► New Maserati GranTurismo for 2018
► No soft-top GranCabrio this time
► A more sporting, harder edge
Maserati is busy readying a GranTurismo replacement for launch in 2018 – and it’ll turn into a more focused sports car, the chief of Maserati has told CAR.
And that means there’s no room for a convertible model. Yes, the Maserati GranCabrio is being discontinued, according to Harald Wester.
‘It’s a harder core product which extends beyond today’s MC in terms of character, sportiness and grunt,’ the CEO said.
Why Maserati is axing the GranCabrio
‘The convertible will be discontinued,’ Wester told CAR. ‘The Americans love it, but one major market alone simply does not generate enough volume. The new coupe will be a fully focused driver’s car – nimble, agile, responsive and stuffed with serious V8 power, not to mention a cascade of low-end torque.’
One of the unstated reasons that he can ditch the GranCabrio is that the new Alfieri coming in 2016 will add a convertible bodystyle a year later. This car will sate demand for soft-top motoring – and at a more affordable price point.
Expect the latest suite of Modena firepower under the bonnet of the new GranTurismo replacement. The company’s V8 is the most likely power supply, but Maserati could fit its smaller V6 engines if it wants to increase volume in line with its ambitious sales targets swelling to 75,000 a year.
The latest twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 covers a wide power band from 350 to 520bhp; top-dog models will stick with the V8, now fettled to deliver up to 560bhp.
Rear-drive only
The new 2018 Maserati GranTurismo will be rear-wheel drive only, despite sharing the architecture of the new Ghibli and Quattroporte, which now offer four-wheel drive.
‘The future of Maserati has already begun with Ghibli and Quattroporte,’ Wester said. ‘Everything else that is in the pipeline between now and 2018 will tap this DNA.’
Click here to read about the new smaller Maserati sports car: the Alfieri coming in 2016.