Maserati GranTurismo Test Drive

I knew my time with the 2010 Maserati GranTurismo convertible images would be short, so I planned to make the most of my two days of seat time. The first drive was the get-acquainted drive to the bank -- one of the branches a bit further from my house, of course.

To begin with, the GT has a proper key that flips out of the fob; no push-button starts here. Firing up the Ferrari-sourced 4.7-liter V8 produces a low, satisfying rumble that's a bit threatening, in a cool, Italian way. My test car was Euro-spec (so a Maserati GranCabrio, then), meaning the speedo was in kilometers per hour. Luckily, some kind soul had programmed the digital readout between the analog dials to read in miles per hour. It saved me doing math in my head.

The second task was to drop that fabric top. Maserati's literature says the GranTurismo can achieve this in 24 seconds. Luckily, my nerd watch has a stopwatch function built in. I hit the chrome switch in the console next to the rosewood and leather shifter and watched the seconds tick by. In 24 seconds exactly, the readout in the dash told me the top was down and I was ready to motor.

For all its power, the Maserati GranTurismo convertible delivered lots of panache, too. Maserati is a name people know, but not a shape they recognize immediately. The curving hood in Grigio Granito (granite gray, I'm guessing) ends abruptly at the low trident-bedecked grille. It's a design that says class housing an engine that growls.

Time for a field trip! I picked up a friend and we headed over the hill to a restaurant in the suburbs. It wasn't really about the food; it was about the switchbacks I had to negotiate in order to get there. Even driving in heels (something most guys don't appreciate as the accomplishment it is), the car would go as quickly as I wanted around hairpin turns without breaking out even a little bit.

There are two ways to drive the GranTurismo convertible, like there are for most sports cars these days: automatic or paddle shifters. I drove it both ways over the hill, and it performed with aplomb both ways. If you'd rather leave the decision-making to the transmission, it's happy to accommodate. If you're feeling aggro and want to hear that engine roar, slide the shifter to the left and shift up and down with the paddles to your heart's content.

All right, I know Dorrough Music wasn't talking about a dark gray Maserati in "Ice Cream Paint Job," but my test car was indeed cream on the inside -- Pearl Beige, to be exact, with dark red trim and light wood accents. Hard to keep clean? Yes. Luxurious as all get out? Also yes.

With the top up and the windows down, the cockpit was still quiet. I was able to hold a conversation with my lunchmate without yelling. The seats were comfortable and adjustable, and the rear seats looked like real adults could use them, as long as they weren't over six feet or so. Or, if you did cram your tall friends back there, you should at least keep the ride short.

Amenities included everything you'd expect, like dual-zone climate controls and a nav system. Unfortunately, my Euro-spec car had European navigation discs, so I didn't get a chance to try it out, being stuck here in the States and all. It also had a manual clock mounted in the dash -- a classic touch, but one that took me forever to locate. I kept thinking, "This car must have a clock; where the heck did they put it?" I'm so classy.

Speaking of classy, it's easy to get into and out of the GranTurismo convertible. It's low, but not awkward. Short drivers need to be aware that the beltline of this car is pretty high; the doors come up pretty far, and the dash rises in front of you. The seat and wheel are adjustable, though, for a custom fit.

• 4.7-liter Ferrari V8
• Top down in 24 seconds, up in 28 seconds
• Full-on stereo includes iPod hookup in the glovebox
• GranCabrio has different speedo and nav; otherwise, they're the same
• Optional front parking sensors and colored leather trim added $1225
• Price as tested: $139,700, including gas guzzler tax