Baby Maserati - GranTurismo COUPE

Despite sporting black vinyl coverings, there’s no mistaking the shape of this sleek coupe, caught testing in Italy by autoexpress.uk crew. The pronounced wheel arches, steeply sloped bonnet and familiar rear lights tell us this is a Maserati GranTurismo coupe.

However, what isn’t so familiar is the bulky rear end seen on this mule, which can mean only one thing: this is a convertible. Maserati bosses couldn’t resist giving their coupe the chop top treatment in an effort to meet ambitious sales targets, and it’s set to follow in the footsteps of the Ferrari California by featuring a folding hard top.

The new car would likely be based on a cut-down version of the GT platform and be a strict two-seater. It would be similar in concept to the prototype built by Maserati engineers in 2005, just ahead of the company’s split with then-owners Ferrari. Engines will include both Maserati’s 4.2 and 4.7-litre V8s and possibly a more efficient V6 engine.

In every other sense the convertible will be the same as its fixed head sister, although it is likely the 434bhp 4.7-litre V8 from the current GranTurismoS will feature as standard to compensate for the extra burden of a complicated folding roof – the coupe already tips the scales at over 1,800kg. Maserati’s GranTurismo.