Those looking for a sporty four-seat grand tourer made in Italy but don’t want to or can’t stretch their budget to a Ferrari FF would certainly consider the Maserati GranTurismo.

Sure, the two models are not in the same league, but on the other hand, the Maser costs a fraction of the Ferrari's price and boasts equally fabulous looks as well as a Maranello-sourced V8 under its sculpted hood.

At the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, Maserati unveiled the latest version of the GranTurismo as well as its open top sibling, the GranCabrio with the Sport moniker. The Sport models replace the S variants and the changes are more than skin deep.

For starters, the 4.7-liter V8 engine now produces 453HP and 520Nm (383.5 lb-ft) of torque, up from the 440HP and 490Nm (361.4 lb-ft) of the GranTurismo S.

Power is still channeled to the rear wheels and buyers can choose between a “robotised manual”, i.e. semi-automatic, or a conventional manual gearbox.

At the upcoming Frankfurt auto show, Maserati will display a new special edition version of its sleek GranCabrio designed by Italian fashion house Fendi, which is best known for its expensive "baguette" handbags.

The Fendi treatment starts with a unique three-layered body color named Grigio Fiamma Fendi and which is described by the automaker as a special dark grey with an iridescent golden finish on the surface. The yellow brake callipers and the Fendi logo on the 20-inch Trident design alloy wheels complete the exterior touches.

Enough is never enough for vehicle tuning houses like Novitec Tridente, which has presented its latest line of enhancements for the Maserati GranCabrio. Bone stock, the drop-top variant of the GT gets a 4.7-liter V8 engine that cranks out 440HP at 7,000 rpm and 490Nm (362 lb-ft) of torque at 4,750 rpm.

The installation of a supercharger system along with a watercooled intercooler and a modified ECU, help boost output to an impressive 590HP at 7,300 rpm and 572Nm (421.9 lb-ft), consequentially allowing for a new 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) time of 4.5 seconds.

It's been a year-and-a-half since Maserati lifted the wraps off a drop-top version of its GranTurismo coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show in late 2009, and now the Italians are getting ready to expand the range of the GranCabrio with the presentation of a sportier variant at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.