Written by Ted Welford Updated: 31 January 2025

Overview

Maserati is pushing ahead with its electric car line-up, and the latest to join is the GranCabrio Folgore. It’s one of few electric convertibles on sale and is the first at the luxurious end of the scale. 

It’s the convertible version of the well-known GranTurismo, and is a four-seat drop-top designed for those wanting to waft in around in maximum style, comfort and luxury. Maserati continues to sell the V6-powered GranCabrio Trofeo too, for those wanting their convertible GT car with an engine, but here our focus is on the electric model, called the Folgore, which translates from Italian as ‘lightning’. 

Maserati’s put itself in a rather unique position with the new GranCabrio, too, because none of its rivals are currently dabbling in electric convertibles. While the Porsche 911 Cabriolet and Bentley Continental GTC have recently gained hybrid setups, neither is available as an EV yet – and won’t be for some time. The long-awaited Tesla Roadster also continues to be delayed. 

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As it stands, the Folgore’s closest rival is the MG Cyberster. It’s the only other convertible electric sports car on the horizon, but it’s not really competing in the same league as the GranCabrio as the MG’s starting price is almost £130,000 less than the Maserati’s. 

Scroll down to find out what we make of the Folgore, and if you want to learn more about how we reached our verdict, check out our page on how we test cars.

What’s it like inside?

Beautiful. Perceived build quality is up there with the best of rivals with a lovely mix of materials. The design feels very style-led, but there’s enough technology on display to ensure technophiles will be happy.

There are two touchscreens, with an improved set-up that works well, and it’s considerably better than a GranTurismo Folgore we tried in 2024 that had an especially slow and unresponsive infotainment system. The lower screen controls all the climate and roof (although it seems odd for Maserati to have buried the roof control in a sub-menu) while the upper is your information screen with elements like the radio and nav. It’s simple and easy to operate and is well integrated into the cabin, rather than looking like an afterthought, as is so often the case. 

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There’s the odd nod to sustainability, as the middle section of the seats is finished in Econyl, a recycled nylon material that sounds awful but both looks and feels good. Our test cars have also been equipped with cooled and heated seats, ideal for keeping cool in summer and warm in winter. They came in very handy when we tested the GranCabrio in sub-zero conditions. 

The rear room isn’t limo-generous but you can get two mid-sized adults back there without too much of a squeeze. It’s not a place to spend hours but, because the backs of the front seats are quite sculpted, there’s enough knee room to make a trip down the coast road bearable. It’s certainly an improvement on the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, if not quite as good as the Bentley Continental GTC. Though the boot of the electric Folgore is no smaller than that of the petrol car, it’s still small, and only really suitable for some squishy bags and not any hard-badcked cases, and ends up being used by the charging cables alone.

Comfort

Comfort is a real high point of the Grancabrio, not just because of the way it rides but also because of its seats. The driver’s seat comes with 18-way electrical adjustment as standard, meaning it’s easy to find the right seating position. An electric steering column is also included and the high-quality leather seats are soft and supportive. 

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While there isn’t a huge amount of space in the rear, those sitting in the back will be more comfortable there than in many other convertibles, with individual rear seats that cocoon you being a highlight. 

Electric motors

The Folgore uses a three electric motor setup, with two at the rear and one at the front. Combined they deliver 751bhp and a huge 1,300Nm of torque (pulling power). That allows for a 0-62mph sprint time of just 2.8 seconds and flat out the Folgore would top out at 180mph. 

It’s worth comparing the figures to the petrol GranCabrio Trofeo, which puts out 540hp and 650Nm of torque, allowing for a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds, although a faster 196mph top speed. 

Range and charging

The Grancabrio Folgore uses an 83kWh battery (usable capacity), allowing for a 260-mile range – 15 miles fewer than you’d get from the hard-top GranTurismo, out of interest. 

It’s not a lot of range for a car referred to as a ‘GT’ (grand tourer), and the range in winter takes a significant dive. While we had the Maserati over a particularly cold winter spell, the real-world range was more like 170 miles.

That said, the Folgore has especially fast charging speeds and can rapid charge at up to 270kW. Just 18 minutes is needed to get it from 10 to 80% on a fast enough public charger. 

What’s it like to drive?

Our first international drive on the Maserati was where it works best – the Italian riviera. That said, it’s still surprisingly effective in a harsh British winter, which is when we had our first UK test. All-wheel-drive affords the Grancabrio plenty of grip, and though it has huge power reserves, it’s never intimidating to drive and generally very easy to modulate its power. If you get the opportunity to stretch its legs, its acceleration is ferocious, especially for those in a passenger seat, but most of the time we tend to find ourselves driving at a far more leisurely pace. 

There are four driving modes to choose from – Maximum Range, GT, Sport and Corsa. Given the wintery conditions we didn’t touch the latter mode as this disables the stability and traction settings, but we can vouch for GT if you’re looking for refinement or Sport for something a bit more aggressive. It sharpens the precise, well-weighted steering, as well as the throttle response,  and is the right balance between comfortable and sporty. 

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Adaptive sports dampers are standard, but firm things up a bit too much with this setting turned on. Considering how comfortable for the most part the GranCabrio is, it’s best to leave them in their standard settings. It’s only the occasional scuttle shake over a rougher bump that reminds you about it being a convertible. Refinement is excellent and suits the GranCabrio being an EV. Maserati has engineered in a ‘sports’ sound but it’s subtle and inoffensive, and even with the roof down and wind deflector in position it’s one of the quietest and most refined EVs we’ve ever travelled in. 

What models and trims are available?

The GranCabrio comes in a single high-spec trim level, with electric and heated leather seats, a Sonus Faber sound system and an impressive touchscreen system. 

Though the electric Folgore is considerably more expensive than a petrol GranCabrio – a starting price of £185,000 compared to £170,000, it is worth considering how much extra power you get for your money, though it will always be a tough sell. That said, a £5,000 premium over the hard-top GranTurimso Folgore isn’t bad at all for a car of this price. 

But as with any Maserati, it’s the options list where the price can quickly spiral. Want a fancy paint colour? That can cost you almost £30,000, and changing the colour of the brake callipers can set you back £2,500. 

We would recommend the Tech Package for £3,120, which brings a head-up display and 360-degree camera. If you do a lot of motorway miles, the full Advanced Driver Assistance package could be worth the extra £5,160 too.