2024 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore EV packs “around” 760 hp
The story of the GranTurismo started 75 years ago with the Maserati A6 1500, Maserati says. “The concept of granturismo (“grand touring”) was created after World War II, during the Italian economic boom, when we showed the world our outstanding products, our strength, optimism and carefree attitude, the will to work but also to enjoy ourselves.”
In short, it’s a sports car that doubles as a luxury car.
While Maserati didn’t use the name “GranTurismo” until 2007, when the car debuted at the Geneva Motor Show, it quickly became a flagship for the brand until it ceased production in 2019.
And now comes a new chapter: The return of the GranTurismo, with styling that is decidedly derivative of the previous model, but far sleeker and sexier.
The new coupe is equipped with the MC20 supercar’s V-6 Nettuno engine (the Ferrari-derived V-8 is gone), available in two versions: the Modena, with the 483-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 twin turbo, and the Trofeo, which has the same engine but hyper-tuned to 542 horsepower. Transmission is an eight-speed automatic. There are four driving modes, including launch control. At introduction, the GranTurismo is also available in the PrimaSerie 75th Anniversary Launch Edition, a limited series featuring exclusive content and dedicated to its recent 75th anniversary.
But it’s the all-electric GranTurismo Folgore that appears to be the engineering marvel: The “100 percent electric battery-based powertrain” uses 800-volt technology “and has been developed with cutting-edge technical solutions derived from Formula E.” After all, by 2025, all Maserati models will come in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2030.
The Folgore has three 300-kW permanent-magnet motors. They’re connected to a battery that has a nominal capacity of 92.5 kWh, and a discharge capacity of 560 kW, “to continuously transmit around 760 horsepower to the wheels.” The battery pack sits low and does not compromise the Folgore’s relatively low height, which is just 53 inches. The shape of the battery pack, known as a “T-bone,” forms part of Maserati’s “zero compromise” approach and avoids placing the battery modules under the seats, mainly moving them around the central tunnel and therefore considerably lowering the car’s hip-point. The Folgore, Maserati says, sits lower than any other electric car on the market.
Sound has long been an integral element in Maserati’s DNA, which presented a challenge with the all-wheel-drive, electric Folgore. “The natural acoustic dynamics of the electric motors driven by the inverters have been digitally shaped and integrated with the typical sound taken from the Maserati V-8 tradition,” the company says. “All this in-depth analysis has made it possible to integrate know-how of the Maserati sound with the noise the vehicle naturally generates, to produce a unique acoustic experience, closely linked to the car yet innovative at the same time.” The sound is delivered by “refined synthesizers and released into the space by high-quality speakers on the inside and out.”
The technical architecture of the new GranTurismo makes extensive use of lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium, together with high-performance steel. This multi-material approach required that a new manufacturing process to be created, but the result is best-in-class weight levels.
The Trofeo and Modena weigh in at 3957 pounds. The Folgore, despite the lightweight components used, is still no lightweight at 4982 pounds, but Maserati says it can go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.7 seconds.
No specific on-sale dates have been announced, but we’re hearing mid-2023. Currently, the four-seat Maserati lineup starts with the Grecale at $63,500, up to the Quattroporte at $104,700.
