Yahoo Autos Maserati GranCabrio First Drive Review: Want an electric convertible? This is it
Lake Maggiore, ITALY — Driving the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore on its picturesque home turf, and studying Maserati’s press materials, I’m convinced the Italian automaker has buried the lede. Especially when every auto journalist is questioning a pricing strategy that finds some GranTurismo coupes and GranCabrio convertibles brushing past $200,000. That gets into Cloud 9, Bentley-and-Aston Martin territory. To counter the whispers, here’s the part I’d be shouting about: The GranCabrio Folgore is the world’s first and only luxury electric convertible. That alone might intrigue some free-spending, first-on-their-block buyers.
Then, Exhibit B: Like the plug-in GranTurismo coupe, the convertible will out-accelerate any rival Bentley Continental GT or Aston DB12, a margin that grows positively yawning as speeds climb. A rocking 750 horsepower and rock-crushing 995 pound-feet of torque will do that. This Italian job is also noticeably more agile and connected to the road than the isolated, roughly 5,450-pound Bentley droptop, and easily on par with Aston’s best GTs. That includes a gasoline Trofeo version whose 4,316-pound curb weight undercuts a GT Speed convertible by more than 1,100 pounds; mated to 542 horses from its twin-turbo, 3.0-liter Nettuno V6, a detuned version of the engine in the MC20 supercar.
This Italian sexpot is arguably a prettier car than the Bentley, and nearly as head-turning as the Aston, judging by public reaction to our convoy of beautifully painted models: Rose gold was a knockout specimen, along with a deep blue with metallic flake called Night Interaction, a burnt orange and a sizzling red. Anything but bright yellow, grazie.
The Maserati also carves out more passenger space than the British duo. It’s a legitimate four-seater with room for two adults in back — after a bit of space-sharing from front-seaters — versus a Bentley or Aston whose back seats are glorified parcel shelves. Finally, the Maserati’s vividly realized electric powertrain advances the tech future, where Bentley and Aston’s relatively pokey corporate V8s are rooted firmly in the past. So that’s four objective wins for the Maserati, in key areas I assumed auto journalists also cared about: Power and acceleration, sporty handling, interior space and technology.
Honestly, the Bentley’s only decisive win is its gorgeously wrought London library that doubles as a car interior. The Aston’s cabin also tops the Maserati’s in materials and execution. So score one win for Team Brexit, and four for Maserati. Hmm: Maybe it’s the Bentley and Aston that are overpriced?
That last bit is tongue-in-cheek, of course. Bentley and Aston can charge what they charge because of their brand cachet, however shaky at times. Stellantis’ Maserati brand is in no such position, its opaque reputation further clouded by tepid models like the Levante and Ghibli, and one egregious Quattroporte sedan, all out of production and unlikely to be missed. The brand is determined (again) to upgrade those perceptions, focusing attention on seemingly disparate SUVs and supercars.
The GranCabrio is another Maserati entirely. An opening run up the western shore of Italy’s Lake Maggiore, a vacation playground just north of Milan, let the Maserati play its GT role to the hilt. A tightly tailored soft top drops in 14 seconds and closes in 16, at speeds up to 31 mph. Behind that imposing Trident-capped grille, a clamshell “cofango” hood is formed from a single hunk of aluminum, eliminating unsightly cutlines over more than three square meters of surface area. The Maserati looks elegant yet powerful, with four swoopy fenders and an alluring silhouette with the roof up or down.
For the gasoline Trofeo, the compact V6 sits entirely behind the front axle. That allows a sexily crouched front end and hood that would have been impossible with a V8, and makes room for a driven front axle. Trunk space suffers a bit versus the coupe, at a maximum 6.1 cubic feet with the top up, or 4.6 cubes with the roof tucked away.
The start is a great opportunity to soak up morning rays and listen to a Sonus Faber audio system by the U.K. audiophile company, which is among the best and clearest I’ve experienced in a convertible. Even at highway speeds, music sounds like, well, music. At any speed, on any road, this GranCabrio is a joy to drive, or to ride shotgun in: Fluid and relaxed, but ready to spring into action and fly through these shore-hugging curves.
