Brand New Maserati Granturismo 560kW Folgore Primaserie Rame 92kWh 2dr Auto

Two GranTurismo Folgore models propel Maserati into the EV super sportscar era. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

Maserati creates its very first all-electric sports car in this desirable model, the GranTurismo Folgore coupe, also available as the convertible GranCabrio Folgore. It's very fast, very heavy, very expensive but, fortunately, also very Maserati.

Background

We've had quite a few Maserati firsts in this century - diesel engines, SUVs and now full-EVs - specifically in this case, a full-EV sports car, the GranTurismo Folgore. At this moment, this is one of only two EV models in the Maserati range (the Grecale Folgore SUV is the other) but by 2028, the Modena marque says (rather disappointingly) that all its cars will be electric. So getting these early EV models right could hardly be more important. This one comes in both coupe and GranCabrio forms and sells alongside the 3.0 V6 GranTurismo models it's built alongside at the Modena plant. But it's nearly half a ton heavier than that combustion variant and must surely lack the aural fireworks which have long been decisive in choosing Maserati sports car ownership. So can this confection really work? Let's see.

Engines and Tech Spec

'Folgore' translates as 'lightning', which is a good description for the speed of this car. 62mph is dispatched in just 2.7s (which is getting on for a second faster than the V6) and just as surprising (for an EV) is the 202mph top speed. Though if you drive like that, you'll probably more than halve the huge 92.5kWh battery's claimed 280 mile range. This energises a complex AWD powertrain putting out 751bhp and made up of three electric motors, two of them on the rear axle. These motors use silicon carbide inverters (technology borrowed from Maserati's Formula E team) which are lighter and have greater power density than the usual silicon inverters. But all of this is heavy, which is why this car tips the scales at close to 2.3-tonnes. Too heavy then, to ever be a proper super sports car like, say, a Mercedes-AMG GT; but Maserati doesn't want it to be a cruisey Bentley Continental GT Speed rival either. That's a difficult balance to achieve, so lots of thought has gone into the suspension set-up, which uses air springs and electronic dampers. Also crucial is the way that all that power and torque is deployed, not in this case via a limited slip differential but by Maserati's Vehicle Domain Control Module controller. To determine power distribution, this takes its lead from the drive mode you select. The day-to-day settings are 'Max Range' or 'GT'. Only in the faster 'Sport' and 'Corsa' modes do you get access to the full 1,350Nm of torque - and at the same time the chassis is lowered.

Design and Build

A bit of copper-coloured exterior detailing, a slightly different grille and badges - and (obviously) the lack of tail pipes are pretty much the only things differentiating this Folgore GranTurismo from its 3.0 V6 stablemate. Which means it's a gorgeous thing. The look is apparently inspired by Maserati's classic A6 GCS/53 Grand Tourer, but there's plenty here that also draws from the present. Notably, the clamshell bonnet, the sculpted front wings and the vertically arranged headlights, all cues we've seen in the company's two most recent designs, the Grecale SUV and the MC20 supercar. There are muscular rear wheel arches and a long two-door silhouette with a low flowing roof line. Inside, the main Folgore change is that those lovely metal paddleshifters control the brake regen system, rather than the gearbox. Otherwise, the interior is just as with the V6. Which means opulent trimming but disappointing use of buttons sourced from much cheaper Stellantis models. Notably the Fiat 500e switchgear on the steering wheel. There's a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a pair of screens in the centre of the fascia, the top 12.3-inch one for infotainment and the lower 8.8-inch panel for comfort features. Disappointingly, the old analogue clock that used to decorate the middle of the dash in past GranTurismo models is gone, replaced by a digital display with interchangeable faces. But Maserati still continues with physical buttons to control the transmission. As befits a GT, there are (just about) usable rear seats. Out back, boot space falls from the 310-litre figure of the V6 to 270-litres, due to space given up to the pair of rear axle motors.

Market and Model

You'll need to allow a budget starting from just under £180,000 for the GranTurismo Folgore; think around £30,000 than a mid-range GranTurismo 3.0 V6 Trofeo. You'll need around £5,000 more than the Folgore GranTurismo's asking price if you want the GranCabrio Folgore. Of course you get plenty of equipment for that, with features like sumptuous Italian leather upholstery, a digital rear view mirror and a 360-degree surround view camera system. There's also a glorious Sonus faber 3D sound system offering 'an all-round sound experience' with two levels of customisation, with up to 19 speakers and 3D sound with a thumping output of up to 1,195watts. Drive assist tech includes adaptive cruise control with lane centring and autonomous emergency braking, which also works when reversing. Alexa integration is built into the central 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, which also includes the brand's voice-activated 'Maserati Intelligent Assistant' and has over-the-air update capability, plus wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. A configurable head-up display is optional.

Cost of Ownership

The Turin-made 92.5kWh battery (just 83kWh of which is actually usable) can be charged at speeds of up to 270kW, making the GranTurismo in this form one of the fastest-charging EVs on sale. At an appropriately powerful ultra-fast DC public charger, up to 62 miles of range can be added in just five minutes thanks to the car's 800-volt electrical architecture. A 10-80% DC charge is theoretically possible in under 20 minutes. If you could AC charge at 22kWh, you could theoretically completely replenish the battery in four and a half hours. With 11kW AC charging you'd need 9 hours for a full charge. With a more common single-phase 7.4kW garage wallbox, you'd need 13 hours 15 minutes. The GranTurismo Folgore's claimed driving range is up to 280 miles - think around 250 miles and 2.8 mi/kWh more realistically. For that though, you'll need to be easy on the throttle and make plenty of use of the car's four brake regeneration settings, accessed via steering wheel paddle-shifters. You'll also need to engage the Folgore's 'Max Range' drive mode, which limits top speed to 80mph, softens throttle response and restricts climate system output. Folgore owners have access to a charging app loaded with a database of over 335,000 charging points around Europe.

Summary

Electric cars riding on platforms that also have to accommodate engines are usually compromised. But not this one. Weight and bulk are disguised here with astonishing ease and nearly 2.4 tonnes of Modena real estate fails to stop this Folgore from being quite astonishingly fast. In many ways, it's the electric Maserati sports car we might have all hoped for. But not quite. You might not feel this electric GranTurismo is quite luxurious enough to be a GT Grand Tourer, particularly in Stellantis-influenced cabin. And its weight means it certainly can't be an out-and-out track-tamed super sports car. Which might leave you wondering what exactly this model is trying to be. Perhaps it doesn't matter. It's still a Maserati with a semblance of soul. And for that, we can be thankful.