Maserati has teased images of a minimally disguised GranTurismo Folgore, the company’s first ever EV, just days after spy photographers caught prototypes undergoing winter testing. Three heavily darkened images show the front, side and rear of the new 2+2 coupe in its full EV form, though conventional gasoline and hybrid versions, plus a Spyder/GranCabrio variant, will be offered when production is in full swing.
We’ve lightened the images to get a
clearer look at the bodywork and detail on Maserati’s long awaited production
version of the 2014 Alfieri concept and successor to the last GranTurismo that
went out of production in 2019. And though the huge trident decals do their
best to spoil the view, we can still tell that the GranTurismo is shaping up to
be a handsome machine. Because the car also has to accommodate conventional
combustion powertrain hardware, the overall shape is that of a traditional
front-engined GT car and features a long low hood that sweeps up over raised
fenders containing headlights that look suspiciously like the ones in the
mid-engined MC20.
Curiously, zooming in on the interior
through the side window appears to show a set of gearshift paddles fixed to the
column. They could be used to adjust the strength of the regenerative braking
effect, or perhaps the car pictured is actually a gasoline car being passed off
as an EV for marketing purposes, though the presence of a charging flap below
the driver’s side taillight suggests otherwise.
Maserati has previously said its “2022 EV”
will be the “most powerful Maserati ever” with 650+ hp and a 0-100 km/h time of 2.5 seconds. It’s possible those numbers belong to the
MC20 Folgore instead of the GranTurismo Folgore, but Maserati has confirmed
that the GT will be the first to land in showrooms. Other drivetrains destined
to appear in the lineup include a version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that
makes 621 hp and 730 Nm of torque in the MC20
supercar, and possibly a V8.
Maserati has already confirmed that it
will sell only fully electric cars by 2030 as part of the Stellantis “Dare
Forward 2030” plan announced earlier this month. But five year before that, in
2025, Maserati will offer a 100 percent electric version of every model in its
range, starting with the upcoming Grecale SUV and including the bigger Levante
SUV, MC20 supercar, Quattroporte luxury sedan and the new GranTurismo. The
company claims that pulling it off will make it the first luxury brand to
complete its electric lineup by 2025.