almost to embrace the mountains, I lean on the fence and admire it as one would with a priceless painting. I truly believe that the secret of a grand tourer lies in the fact that an adventure of this type can only be fully experienced by exploiting the performance qualities of a car that is nevertheless capable of being the ideal way for go back home once the magic is swallowed up by the darkness of the evening. Or for the fact that it represents the ready-to-use sports car, in case you have not planned an attack on the Alps. Or maybe for another reason that I do not care about now, for the simple fact that whatever the answer is, my heart has found it once again in the mountains. Once again thanks to a Maserati.

MASERATI GRANCABRIO TROFEO

Engine V6 cylinder Turbo, 2.992 cc Power 550 hp @ 6.500 rpm Torque 650 Nm @ 3.000 rpm

Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.895 kg

0-100 kph 3,6 sec Top Speed 316 kph Prezzo from€235.800