Maserati's GranTurismo luxury sports GT comes in two very different forms in second generation guise. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.
Maserati says a fresh chapter in its history begins with this second generation GranTurismo coupe. It still comes with charismatic combustion power, but now there's also the option of a full-electric Folgore version which will open up an entirely new market for the company. This GranTurismo is what Maserati calls 'the pillar of its brand'. It just got a whole lot more desirable.
You have to turn the clock back seventy five years to Maserati's A6 1500 to find a more radically different change of brand direction than is represented by this Italian marque's second generation GranTurismo. It may look familiar but just about everything you can't see is very different. As was necessary if this car was to be offered with a futuristic full-electric drivetrain.
You don't have to have it like that; brand loyalists will prefer versions fitted with the V6 Nettuno petrol engine we first saw in the MC20 supercar. But either way, we're promised that this second generation model will drive - and even sound - like a Maserati should. Different then, but classically familiar. Let's take a closer look.
Maserati wasn't ready to ditch combustion power for this GranTurismo. Particularly when it has a state-of-the-art 3.0-litre twin turbo Nettuno V6 engine on its books which features F1-inspired pre-chamber combustion technology. In its car's fastest 'Trofeo' model, this offers 550hp (71hp less than the same engine puts out in the brand's MC20 supercar), which makes possible 62mph from rest in just 3.5s. Top speed is 205mph. The same engine also comes in de-tuned 490hp form in an entry-level 'Modena' model. There, 62mph takes 3.9s en route to 187mph.
The fastest GranTurismo though, doesn't have an engine; the Folgore version (Italian for 'lightning') uses a T-shaped 92.5kWh battery powering three electric motors on the front axle and two at the rear. Which together deliver 760hp and thrust the car to 62mph in just 2.7s.
Both powertrains feature Maserati's latest 'Vehicle Domain Control Module' (VDCM), which adjusts the level of electronic support provided according to the drive mode selected. The main settings are 'GT', 'Sport' and 'Corsa': on the Folgore, the V6 variant's 'Comfort' setting replaced by 'Max Range'. Maserati's spent ages creating a powertrain sound system that works with these settings. Particularly for the electric version, which delivers a unique soundtrack supposed to be a fusion of electric whirrs coupled with a V8 roar.
Maserati says the look of this car was inspired by its 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. As before, this GranTurismo has muscular rear wheel arches and a long two-door silhouette with a low flowing roof line. The slim LED rear light units are pure Maserati too, as of course is the oval-shaped grille with its central Trident badge. Differences between the V6 and EV models are minor - a subtly revised front bumper and, for the V6, quad tail pipes at the rear.
Inside, the GranTurismo has moved into a very different age. 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 is gone, replaced by a digital display with interchangeable faces. But Maserati still continues with physical buttons to control the automatic gearbox. As befits a GT, there are (just about) usable rear seats. And a decent 310-litre boot (up from 280-litres in the old model) - which is significantly smaller with the EV version due to space given up to the pair of rear axle motors.
You'll need to allow a budget of around £150,000 for the entry-level 490hp GranTurismo V6 'Modena', with a big chunk extra needed for the more potent 550hp V6 'Trofeo' variant. If you want the GranTurismo Folgore all-electric model, then you're going to need to think in terms of a £200,000 budget.
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.
You're going to have to pay for the pleasure at the pumps of course. We'd expect the fuel economy figures for the V6 versions to be very similar to those of the MC20. For that Maserati quotes a combined cycle figure of 24.4mpg - and a lowest figure of just 13.6mpg. CO2 emissions are just as bad, rated at 262g/km. The low cycle figure there is a smoky 470g/km...
But all of this is par for the course for a V6 GT luxury Coupe in this segment. And you should cheer up a bit when it comes to considering residuals, which should be very solid indeed given this car's extreme rarity. Of course, if you really cared about efficiency, then you'd opt for the all-electric Folgore version. The 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 public charger, up to 62 miles of range can be added in just five minutes thanks to the car's 800-volt electrical architecture.
The GranTurismo Folgore's claimed driving range is up to 279 miles, though for that 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. Sadly, Maserati plans to ditch combustion engines completely by 2030.
'Others just travel' is the way Maserati likes to differentiate itself in this new era. Yes you can go as fast, charge as quickly or enjoy as much luxury in a comparably priced GT sports car rival. But a journey in a Maserati is more of an event. And ownership of one a unique automotive aspiration. We can see why you might feel that way about using and acquiring this second generation GranTurismo.
Maserati has taken its time deciding how a full-electric future should be translated into Maserati motion and the result here should feel opulent and elegantly exclusive. Ultimately though, there still nothing quite like the alternative throbbing V6 that better encapsulates what this enduring Trident brand is all about. Our automotive lives are going to change over the next few years, but some things should stay the same. This GranTurismo is proof that Maserati understands that.
