Flying Folgore: Maserati Embraces Electrification With New GranTurismo

When thinking of luxury automakers that aim to be at the bleeding edge of innovation, Maserati might not be the first to come to mind. This statement it not made to take anything away from the brand, but rather to further impress upon you the significance of the brand’s efforts with the all-new 2024 Maserati GranTurismo — especially in its all-electric Folgore trim.

For starters, this is the first ever two-door electric sports coupe to hit the market from an established manufacturer; granted, I’m keeping madness like the Rimac Nevera out of consideration, and not “really” considering the Polestar 1 a sports car even if it only has two doors. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, it’s also a giant leap forward when it come to platform architecture. You see, the all-electric GranTurismo Folgore and the petrol-burning Trofeo are built on the exact same platform architecture. Rather than dumping the floors full of batteries, the necessary equipment for EV operation are bolted into place where things like a fuel tank, gearbox, and other conventional internal combustion components would live.

Earlier this summer, we had the pleasure of hitting the open road in both GranTurismo variants for what can only be dubbed the ultimate Italian grand tour. From Rome, to Tuscany, to Modena we ventured, hopping from car to car over the course of two full days on the road with parts of Maserati’s engineering and design teams in tow. Of the troupe, Maserati Head of Design Klaus Busse kept us all company, sharing anecdotes about the GranTurismo’s development along the way.

As the lead of this project — not its sole owner, as he frequently states that no vehicle is ever penned by a singular designer — Busse framed the new car in an interesting light. “The GranTurismo is really our ultimate expression of a GT car, but in a sense we view all of our cars as GTs under different parameters. The MC20 is your touring car for the weekend, the GranTurismo is the touring car for you and your partner, your dog, and your luggage. If the plan is to take the whole family, or a couple of friends, then it’s the Levante.”

Due to its appeal from a tech side of things, the GranTurismo Folgore was our obvious folcal point. Not to discredit the grins induced by the Trofeo’s twin-turbo V8, but to tackle the ultimate Italian tour in a freshly developed EV was an opportunity we couldn’t skimp on. From inside, all of the requisite appointments matched that of its petrol-powered sibling, and even its steering wheel presented the same pair of shift paddles; an item of immediate confusion until a proper explanation was provided.

As you likely know, electric motors don’t have gears or transmissions to speak of, being able to spool up the entire range of requisite speed without them. What engineers have been doing, in order to draw the driving experience of the EV closer to that of a performance car, is to use these paddles as controls for regenerative braking. Rather than forcing drivers into that classic “EV drive mode” brain where deceleration is entirely controlled by the throttle pedal, the levels of brake regeneration adjustment changes via the paddles effectively mirror the feeling of downshifting when approaching corners. That way the car can have more of a coasting feel when you lighten the throttle position on the highway, and then drivers can “gear down” as they head into the corners. While not a one-to-one replication of that feel, it was rather easy to get used to, and made spirited driving in the Folgore just as engaging as in its counterpart.

Though its design is inherently focused on the touring car category, this is no slow cruiser. With its three electric motors delivering a combined total of 751 horsepower and 996 lb-ft of torque (with no lag on launch), the Folgore is objectively fast. While we didn’t reach for its 321km/h top speed, nor its 2.6-second 0-100 sprint time on the open roads of the Italian countryside, there’s no debating its ability to keep pace with other performance cars out there. What’s more, this thing handles the corners shockingly well thanks to a 50/50 weight distribution, and a lower centre of gravity thanks to the profile of its motors and battery. While getting your foot down will nibble away at available range, it’s also good to know that a full charge in the Folgore can get you around 450 kilometres.

Thus far, the configurator is not yet up and running, but we’re told that the first examples should be hitting the Canadian market in Q1 of 2024, with CAD pricing still TBC.

Learn more about the 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore here.

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