Like a topless Tesla Model S! Maserati rushes stunning EV and supercar-powered GranCabrio II 2+2s as Australia’s first-ever electric-car convertible – Car News

Fancy a Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT or even a Tesla Model S but wish they were available as a convertible? Do you long for an electrified wind-in-your-wig experience?

Maserati might make your dreams come true, confirming that the recently-unveiled GranCabrio II will be express-released in Australia by the fourth quarter of this year.

That’s unheard of from the 110-year old sports car and SUV manufacturer, given that all the specification data for the M189 series soft-top was only unveiled internationally in April.

Kicking off from a cool $475,000 (all prices are before on-road costs), that’s only weeks after deliveries of the Italian-made convertible’s GranTurismo II coupe sibling start filtering into the country.

Now, the GranCabrio II will initially be powered by ‘just’ the MC20 supercar’s 410kW/650Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 internal combustion engine (ICE), and only in flagship Trofeo guise, capable of 0-100km/h in about 3.5 seconds and a top speed of around 320km/h.

But the Folgore (Italian for lightning) version will not be far behind, and will also be priced from $475,000 when it is rush-released in Australia sometime early in 2025.

And, don’t fret. The EV convertible does not hang about.

Though not as fast as it or the GranTurismo Folgore coupe that is also arriving around the same time and capable of around 325km/h and 2.7s to 100, the open-air four-seater electric vehicle (EV) Folgore can still manage 290km/h and 2.8s to 100, making it the fastest EV convertible in the world at the time of publishing.

According to Maserati Australia General Manager, Grant Barling, Australians are extremely fortunate to have access to both models as early as they have.

“In quarter four we’ll start seeing the GranCabrio,” he told CarsGuide at the media drive of the GranTurismo coupe at Tailem Bend near Adelaide this week.

“Which is a real coup for us, because originally with the GranCabrio, we were expecting it to arrive probably in the middle of next year, but we’ve been able to bring it literally right behind the GranTurismo.

Maserati GranCabrio Folgore interior.

“So, in the second half of this year, we’ll have two new products – the GranTurismo and the GranCabrio.

“We’ve got the GranTurismo Modena at $375,000 and $450,000 for the Trofeo, as well as $475,000 for the GranCabrio.

“And the electric vehicle will be the same price as the Trofeo (in both body shapes), so we’ve matched that. It’s almost the Y strategy, where the customer can choose between the (higher-performance Trofeo) V6 or the EV,” he said.

Following hot on the heels of the Grecale Folgore medium SUV and GranTurismo Folgore, the GranCabrio Folgore is the Italian supercar brand’s first EV convertible of course.

Maserati GranCabrio Folgore.

Briefly, in both M189 body styles, the EV bodies are considerably different to their ICE equivalents, despite sharing much of the same sheetmetal, because of the elimination of the petrol powertrain, transmission, electrical, cooling and exhaust systems, amongst other items. Crash structures also vary between the shapes.

Even their weight distribution properties are different – 50/50 front-to-rear compared to 52/48 for the ICE vehicles.

The T-shaped battery also acts as a different structural support member, meaning the Maserati EVs lose the side sills for other rigidity-enhancing solutions.

The Folgore employs an 800-volt architecture capable of taking in a 270kW DC charger, a trio of electric motors – one in front, two in rear and all are mechanically separate to each other, with all-wheel drive (like the ICE cars) and active torque vectoring. Outputs are 300kW of power and 450Nm of torque per motor, with a combined 1350Nm maximum torque figure.

Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo.

Range from the 92.5kWh (82kWh useable) 32-module battery pack in the Cabrio Folgore is 447km WLTP. Regenerative braking is, of course, featured, with the paddle shifters switching in the EV from gear selection to near-single-pedal brake settings.

Amongst other advances, the Folgore’s battery (designed and built inhouse in Torino at Stellantis’ Mirafiori battery hub), is referred to by Maserati as “a thermal masterpiece”, due to its innovative water/glycol integrated cooling system.

The Folgore currently boasts the lowest centre-of-gravity ride height amongst its competitive set, even beating out the Taycan.

Like its ICE counterpart, the EV also features a fast electric roof, capable of furling/unfurling in 14 seconds flat, at speeds of up to 50km/h.

Finally, going EV also means having a more aerodynamic body.