The weight and packaging requirements of an electric powertrain don’t lend themselves particularly well to convertible cars, but Maserati is hoping to crack the formula with this: the GranCabrio Folgore. When it launches later this year, It’ll stand alone as the first electric drop-top grand tourer on the market, supported by the same tri-motor 800V architecture as the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore.
These latest spy shots depict a camouflaged pre-production car with a fabric roof, and the absence of the tail pipes at the rear all but confirm it as the Folgore EV. Like the coupe, the electric cabrio adopts a drag-reducing front bumper with smaller vents than V6-powered versions, and the same aero-optimised 20 and 21-inch alloys.
With a single electric motor at the front and two powering each rear wheel, the Folgore is capable of precise torque vectoring, and the motors have a combined output of 1,184bhp. This figure is only theoretical, however, with the onboard 92.5kWh battery capable of driving them at 750bhp.
The battery pack is arranged in a T-shape through the middle of the car – rather than under the floor – to enable a lower driving position and the sleek roofline that defines Maserati grand tourers. The battery can be recharged at speeds of up to 270kW, but the GranCabrio Folgore’s range will fall short of the coupe’s 280-mile figure due to its folding roof mechanism.
This will add to the GranTurismo Folgore’s already portly 2,260kg kerb weight, so expect a slightly slower 0-62mph time, too. Still, with the coupe completing the sprint in just 2.7 seconds, the GranCabrio will be no slouch.
Maserati has previously teased the V6-engined GranCabrio with a series of official images and that car will go on sale alongside the Folgore in 2023.
Two internal-combustion powertrains will be available, each based around the MC20 supercar’s “Nettuno” 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6. The Modena version will come with 483bhp and 600Nm of torque, while the Trofeo will get the same engine in a higher state of tune – 542bhp and 650Nm of torque, to be precise.
Now read our review of the Maserati MC20 Cielo…