We had hear the Maserati V8 blip a downshift, pat the tall shift lever in the gate, and dash up to a tight uphill turn. But it turns in easily with no obvious hint of understeer, protected and stable, foot up and down to the next switchback.

Aiming to place 50, 000 autos on the road annually by 2015, Maserati has grown to the Quattroporte : four versions, the Ghibli, the GranTurismo, and the GranCabrio. Next year comes the Sport Utility Vehicle, with Maserati rumored to be losing the Kubang name for Cinqueporte or Levante, two monikers the business has trademarked. To prevent name confusion, Maserati does not use the GranCabrio label in the US, choosing to contact what we were examining the MC convertible. It provides a more aggressive look, with an evil smile framed by a full width black spoiler up front. The tail gets a spoiler with a built-in centre stoplight, and in the very base is an extractor to support undercar airflow. The front and back changes are believed to increase downforce by 25 percent and ten percent, respectively. Rather than a set of exhaust outlets per side, a single, big - diameter pipe from each cylinder bank leaves through the diffuser, and Brembo brakes are framed by 20-inch wheels.

What sets the MC convertible apart from many ragtops is it is a fairly generous four place ride. Those are actual seats back there, not a seat with dimples that masquerades as rear seating in certain convertibles. Behind the back seats is a set of popup roll bars for security, should you create a wreck of stuff. The folding fabric top is really a design using a steel and - aluminum frame that rises or folds in 24 seconds at speeds below 20 miles per hour and supplies the inside with the quietness that is anticipated in-a luxury convertible nowadays. Unfortunately, the well into which the top folds dominates a lot of the trunk.

Maserati's 454 hp, 4.7 liter Ferrari built V8 works in league with a six speed automatic that is happy doing its thing or prompted via shift paddles. And that happy to cruise - - - epitomizes the MC convertible or carve through a corner. It's neither a soft riding, grave-quiet cruiser nor a hard edged, pseudo racer, but it divides the difference quite nicely, albeit expensively.

Maserati GranTurismo Sport 2013