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In the lofty niche of high-end four-seat convertibles, few stars shine brighter than the new Maserati GranTurismo. With the heater on high, the bum warmers on max, and the polished twenty-inch wheels shod with go-anywhere Pirelli SottoZero tires, it was a real pleasure to thumb a nose at winter from behind the wheel of this drop-dead gorgeous Maserati. There's no doubt about it: Maserati made the right decision when it halted the production-ready retractable hardtop in favor of this roomier, prettier, and more involving softtop.

The GranTurismo convertible (which will be known elsewhere as the GranCabrio) is the third and final iteration of the Quattroporte platform that was first unveiled in 2003. Although this component set was originally not meant to go topless, Maserati is now claiming best-in-class torsional rigidity as well as unrivaled rear leg- and headroom. The latter is an important asset: after all, 72 percent of convertible buyers order cars with more than two seats. Predictably, the numerous reinforcement measures required increased the weight to 4365 pounds. That's 220 pounds heavier than the GranTurismo coupe and almost 300 more than a Jaguar XKR convertible but about 30 pounds less than a BMW M6 softtop. Despite strengthening efforts, cowl shake is an issue when driving on undulating surfaces.inline_mediumwraptextright28218757/features/great_drives/1004_2011_maserati_granturismo_convertible1004_02_z+2011_maserati_granTurismo_convertible+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

When you look at the Infiniti EX35, what do you see? A low-slung, sporty crossover vehicle, or a tall-bodied hatchback sport sedan? During its yearlong stay at 120 East Liberty Street, our 2008 EX35 AWD Journey was perceived as both. Staffers who saw it as the former were for the most part confused and put off by the EX35, while those who viewed it as the latter were more accepting of Infiniti's niche-splitting entry.inline_mediumwraptextright32385579/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1004_2008_infiniti_ex35_awd_journey1004_01_z+2008_infiniti_eX35_aWD_journey+side_view.jpgTrue

Sergio Marchionne, the omnipotent chief of the Fiat Auto and Chrysler groups, will soon announce the detailed long-term product strategy for all seven brands now under his aegis. While Alfa Romeo is expected to be subject to several cutbacks, Lancia will be twinned with Chrysler in an effort to revive the ailing up-market Italian nameplate and Marchionne's product-starved American flagship.inline_mediumwraptextright27231509/features/news/1003_chrysler_and_lancia_how_it_will_work1003_01_z+chrysler_lancia_delta+front_three_quarter.jpgTrue