THE MASERATI GRANTURISMO

VEHICULE :

MASERATI GRANTURISMO

POWERPLAN :

V6 or Electric

THE NUMBERS:

up to 760cv / 3l or 3motors

IN SHORT :

I’ve spent a lifetime in workshops, often surrounded by the acrid, honest scent of scorched oil and the frantic ticking of cooling manifolds. There is a primal, metallic intimacy to a V6 that’s been breathed on by racing engineers—and for the longest time, I feared that the "Grand Tourer" as we knew it was headed for the scrapyard of history. But then, Maserati went and updated the GranTurismo, and for once, the boardroom geniuses in Modena seem to have understood the assignment.

They’ve got three distinct flavors in the new lineup, and it’s a rare moment where I don't feel like I’m being patronized by marketing department fluff. You’ve got the 490 CV base model, the 590 CV Trofeo—which is essentially a track-ready tuxedo—and the 760 CV Folgore.

Let’s talk about that Nettuno engine first. It’s a 3.0-liter V6, but don’t let the displacement fool you. They’ve packed it with Formula 1-derived pre-chamber combustion technology. It sounds like a marketing buzzword, but the result is a specific power output of 197 CV per liter. That is the highest in the segment. When you stand behind this thing and it fires up, it doesn't sound like a modern, muffled "compliance" engine. It sounds like a riot. They’ve even kept the transmission calibration sharp; it anticipates downshifts when you lean on the brake pedal, giving you that immediate, mechanical connection that is so often lost in the age of dual-clutch laziness.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the lack of a combustion engine is a hard pill to swallow. I’m a man who spent his prime years listening to the raw,unrefined scream of V12s and flat-sixes. I miss the heat. I miss the vibration. But BMW M has taken a different route: they’re trying to keep the "M-typical" tradition alive by transferring the technological lessons of the M Hybrid V8 racer directly into this new architecture. The 800-volt battery housing is structurally integrated into the axles—it’s essentially a stressed member of the chassis, contributing to the rigidity.

Is it a replacement for a manual M3? Absolutely not. But is it a serious piece of performance engineering that respects the lineage of what "M" stands for? I suspect it might be.

Then, there’s the Folgore. The Trident’s first 100% electric shot across the bow.

I’ve been the loudest voice in the room claiming that EVs are a death knell for driver engagement. The Folgore, however, is a fascinating anomaly. It uses three motors and an 800-volt architecture to produce 760 CV, but the real engineering trick is the "AWD Disconnect" system. It can physically disengage the front axle shafts in half a second. When you’re just cruising, it’s a rear-wheel-drive machine. When you demand the earth, it wakes up all four wheels. It’s got a "T-bone" battery layout that keeps the roofline low—1,353 mm, the lowest in the segment—so you aren't sitting on top of the car like you’re piloting a lounge chair.

And the sound? They’ve used signal processing to synthesize the natural acoustic dynamics of the motors and married them to the V8 traditions of the past. I know, I know—synthetic sound usually makes me want to pull the fuses. But this isn't just a recording; it’s an acoustic layer built around the natural frequency of the machines. It’s honest theater.

Inside, the Maserati design team has finally realized that "digital" shouldn't mean "dull." They’ve ditched the flat buttons for three-dimensional, metallic toggles. There’s a digital clock that actually looks like a piece of horology, not a cheap smartwatch. And they’ve made the bold choice to use Econyl—regenerated nylon from recycled fishing nets—as an interior material. It feels like a high-performance wetsuit in the best possible way.

This new range is a bridge. It’s a nod to the cosmopolitan traveler who wants the cross-continental comfort of a GT, but it also acknowledges that the road ahead is changing. Whether you choose the Nettuno V6 or the electric pulse of the Folgore, you’re still getting a car with a 50/50 weight distribution, air suspension that can be dialed in on the fly, and a wider track that plants the car to the tarmac like it’s glued there.

Maserati has spent decades building cars for people who love the drive, not just the status. With this iteration, they haven’t just revived a nameplate—they’ve kept the fire burning.

Keep the shiny side up.

JIM KHANA

The auto

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