THE stylish new Maserati GranCabrio Sport will cost £102,615 when it hits the streets in October.

Unveiled at the Geneva motorshow earlier this year, the Pininfarina-designed four seater has a harder edge than its stablemate the GranCabrio, and uses a more powerful 450bhp version of Maserati's all-alloy 4.7-litre V8 engine.

 A friction reduction programme has made the Sport's engine more reactive to driver input, while achieving a further six per cent reduction in fuel consumption.

Its ZF six-speed automatic transmission includes the super-fast MC Auto Shift software which allows the car to reach a top speed of 177mph and complete the 0 to 62mph sprint in 5.2 seconds.

Maserati has also revised the Skyhook active-suspension system to give a sportier feel while the braking system now features grooved and drilled dual-cast brake discs.

The mechanical changes also include a revised exhaust system which automatically opens its bypass valves in Sport mode to provide a richer sound.

Visually, the GranCabrio Sport looks more dynamic - from the black grille with Trident to the black look headlights with white sidemarks.

Front corner splitters and redesigned side skirts matching the colour of the car's body, black oval exhaust tips and 20-inch Astro-design wheels complete the look.

Inside, the cabin boasts newly designed seats in two leather colours plus longer Trofeo-design gearshift paddles and drilled aluminium pedals.

And the Sport also features a new metallic red Rosso Trionfale body colour, inspired by the Italian national colour used on 1950s racing Maseratis.