RE: Maserati reveals 180mph GranCabrio Folgore

[Kart16]

Last week I spotted this one that seems to be a prototype. It looked like it was “abandoned”, was very dirty, and the passenger seat and some interior panels were disassembled:

[MDMA .]

Geoffcapes said:

911Spanker said:

I feel some companies will die in this new world.

Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa...

Sadly I think you might be right.

Survival of the cheapest.

[carlo996]

MDMA . said:

Geoffcapes said:

911Spanker said:

I feel some companies will die in this new world.

Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa...

Sadly I think you might be right.

Survival of the cheapest.

Absolutely. EV’s mean it’s survival of the trim level.

[_ppan]

PorkerHam said:

5 minutes of charging time to put 15 miles of charge into the batteries?

Ugh...that's grindingly horrible when you can put 500-600 miles in a fuel tank in that time.

I'm not anti-EV, but I'm always amused by people pretending the above isn't a problem....

Ah 760hp gt that does 500-600 miles on a tank?

[_ppan]

carlo996 said:

Good to see the target demographic is engaged with all the most important points of the car

This kind of ridiculous virtue signally green nonsense is totally out of control. Plenty more to worry about in the modern world than 'tyre particulates'.

Plenty more to worry about in the modern world than range for luxury holidays and engine noise. Yet here we are. Again. Also more and more in ICE topics even.

[Gordon Hill]

Careful, the PH Jehovah's Witnesses will be unhappy and will be knocking on your door to convert you soon.

[Harry Flashman]

big_rob_sydney said:

Heavy. I wonder how good it will be dynamically, especially compared to other convertibles.

The thing is, it actually looks heavy. Maserati's latest design language, MC20 excepted, seems to say "I like to look heavy and a bit guppy-faced".

[Marcodude]

simonrockman said:

It won't hold its crown for long. Three times the price of a cyberster, slower than a tesla roadster.

I genuinely laughed out loud at this comment. What planet are you living on?

You think luxury car buyers on the cote d'azur are going to be buying Chinese MG's or even a bland looking Tesla?

Having a convertible can be argued as slightly "showing off". You defeat that by having an MG as your ride..it impresses no one. Which makes the whole MG convertible rather pointless unless you like shouting about how cheap you are.

Edited by Marcodude on Wednesday 17th April 00:42

[pycraft]

MDMA . said:

Geoffcapes said:

911Spanker said:

I feel some companies will die in this new world.

Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa...

Sadly I think you might be right.

Survival of the cheapest.

In a lot of markets there has been a hollowing-out of midrange brands. People were either happy with something cheap that did the job, or pay premium for a prestige brand; things in the middle were neither fish nor fowl and died. That came for companies like Rover and Saab twenty years ago; it may be coming for brands like Maserati and Jaguar unless they can position themselves as properly upmarket. Jag has always had a whiff of "it's a luxury car, but pitched cheaper so more people can afford it"; nowadays that's the kiss of death, because to the status-obsessed it says "I bought this because I couldn't afford anything better". The supposed move upmarket might save things, but we'll need to see how far a brand revamp can shed that old image.

Maserati are the Italian Jag; particularly with their shift to mass markets with the Ghibli. They weren't doing great financially beforehand but had a choice of either pushing their cars upmarket and making more per unit, or going mass market and making money on volume. I think that increasingly, mass market is only going to work at the bottom end.

[Jon_S_Rally]

carlo996 said:

It'll be great for its target audience, Utterly bland otherwise.

Haven't you basically summed up all products there? Things are made for the people that want them. Those that don't want them, won't be interested in them.

Nomme de Plum said:

It is quite possible for governments to do more than one thing at a time. The particular one excepted of course.

Maybe Reform can help you.

You are aware of what governments actually do, aren't you? Most of them couldn't find their way out of a paper bag, let alone sensibly tackle the biggest issue facing humanity.

[Mouse Rat]

What a fantastic looking thing.
I agree the V8 was an amazing engine in the last gen GT.
With most convertibles tbh once at cruising speed 60mph + most noise comes from wind and tyres.
Diesel convertibles sold well over the years so I don't think people will care about a EV power train.

However at this price point, on a Maserati I don't think we will see too many .

[Nomme de Plum]

Jon_S_Rally said:

You are aware of what governments actually do, aren't you? Most of them couldn't find their way out of a paper bag, let alone sensibly tackle the biggest issue facing humanity.

Actually yes. I've previously worked with a few members and civil servants on projects. My experience and knowledge of them leads me to believe their dedication and intellect far out weighs many of the people inhabiting these pages. That is however not to say they are exemplary individuals that always behave impeccably an to high standards. So those may feel quite at home here.

Edited by Nomme de Plum on Wednesday 17th April 10:49

[Rough101]

If there is a market for a Cybertruck, then there is a market for this.

California and the South of France will love these, like they love SL’s.

[murphyaj]

Mouse Rat said:

Diesel convertibles sold well over the years so I don't think people will care about a EV power train.

Quite

This idea that absolutely all convertable buyers have engine noise as their #1 priority is simply not true.
From 2012 to 2016 Mercedes sold a diesel SLK, and during that time it outsold the petrol models. Of 161 BMW 6-series convertables on sale on autotrader right now just under half are the diesel. Nobody was buying those cars for the engine note.

Granted these cars are not in the same segment, and are not going after the same buyers, as a Maserati GT car, but it shows there are people who want roof down motoring who don't neccessarily need to listen to a normally aspirated V8. A more direct comparison is the Rolls-Royce Dawn, a super luxury 2+2 convertable GT car where Rolls went to great lengths to make the engine as quiet as possible for people who want extreme refinement above all else. There is absolutely a market for quiet convertables.

There are people for whom the experience of a big petrol V8 or V12 is integral to such a car. I am one of those people; when I had my DB9 one of the best parts about dropping the roof was to better hear the V12. But I'm self aware enough to realise that not everybody wants the same things from their car as I do.

[smilo996]

Definitely a looker, stunning colour and the interior is damn nice too. Round corners well?

[NDNDNDND]

I wonder if they'll publish a roof-up range and a roof-down range...

[Nomme de Plum]

NDNDNDND said:

I wonder if they'll publish a roof-up range and a roof-down range...

Do they or any manufacture do it for ICE convertibles. It would be interesting to see.

Personally i found the wind buffeting and noise unpleasant at speed but under 50 it was generally OK and great when driving sedately.

[FlukePlay]

I have always liked the Gransport and Grancabrios...lovely looking things and I am sure they make a pretty good grand tourer which can actually accommodate 4 full-size persons.

This is no different, it's keeping the style/shape which is no mean feat for an EV.

Heavy? They always have been and they're not for swinging round corners but effortless cruising with a beautiful soundtrack. You'll just have to have a good playlist to listen to with this one.

Questionable colour? Take a look at their configurator, some pretty good standard colours and many options if you really want to spend some money. That goes for the interior too...

This car gives us choice and we should be applauding Maserati for that.

[nismo48]

Nice car that will appeal to the demographic that Maserati intend

[British Beef]

Honestly, absolutely zero wants for this.

That is before mentioning the astronomical price of the v8-less thing.