The Maserati GranCabrio MC makes it’s official appearance at the 2012 Paris Motor Show that’s been designed to complete Maserati’s GranTurismo selection that seems to nicely blend high performance and sports-car characteristics with style, charm and a four seater.
Of course there’s got to be a drop-top version of the recently released GranTurismo MC Stradale that makes it 48mm longer than the GranCabrio and GranCabrio Sport. Its 140kmh aero-tuned body gets the front end 10% and the rear 25% lower lift and it’s gotten a host of vents that either receive or helps to evacuate air via venturi effect in strategic areas that matters the most – namely its V8 engine and rather large disc brakes.
That’s right, the potent 460bhp 4.7L V8 engine goes below the hood together with a substantial amount of 520Nm at 4,750 rpm. As if you didn’t already know, the pistons are have been positioned at an angle of 90°, are made of reinforced, hardened aluminium (the same as the engine block) but the crankshaft, with five-point balancing, is made of high-strength steel. The timing system comprises of two chains per bank and features dual variable valve timing.
So you’ve got the power, now let us introduce what you’ll be using to manage all that to get you up to speed – a 289kmh top speed where it only takes 4.9s to reach 100kmh via a ZF 6-speed paddle-shift MC Auto Shift transmission that features 5 operating modes – Auto-Normal, Auto-Sport, Manual-Normal, Manual-Sport and Ice. But we’re guessing that Sport mode will be the predominant mode to be stuck in since it allows for 50% faster gear shifts and if you’re in Manual-Sport mode, it’ll stay in gear without changing up even if you’ve hit the limiter. So be wary.
But as you down shift, it will automatically blip (short burst of acceleration) when downshifting with the Launch Control system, called MC Start Strategy (which operates only with MSP deactivated). Using the MC Start Strategy, the driver holds down the brake pedal, presses the accelerator pedal and then releases the brake pedal when the optimum engine speed is reached (2,300–2,500 rpm).
The GranCabrio MC has been fitted with a set of single-rate dampers, to give maximum emphasis to the car’s sporty character, which guarantees greater rigidity in order to ensure optimum road holding in all driving conditions, without detracting from maximum passenger comfort.
With comfort aside, Maserati hs employed the use of their patented Dual Cast system, which includes a crossed-drilled and slotted combo disc brake with aluminium bell and steel braking surface of 360×32mm at the front and 330×28mm at the rear, to which Maserati guarantees to have “the best pedal feeling and braking efficiency”, which transpires into a stopping distance of just over 35m when decelerating from 100kmh.
The one-piece aluminium alloy brake calipers produced by Brembo are also made available in various colours, are also six-piston at the front and four-piston at the rear. The rear bumper’s bottom has been redesigned with the exhausts moved to the centre, all of which helps to stabilize the under-body airflow shooting out the rear, helping to suck the car to the road. As if the set of light-weight 20” MC Design set of rims that’s available in glossy Titanio or matt Grafite don’t already keep you planted with the LED daytime running Lights (DRL), bi-xenon headlights and Adaptive Light Control that’ll turn where you turn up to 15 degrees to show you the way when the sun goes down.
With all that performance, Maserati looked to keeping the GranCabrio MC’s weight down with a monocoque chassis made of different materials – high-tensile steel, aluminium and composite materials for moving parts.
Even though the GranCabrio MC’s 4.7L V8 engine is known to be a petrol-holic, it really doesn’t matter, because if you can afford this car, you’d be able to afford it’s fixation on going through its fuel tank like it were a drinking competition.
http://youtu.be/CvldcCj8cy8
