CarZi

Maserati officials have confirmed the convertible version of the GranTurismo coupe will arrive in showrooms by March of next year and these new renderings give us a good indication as to what the final styling may look like with the top down. 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 confirm if the car will sport a traditional canvas roof or a new hard-top, but recent spy shots of a GranTurismo convertible prototype suggest 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 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. At the end of the day however, the GranTurismo is all about style and as a poser’s car a convertible version is as good as it gets.

[Source : MotorAuthority.com]