Soft-top Maserati Grancabrio lands with 542bhp V6

The new Maserat Grancabrio will initially be offered solely in Trofeo guise...

New open-air GT is promised to bring no compromises to performance or comfort

The new Maserati Grancabrio has been unveiled with the promise that it enhances the theatre of its Granturismo sibling without introducing compromises to performance or comfort.

It trades a coupé roof for a folding fabric arrangement that can be lowered or raised in 14sec at vehicle speeds of up to 31mph.

A neck-warmer system is standard, offering three levels of heat output. However, the manually operated wind deflector, which reduces turbulence over the passengers, is an optional extra.

The Grancabrio arrives solely in range-topping Trofeo form, packing a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine that sends 542bhp through all four wheels.

This V6 sends the Granturismo from 0-62mph in 3.5sec and on to a top speed of 199mph. These statistics are likely to be reduced slightly by the conversion to a convertible, but they should still be broadly competitive with rivals'.

The Bentley Continental GTC, for example, cracks 62mph in 4.0sec, while the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet hits the same speed in 2.9sec.

Maserati has yet to confirm whether the Grancabrio will also be available with the coupé’s 483bhp V6 and 751bhp electric powertrains, but the Folgore EV has previously been spotted undergoing winter testing, suggesting it will arrive imminently.

Prices for the Grancabrio are also unconfirmed at this stage, but it's expected to start at around £180,000, given that the Granturismo Trofeo is priced from £163,470 and the range-topping MC20 sports car costs £204,465.