The fratelli Maserati got their automotive start building 2.0-liter grand prix racers for Diatto while overseeing their own spark plug manufacturing business. In 1926, when Diatto suspended racing operations, the brothers started building highly successful Maserati race cars. To improve profits and ensure funding for their racing efforts, the brothers set about adapting their winning 1.5-liter racing engine and chassis for road use in 1941, with the resulting A6 1500 Gran Turismo appearing in 1947.
Today, circumstances are once more forcing Maserati down a new path-this time toward electrification and the brand will again incorporate motorsports tech on its first production EV. Fittingly, it will be a grand tourer. But rather than adapting a competition car for road use, this time Maserati co-developed a Formula E race car alongside the GranTurismo Folgore ("lightning" in Italian). The racer will run in the ninth e-Prix season in early 2023. The road car arrives later in the year, and we just got a chance to test it out on Maserati's home track-Autodromo di Modena.
The heart of any racing or performance car is its powertrain, and just as motorsports has always done for combustion engines, Formula E racing development is unlocking new ways to maximize power and minimize energy use. The solutions aren't always cheap, but big racing budgets and luxury grand-tourer sticker prices can help incubate innovation.
The GranTurismo Folgore employs three motors, designed and built by Maserati. Each arrays 100 permanent magnets in intricate vee formations within the rotors. Note: These are traditional barrel-shaped radial-flux motors, not the pancake-style axial-flux type; none can be declutched, so they're always powered, and all those magnets make these motors too pricey for mainstream Maserati EVs like the forthcoming Grecale Folgore SUV.
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Motor Trend.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Motor Trend.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MOTORTREND SUV OF THE YEAR 2024 - CERTIFIED FRESH
THERE’S NO REST FOR SUV MAKERS IN THE INTENSE QUEST TO BE THE BEST
THE CHEVROLET BLAZER EV IS THE 2024 SUV OF THE YEAR
Once again, the bow-tie brand shows leadership in the electric vehicle space
AGENTS OF ZERO
WE DID IT AGAIN: RUNNING OUR VW ID4 EV OUT OF ELECTRICITY, JUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
THEY LISTENED
THE NEW TESLA MODEL 3 HIGHLAND FIXES NEARLY EVERYTHING WE HATED ABOUT THE OLD CAR
2023 Lexus RZ
Lexus says it will make only battery-powered vehicles by 2035, and the new RZ 450e is the brand’s first dedicated EV. This midsize crossover indicates Lexus’ future lineup will have luxurious appeal, but we find this first effort lacking in crucial areas.
2024 Land Rover Defender
The Defender 130 is a tricky one to judge. On one hand, it potentially improves upon a design and package we previously lauded enough to crown as our 2021 SUV of the Year in the form of the standard Defender 110. The 130 is more than a foot longer than the 110 and has more room for people and stuff, stretching the existing design into a new body style. (The 130’s wheelbase remains unchanged.)
2024 Kia Seltos
If you’ve been a fan of Kia’s recent styling direction but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, the 2024 Kia Seltos is a great way to get a rolling piece of that design aesthetic at a reasonable price.
2023 Jeep Compass
When asked to identify an off-road vehicle, the average person will point to just about any Jeep.
2024 Hyundai Kona
The Kona enters its second generation for 2024 with a new design language. It’s larger than the outgoing Kona, too, and its uncommonly ornate (for this class) and unmistakable design is something we’re already seeing in other upcoming Hyundai products. Having really liked the previous Kona, would our judges warm to this one?
2023 Ford Escape
The Escape is one of those SUVs that hasn’t ranked at the top of its class for a long time, but every time we drive one, we’re pleasantly surprised. Although it perpetually feels a little outdated, there’s some inherent goodness baked into the Escape.