When Maserati unveiled its handsome second generation GranTurismo coupe, our initial response was a bit muted, even muddled. "Is that new?" we asked of the lovely but familiar design. This sense of confoundment grew when we discovered that the automaker would offer this exact vehicle-a-long-hood, short-deck GT with a conventional profile in two disparate powertrain configurations.
Buyers can tour grandly in a coupe with a twin-turbo V-6 internal-combustion engine (ICE) or in a battery electric vehicle (BEV), but you might not guess from the outside that the insides are different.
Maserati design head Klaus Busse says a desire to maintain the traditional design and dynamic sensibilities for which the trident brand is known dictated this move. "We can keep the low silhouette of the car because we're not putting anything under the front seats," he says of the decision regarding placement of electric components. Unlike many competitors that incorporate a height-raising battery pack in the floor, Maserati's uniquely shaped pack occupies the engine compartment, the transmission tunnel, and some space behind the rear seats.
The arrangement isn't just for aesthetics. "When you have the batteries underneath the seats all the way outboard, then the car tends to understeer because you have all these gravitational forces of the batteries," Busse says. "By keeping the batteries central, you avoid these gravitational forces, and you avoid understeer."
Though the brand plans to go all-electric by 2030 and will eventually introduce BEV-only designs, the dual powertrain offerings will continue through this decade. Maserati will electrify its Grecale SUV in the same fashion.
MULTIPLE POWERTRAINS, ONE VEHICLE
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2023 من Car and Driver.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 2023 من Car and Driver.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Fleeting Thoughts
Updates and hot takes on the vehicles fortunate enough to spend 40,000 miles with C/D's editors.
Swedish Bliss
The new Volvo EX90 channels the brand's characteristic approach to wellness and serenity into an electric SUV sized for the whole family.
Tick, Tick, Boom
Tesla Model 3 Performance HIGHS: Nauseatingly quick, airy cabin with great visibility, genuine value. LOWS: Off-putting user interface, inescapable clinical feeling, austere interior design.
Black Ops
The new Precision package for the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing hones one of our favorite sports sedans.
Pay to Play
Porsche Panamera HIGHS: Ample motivation, fun in every corner, surprising fuel economy. LOWS: Grip levels drop slightly, big price tag, dumb touchscreen vent controls. VERDICT: The bottom rung, but you'd never know it.
Man-o'-War
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Manthey Racing HIGHS: A clinic on proper steering response, 9000 rpm of sonic glory, more grip is good. LOWS: A mirror full of wing, upgrades useful only on track, quiet only when it's off.
Low-Pro Hero
Honda Civic Hybrid HIGHS: Fuel efficiency of a hybrid, Si-beating acceleration, as comfortable to ride in as it is engaging to drive. LOWS: No adjustable lumbar support, low-limit tires, quicker at the track than in the real world.
Back in Tune
CarBahn CB3 M4 HIGHS: A monster inline-six with an available warranty, massive grip and lateral stability, a better-looking face. LOWS: The exhaust needs an off switch, suspension links clatter, steering is still mute.
Hurricane Force
Ram 1500 HIGHS: Quicker than the old V-8 Ram, powerful and smooth turbo six, class-leading luxury. LOWS: Detectable turbo lag, slow-to-react touchscreen, hands-free mode zaps confidence.
Good Vibrations
No one has to guess what's under the hood of the Ferrari 12Cilindri.