If there’s a slowdown in the auto market and a shift in the public’s focus from mph to mpg, it won’t be reflected at the Frankfurt auto show. To a roster of debuts already boasting a pair of poster-worthy Porsche debutantes and a duo of 450-plus-hp BMW hybrids, Maserati is adding its newest model, the 433-hp 2010 GranCabrio.
Based on the scintillating GranTurismo, the four-seat GranCabrio thankfully foregoes the trend of folding hardtops that has ensnared even Ferrari. The cloth top will help keep the inevitable weight gain associated with creating a convertible from a coupe under control, and its easier packaging preserves the Italian coupe’s mouth-watering shape.
Likely because of the extra beef—Maserati is extremely tight-lipped about details, so we don’t know how much additional poundage the cabrio will haul—the only available engine will be the 4.7-liter V-8 from the GT’s S models. A six-speed automatic will be the only available transmission initially, but we expect an automated manual to join the lineup shortly after introduction.
