Maserati has posted a video of its new GranTurismo Folgore online, showing an undisguised prototype taking to Californian roads. We’ve spied the all-electric coupe testing before and it looks like the final car will retain the same exterior design as those versions.
The GranTurismo Folgore is Maserati’s first all-electric car, beating domestic rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini in the race to produce their first EVs. In the video, the car is driven by head designer Klaus Busse with chief communications officer Maria Conti providing some technical details.
They claim the GranTurismo Folgore will offer a 0-60mph sprint time of 2.6 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph. This shouldn’t be too surprising given the Folgore utilises a tri-motor, all-wheel drive setup with a power figure of around 1,200bhp.
The car will be the launch vehicle for Maserati’s all-electric future but will also be available with V8 power when it goes on sale. While we can see much of the car’s design in the video, Maserati says the full reveal will still take place in 2023.
Despite being an all-new car, the GranTurismo Folgore shares plenty of design traits with the outgoing GranTurismo.
The side profile of the Folgore looks similar to its predecessor; there’s a long bonnet that slopes into a gently raked windscreen and thick rear pillars that will no doubt be adorned by Maserati trident badges. It’s a typical grand tourer in its proportions and many of the smaller details are reminiscent of past Maserati models.
The grille is a similar shape to that of the new MC20 supercar, and the vertical strakes that sit behind the Italian firm’s famous badge have been seen on Maseratis since the A6 of the 1940s. The headlights are also similar looking to those on the MC20.
At the side, there are tri-spoke wheels, similar again to the MC20 and we can see some huge brake discs behind the front wheels. Maserati has also decided on keeping traditional wing mirrors rather than opt for more streamlined virtual cameras. The rear sports a small diffuser at the bottom and a fairly conventional set of rear lights. On the left-hand side, we can see the charging port flap.
Translated from Italian to English, Folgore means ‘lightning’ and this nameplate will appear on all of Maserati’s future full-electric cars. The brand had previously revealed specifications for the new GranTurismo, as well as a full timeline for the roll-out of its ‘Folgore’ electric car range.
While the brand hasn’t outlined any predicted range figures, Tonon did say that the maximum driving range from a full charge will be “satisfying for our customers.”
Maserati’s CEO Davide Grasso went on to detail the brand’s rollout plan for its future EVs when it comes to timescales, with the Grecale and GranCabrio Folgore models also set to launch next year.
By 2025 the Italian luxury brand will also reveal a fully electric version of its MC20 supercar, as well as all-new electric versions of its Levante SUV and Quattroporte sports saloon.
Given Maserati’s commitment to the Formula E race series, it also outlined that its future sporty models – including the GT – will feature technology transfer from race track to road. The GranTurismo Folgore will benefit from Formula E inverters, with a ‘bone’ battery for optimal weight distribution and to keep the car’s centre of gravity low.
The GranTurismo, GranCabrio and Grecale Folgore won’t make use of parent company Stellantis’s forthcoming STLA platforms, preserving their identity as Maseratis, according to the brand.
However, the next Levante and Quattroporte will be electric-only, offering Level 3 autonomous driving capability. These vehicles could use the Stellantis STLA Medium platform, offering a range of up to 440 miles.
The GranTurismo and GranCabrio will still be sold with combustion engines and Tonon believes that there is still a market for combustion-engined luxury GT models. “Today, the market for an ICE version, especially on a car like that, is absolutely still there. What we are trying to do with Folgore is give the consumer a choice and a different kind of experience.”
While the GranTurismo and GranCabrio will be available with Maserati’s new ‘Nettuno’ twin-turbo V6 engine, an all-electric variant poses an issue for the soundtrack, a key Maserati characteristic.
Tonon said that in the Folgore models “you will not hear an ICE V6 fake sound, it’s about being authentic. The engine is different, so we took the electric motors and we tuned this sound to be a truly raw Maserati. It’s not fake. It started with the electric motor sound tuned to be iconic, unique and Maserati.”
There is more potential for even more powerful and track-baised Maseratis in the future too. When asked if a spiritual successor to the brand’s MC12 hypercar is possible Grasso said: “Short answer, yes. I am saying this with a smile because as we continue to drive the brand forward our customers will be very pleased to see what we have coming up. I don’t want to say any more about that as there’s a critical part of the plan that centres around these initiatives.”
Elsewhere in the brand’s current line-up, the Ghibli saloon will not be replaced with a new-generation model.
Click here for our first review of the new Maserati Grecale SUV…