It’s pretty damn clever, I must say. Instead of the usual guidelines that car companies give their designers like “a family car” or “something sexy,” the powers that be at Maserati gave them simple direction, “make Seth Rotherham cry.”

This, my friends, is the Maserati GranCabrio.

Jalopnik had this to say:

The GranCabrio represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars. It’s a Maserati in the purest sense of the word: from the unmistakable style by Pininfarina to the spacious interior, from the craftsmanship of each detail to the driving pleasure and performance. The Maserati GranCabrio enriches all five senses in a shared open-air experience, without sacrificing comfort and performance. A dream car designed and built for men and women who love to live life in an understated – though sophisticated – manner. Like all the made in Maserati open-top convertibles: special cars aimed at refined connoisseurs.

The GranCabrio is continuing the Maserati tradition in open-top fine automobiles, beginning with the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, and continuing through a long list of significant and thrilling open air models. However, in adding to this tradition, the GranCabrio opens a new chapter, because never before have four-seater top-down models ever been produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory in Modena. Four proper seats are provided, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey.

The GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 liter V8, 323 kW engine and is the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market. The GranCabrio’s roof is strictly canvas-made, emphasizing the link with the Maserati tradition.

[more here]

That’s a very cool car.

That’s a Cape Town car. I’m tempted to get one. And no, I don’t think people will judge me for it. No-one can be judged in a car like that. Even people that hate you will be forced to bite their tongue and admit that you’re actually quite cool.

Click here for more pics of the Maserati GranCabrio.

[thanks ryan]