London’s Royal Horticultural Halls has played host to the arrival in the UK of Maserati’s latest creation, the GranCabrio. Andrea Antonnicola, Managing Director of Maserati GB and supermodel and Maserati ambassador Jodie Kidd started the unveiling ceremony in spectacular fashion: as the lights dimmed, two models, whose dresses’ silk train had been draped over the sinuous lines of the Pininfarina designed vehicle, started to walk and the GranCabrio was free to dazzle the guests.

The GranCabrio, which received its world première at the Frankfurt IAA last month, represents the very essence of Maserati in terms of open-top cars: from the unmistakable Pininfarina style to the spacious interior, from the craftsmanship of each detail to the driving pleasure and four real seats, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey. The GranCabrio, the convertible with the longest wheelbase on the market, features a 4.7 litre V8 delivering 440 bhp, maximum torque of 490 Nm and a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox. It reaches a top speed of 175 mph and accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds.

"I am extremely proud of hosting this UK première of the Maserati GranCabrio," said Antonnicola, "a car which has been enthusiastically received by the worldwide media after its debut at the Frankfurt Show just a couple of weeks ago. The new GranCabrio represents the completion of the Maserati range, and despite a long history of convertible cars going back over 50 years, with the iconic Mistral and Ghibli Spyder to name but a few, this is the first four-seater convertible for the Trident Marque."

The event saw more than 400 guests attend, including celebrity chef and Maserati aficionado James Martin, London Saracens rugby star Fabio Ongaro, comedian Patrick Kielty, Major Phil Packer, Vice-president of CNH Global Eduardo Teodorani Fabbri and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson. A Maserati GranTurismo S was also on display, and it was flanked by a stunning 1964 Maserati Mistral Spyder.