ONCE TARNISHED, MASERATI'S FAMOUS name is shiny again. The MC20, our reigning eCoty champ, turns out to be a mid-engined marvel for the ages, while the first new-generation Gran Turismo to break cover, all 750bhp of whispering electric Folgore, has brought sexy to a mostly rather sterile EV sector. Facing a reputational fightback as well as the market's baked-in challenges from the long-established Teutonic hegemony, Maserati still has it all to do but is proudly hauling itself back to a state of grace and, just as importantly, a place of relevance.
Following a back-slapping fest for the MC20's makers, protecting momentum is clearly key, and while the Folgore is necessarily a banker for an electron-dependent future, it's the all-new, all-wheel-drive, petrol-powered, twin-turbo V6 Gran Turismo that will either establish a post-MC20 hit factory to satisfy well-heeled and style-savvy speed lovers or be the good but rather troubled second album. Tough act to follow, the MC20.
Tamer of the two new Gran Turismo models and named after its birthplace is the Modena, though with 483bhp and 442lb ft, it's hardly in danger of having sand kicked anywhere near its chiselled features. More evo-centric, however, is this, the 542bhp and 479lb ft Trofeo. I've been allocated one with a blazing saffron paint job for my day in the Italian sunshine, which I reckon must shave at least half a second from the claimed 3.5sec 0-62mph time. Not so fanciful if my neck muscles are a reliable witness, although that particular confrontation happens a little way down the road...
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
