You'll be familiar by now with Maserati's ambitious product plan for the next few years, with more SUVs, more versions of the MC20 supercar and more electrification all coming. This car, however, feels the most significant of all. We knew the GranTurismo was ditching its much-loved V8 for an electric drivetrain, but it all seemed a long way off; we wouldn't believe it until we could see it. Well, here we are...
In what's becoming Maserati tradition now, the trick also used for the Grecale and the MC20, the GranTurismo has been previewed in some manufacturer supplied 'spy' pictures, showing the car from a distance, or with something in the way, or at an odd angle - or a combination of all three. So, this is hardly a revealing look at the new Maserati - if indeed the looks are the big talking point - but it's a first look at a car nonetheless. A first look, moreover, of a car long overdue, with the old GranTurismo having launched in 2007. Lovely though it was, by the end of its life the GT was in dire need of replacement.
Though ditching internal combustion, it's clear the new car will retain the GranTurismo's classic proportions, low and long with a bonnet stretching out in front of the driver. A 2+2 configuration seems likely. Furthermore, even with this level of camouflage, there's clearly a level of MC20 influence on the GranTurismo, most notably in the headlights and front grille. Beyond those features and what look to be aero-efficient wheels, there isn't much else to see for the moment. But do let us know if there's something obvious that's been missed...
Maserati is still saying little about the GranTurismo; indeed its entire press release for this car totalled 81 words. The new information? "The prototype cars are currently undergoing a period of intensive road and circuit testing, in various conditions of use, to acquire vital data for the preparation of the final setup." Bet you wouldn't have guessed that! But then making a Maserati EV will not be the work of a moment; it must stand out from the EV crowd as well as stay true to that illustrious heritage. We can't wait to see how it develops.
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