EVs might have taken over the auto industry in the past few years, but not all of it. Among the few people who stubbornly refuse the transition, Italian sports car and supercar manufacturers are the most notable. Although, not all of them, not anymore.
Maserati has become the first to fully embrace electrification with their new GranTurismo Folgore, and they’ve actually done a remarkable job, which they decided to proudly present on YouTube. There is a slight kink in their plan, which might cause some mixed reactions from the public. Gone are the days of the glorious Maserati throaty V8 rumble, partly.
You see, Maserati put their engineers to work. The same team who is in charge of their glorious exhaust notes designed an artificial one for the GranTurismo Folgore. Whether you like fake sounds, it’s up to you, but this one is at least somewhat good. As compensation for losing the engine, we can welcome back Italian design, class, and luxury into the fold, at least according to Head of Design Klaus Busse and Chief Communications Officer Maria Conti.
One way they have achieved this is by keeping the car low and sleek. Hard thing to do in an EV, but with careful packaging of the batteries into the central tunnel, this car looks mean. But looks are merely one side of the proverbial sportscar coin. They have to be backed up by performance, and this GranTurismo delivers, with a blistering 2.6 seconds 0-60 mph (2.7 seconds 0-100 kph) time and a top speed in excess of 200 mph (320 kph) thanks to its 1,200 hp (1,216 ps).
Moreover, Maserati claims to have managed to take the luxury of a sedan and put it into the body of a 2-door coupe. A comparison was drawn to wearing a well-fitted suit. They wanted to achieve beauty without compromising comfort, and they certainly did so, at least on the outside. According to Maria, the interior will also be clean and not cluttered by buttons. Elegance is described as being part of the experience.
However, that sophistication does not seem to be reflected in the choice of materials. Recycled nylon is turned into a silky and smooth fabric used throughout the interior, representing a metamorphosis from combustion into electric power. However, the saving grace of the interior is that it looks fairly spacious for a 2-door coupe with Maria in the back throughout the entire ride.
As a kid, Bogdan grew up handing his dad the tools needed to work on his old Citroen and asking one too many questions about everything happening inside the engine bay. Naturally, this upbringing led Bogdan to become an engineer, but thanks to Top Gear, The Fast and the Furious series, and racing video games, a passion for automotive entertainment was ignited. Full profile
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