Should you buy one?

The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore is significant step forward for the brand – and it’s an interesting addition to the two-door GT car class, not least because it’s currently the only one on sale powered by electricity.

It’s got the performance, it has the looks, and it even handles well. Plus, it has a decent range and solid charge times, meaning you can take on a long journey and not stress about running out of battery. If you can live without the soundtrack from a mighty Maserati engine, it’s an interesting proposition.

The only thing that lets the Folgore (and indeed the standard GranTurismo) down is the quality of its interior. The switchgear is disappointing to use, the touchscreen cheapens the second you cover it in fingerprints and the fit and finish needs improvement. Shame.

What we like

Even though it’s an electric car, the Folgore still feels special to drive. It’s glamorous inside and out, and it offers a broad range of talents from continent-crossing comfort to empty B-road yobbery. Performance is utterly ballistic and the electric technology can keep pace with the likes of Porsche and Lotus. Maserati’s engineers deserve high praise for fitting it around the same architecture as the petrol car. 

What we don’t like

The interior quality isn’t anywhere near good enough for a car that you quite easily spend £200,000 on. Plus, the fact you get less boot space than the standard GranTurismo dulls its appeal as GT car. You’ll need to pack much lighter, which defeats the object.

The Folgore is also a very tough sell compared to the even more charismatic V6-powered GranTurismo – and it’ll stay that way for as long as the two cars are sold alongside each other. It’s a similar story when you look to other brands, too. Even though an equivalent Porsche Taycan GTS has two extra doors, it’s every bit as quick and £60,000 cheaper.