Will It Autocross: The Maserati GranCabrio
We see how the droptop version of the Maserati GranTurismo handles a car park full of cones
Maserati’s drop top grand tourer is all about practicality. Like its solid-roofed sibling the GranTurismo, the Maserati GranCabrio is meant to be the kind of vehicle you can use to commute to work, take on a long-distance trip, and have some fun in when the opportunity presents itself.
Autocross falls within the latter category. If you’re unaware, it’s an accessible and relatively safe form of racing. A large, empty, space like a parking lot is usually used, and cones are laid out to form a course. The narrowness of said course, along with the frequent twists and turns, tend to keep the top speed down. Car control and accuracy is rewarded, while carelessness and cone executions are punished.
I recently visited COTA with Maserati and while the internationally famous, F1-level, racetrack was good fun, the autocross segment was a little competitive highlight. What made it stand out wasn’t the autocross course itself, but what was being driven on it.
How Did the GranCabrio Handle The Course
If you’re wondering how the Maserati GranCabrio performed, and you want the short answer it’s this. The vehicle did better than I did. The instructor casually put up a 26-ish second time between the cones. Scotty Reiss who was in the same cohort as me absolutely torched my time (I believe she was hovering around the 27 second mark) and I barely scraped in at just under 29.
The vehicle itself was fantastic though. Alongside its sibling, it may be Maserati’s best option for autocross. The engine sitting at the front, but behind the front wheels, gives you that extra bit of agility to get around those tight bends, the all-wheel drive system provided plenty of grip too.
Plus Maserati’s frankly superb Nettuno V6 brings plenty of punch to the party. Tap the gas and the response is instant, giving you all of the short bursts of acceleration you need to whip around a cone-filled car park.
With the traction control off and “Corsa” mode selected, I did manage to get a good amount of tire screech but at no point did it feel like the wheels were slipping. The fact it was a convertible didn’t seem to affect its level of stiffness either. All in all, it’s pretty ideal for this type of activity. In hindsight, I could have pushed the GranCabrio a lot harder. Looking at my time, I probably should have.
This coverage relates to part an event held in May 2025 where Maserati provided our writer with transport, meals, and accommodation.