EXPERIENCE No. 12
When Maserati’s engineers began work on the GranTurismo Convertible project, they set themselves the ambitious target to make a convertible that was as responsive and fun to drive as a coupé. To do this, the body structure on the new GranTurismo Convertible was designed to maintain its benchmark rigidity – even with the top down.
“The result in terms of chassis stiffness and handling is excellent, above all when you consider the size of the car, especially the long wheelbase”, pointed out Federico Landini, the main developer of the GranTurismo Convertible. “Usually, to increase the rigidity of a cabriolet, you focus on two factors: shortening the wheelbase or re-enforcing the chassis. The problem is that both can significantly increase the weight and impact performance. On the GranTurismo Convertible, we succeeded in stiffening the frame while maintaining the long wheelbase, adding a comfortable ride to the very high handling levels. We also managed to limit the total weight increased to only 220 lb compared to the GranTurismo coupé. This is only half of the typical weight increase between a coupé convertible version.”
Most of the new chassis features were developed using aluminium and composite structures added to strengthen the underbody and engine. “These elements give the driver a feeling of strength and solidity in each section of the car. A final, important modification was to increase the height of the rocker panel, without affecting vehicle access or compromising the overall vehicle looks.”
The results of hours of dedicated design calculation and testing become instantly clear as soon as you are at the wheel of Maserati’s latest creation. “The highest levels of the body’s stiffness and resistance to bending and torsion translates into absolute driving pleasure”, continues Landini. “This design result means that the GranTurismo Convertible handles just like a coupé.
The ride is enhanced by eliminating the vibrations and noises which are typically arise where the chassis and mechanical parts join – and this is where the Maserati GranTurismo excels.”
At one with the elements
When Maserati’s engineers began work on the GranTurismo Convertible project, they set themselves the ambitious target to make a convertible that was as responsive and fun to drive as a coupé. To do this, the body structure on the new GranTurismo Convertible was designed to maintain its benchmark rigidity – even with the top down.“The result in terms of chassis stiffness and handling is excellent, above all when you consider the size of the car, especially the long wheelbase”, pointed out Federico Landini, the main developer of the GranTurismo Convertible. “Usually, to increase the rigidity of a cabriolet, you focus on two factors: shortening the wheelbase or re-enforcing the chassis. The problem is that both can significantly increase the weight and impact performance. On the GranTurismo Convertible, we succeeded in stiffening the frame while maintaining the long wheelbase, adding a comfortable ride to the very high handling levels. We also managed to limit the total weight increased to only 220 lb compared to the GranTurismo coupé. This is only half of the typical weight increase between a coupé convertible version.”
Most of the new chassis features were developed using aluminium and composite structures added to strengthen the underbody and engine. “These elements give the driver a feeling of strength and solidity in each section of the car. A final, important modification was to increase the height of the rocker panel, without affecting vehicle access or compromising the overall vehicle looks.”
The results of hours of dedicated design calculation and testing become instantly clear as soon as you are at the wheel of Maserati’s latest creation. “The highest levels of the body’s stiffness and resistance to bending and torsion translates into absolute driving pleasure”, continues Landini. “This design result means that the GranTurismo Convertible handles just like a coupé.
The ride is enhanced by eliminating the vibrations and noises which are typically arise where the chassis and mechanical parts join – and this is where the Maserati GranTurismo excels.”
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