As an internal-combustion fanatic, it’s hard for me to admit I’d pick this electric drop-top over its near-identical ICE sibling
I have an admission to make. A confession, if you will. One I had hoped I would never have to make. Hell, let’s be honest, here, not one I ever thought I’d have admit to. One that those who disagree with me on the subject of all things electric are sure to pounce upon. But qualifications, obfuscations, and ramifications be damned, I prefer the battery-powered Folgore version of Maserati’s GranCabrio over the fossil-fuelled Trofeo variant.
And I can say from firsthand experience, it did not matter the occasion: whether it was wafting slowly past the magnificent Grand Hotel Des Isles Borromees that hugs the shore of picturesque Lago Maggiore; or wailing through the twisty tournantes that rise from its shoreline, in every instance I preferred lithium-ions to fossil fuels.
That admission is made all the more legitimate by the fact the Folgore and Trofeo are, other than their propulsion systems, virtually identical. The GranCabrio is one of those rare cars built on a universal platform, with both its electric and gas-powered versions basically the same, save for a few small structural pieces. The comparison, therefore, is completely legitimate.
One of the primary reasons is the Folgore’s silence. Now, to be sure, lacking internal-combustion, all electrics are, by definition, silent. The difference, however, is how much more important that turns out to be in a convertible. Whether it was listening to birds chirp in the citrus trees that dotted the Italian coastline; or hearing the waves lapping up against the inevitable yachts that dot that same shore, crawling along at 40 km/h (25 mph) with the top down, I found complete silence is a luxury not soon forgotten.
And the GranCabrio is a soft-top — no sound-insulating folding hardtop here. Which means, if you’ve ever driven in a traditional convertible, that no matter how much sound-deadening material can be sewn into the “canvas,” it’s a little noisier inside the cabin. In other words, eliminating the thrum of pounding exhaust is so much more noticeable in a ragtop than it would be in a sedan.
The interesting factor in this comparison is that, unlike in most electric-versus-gas fisticuffs, the one issue that might give pause is that the Folgore is not as fast as one would think, or, since we are making a direct comparison with the Trofeo, not nearly so much faster than the gas-powered version as its outlandish technical specs — three electric motors totalling some 900 kilowatts, or 1,206 horsepower — would seem to suggest.
Oh, it’s as mondo quick as its 2.8-second time to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) suggests, and its punch off the line more substantial than the fairly potent gas engine. It is likewise quick to scoot past doddling Fiat Pandas, and blasts down the autostrada easily at a buck-ninety with plenty in reserve. But the power never feels, shall we say, as extravagant as other hyper-motored electric with similar specs.
But it could. One of the anomalies of the Maserati’s Folgore — GranCabrio and hardtop GranTurismo alike — is that while the motors can put out 1,200 hp, the 92.5-kilowatt-hour (83-kWh-usable) battery can only deliver about 750 hp to them continuously. Oh, it can deliver 818 hp in short bursts, but while some cars are limited by traction nannies, the GranCabrio’s limitation is a strangely underpowered battery.
Maserati’s original reasoning for this seeming anomaly was that it wasn’t so much that the battery was undersized as the motors over-sized, the reason being the designers wanted to be able to torque-vector amongst the three motors with the authority of 402 hp each.
Larger motors would allow a greater differentiation between the power being applied to individual wheels, thus allowing more control seemed to be the message. Getting maximum power to all three engines didn’t seem as important as ensuring that two of them could be fully powered simultaneously. And, considering the immediacy with which electric motors can be controlled compared to piston engines — and the resultant handling and safety benefits — there was a certain logic to it.
More lately, however, Maserati has intimated that it might indeed eventually install a battery up to the demands of those monster motors. Whether that’s always been the plan or whether that more sensible approach to convertible-ing was countermanded by consumer demand, I don’t know.
I do, however, expect some kind of “super-batteried” version of the GranCabrio and GranTurismo to eventually show up so that all three of those 402-hp permanent-magnet motors can shine at the same time. Again, the current car is anything but slow, and its acceleration more than ample for most who are shopping a luxury four-seat cabriolet, but a 1,206-hp GranCabrio would be — because there is no better word — ludicrous.
Whether it was listening to birds chirp in the citrus trees that dotted the Italian coastline; or hearing the waves lapping up against the inevitable yachts that dot that same shore, I found complete silence is a luxury not soon forgotten
In other regards, the soft-top Folgore is a traditional top-end Maserati. That means, like most Italian GTs, it truly handles a treat, perhaps even more so since the battery’s lower centre of gravity keeps things glued to the road so very, very well. The steering, depending on which mode you’re in — there’s everything from “Max Range” to “Corsa,” with “GT” and “Sport” in between — can be relaxing or precise. Adaptive shocks set on stiff, there’s just enough roll to remind you things are getting hectic, and not so much to make you back off.
And again, because it’s electric, the traction nannies — which we used, uhm, liberally, since it was raining round some of those tournates — were less obtrusive on the Folgore.
Were you looking for a ‘plaint in this department, however, it would be that the GC’s structural rigidity, being a cabrio with its roof lopped off, is not quite as robust the hardtop GranTurismo’s. It’s really only noticeable when the shocks are in their firmest setting — and even then, over the roughest of roads — but you can feel some cowl shake when you’re really on it. On the other hand, both the Trofeo and the Folgore suffer equally, so any damning of electric will have to wait.
Likewise, the GrandCabrio’s interior is as deluxe as you’d expect. Oh, I am pretty sure that someone will carp about the Maserati Intelligent Assistant infotainment system being little more than a Stellantis system in disguise. But then that company’s UConnect is well-recognized as one of the better — and simpler! — systems extant, so more power to Maserati for choosing its cost-saving methods wisely.
The rest of the cabin is pure elegance. According to designer Klaus Busse, a new material called Econyl is the latest in recycled sumptuousness. He’s at pains to note that it’s made of recycled nylon — not plastic! — which he says gives it a softer, more natural, almost Alcantara feel. It’s also laser-etched for a distinctly arty look, and, says Busse, since the process is computer-controlled, a customer could ask for any pattern they want, if, of course, they pony up the bucks.
As for the obvious question — because Maserati makes much of the fact that the GranCabrio is a four-seater — yes, the rear seats are usable. By “usable,” I mean you could take friends to a matinee on a sunny day. Or, you could, were the kidlets still short of their hormonal growth spurt, roar up to the cottage con la famiglia. But, as far as practical, sedan-like transportation goes — or even Aston Martin Rapide-like rear legroom — it’s more 2+2 than it is four-passenger grand tourer.
The same applies to the rear trunk. Oh, with the top up, you can fit some fair baggage back there. But, because the canvas is stowed in the cargo area, when you’re motoring al fresco, your carry-on will be as cozy as those in the back seat.
All of which brings me back to that surprise preference of electric over gas. The GranCabrio — in either of its guises — is very much a niche product. It’s ideal for meandering along Lago Maggiore, the Pacific Coast Highway, or anyplace else where the experience is paramount, the destination not so much. Strafing down a mountain road with an aplomb that a car that weighs 2,340 kilograms (5,160 pounds) should not be able to muster, it is — again, in either of it guises — probably not the first car I’d choose for an extended road trip with a hard and fast deadline.
In other words, the fact that its range is just 375 kilometres (233 miles) may not be as anxiety-inducing as it is in an electrified four-door sedan or ginormous pickup truck. If ever there’s a car that should — and probably will be — charged at home, it’s Maserati’s GranCabrio Cabriolet.
The Maserati GranCabrio is the first EV I’ve tested that poses few restrictions for its reliance on lithium-ions. Which is the final — and perhaps the most important — reason why, were I shopping the newest Maserati ragtop, I’d definitely be opting for the one with a charging cable, the choice made all the more poignant since the gas version is a sweetheart.
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