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Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

Ken Pearson

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Maserati

2 Jul 2024

Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

News, Maserati

Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

Bringing a far more palatable definition to drink driving, Maserati and an acclaimed winemaker have collaborated for a one off GranCabrio. Ken Pearson dives in for a tasting.

Bringing a far more palatable definition to drink driving, Maserati and an acclaimed winemaker have collaborated for a one off GranCabrio. Ken Pearson dives in for a tasting.

Bringing a far more palatable definition to drink driving, Maserati and an acclaimed winemaker have collaborated for a one off GranCabrio. Ken Pearson dives in for a tasting.

It’s a brown convertible with multiple shades of brown in the cabin and it’s electric. What on earth is this doing on the pages of RUSH? Well, I’m beyond bored of black cars with monotone trim, wheels and interiors so it makes a refreshing change, but more importantly, it’s a one-off Maserati.

Just like Lamborghini’s Ad Personam customisation programme, Maserati have one of their own that lets customers personalise their car to their exacting desires. Called Furioserie, the programme has recently created two special edition versions of the MC20, called Icona and Leggenda, but now the attention has turned to one very special GranCabrio Folgore. As the name suggests, the GranCabrio is the convertible sibling to the GranTurismo coupé, with Folgore being the Italian word for lightning and Maserati’s name for their electric models.

Non-electric variants get a 3.0 litre biturbo V6 with up to 542 bhp on tap, a slightly more open grille and exhaust pipes at the rear, but all GranTurismo and GranCabrio models look equally gorgeous to my eyes. I just wish that the charging port on the rear bumper could be moved somewhere else so as not to spoil the wonderful lines at the rear of the model.

The platform has been engineered from day one to accept both petrol and electric power and uses a T-shaped battery using the space within the transmission tunnel and at either end of the cabin to house the cells, as opposed to the widely used skateboard-style batteries which are placed underneath the cabin. This means that the GranCabrio sits as low to the ground as a two-door maserati should.


Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

Three electric motors put out 760 bhp and a monumental 996 lb ft (1,350 Nm) of torque. Power can be raised to a maximum of 818 bhp in the Corsa driving mode, which catapults the car to 62 mph from rest in just 2.8 seconds and switches the trident badges for griffins. 100 mph flashes by in 9.1 seconds and the car can reach a top speed of 180 mph. If the sunshine turns to rain, it takes 20 seconds to close the roof and 18 seconds to open again; this can be done while driving at up to 31 mph.

Everything about the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is quick - even the windows take just two seconds to open or close - and recharging the 82 kWh capacity battery can be placed into the same category of speedy. Like the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan, the car has an 800 volt electrical system, meaning that a 20-80% charge takes only 18 minutes when using a 270 kW DC rapid charger.

There’s a lot to be impressed by when looking at the spec sheet, but I don’t think that’s the point of this particular GranCabrio; the point is to show what the Furioserie division can do when it comes to personalising a Maserati. Although the brand have been making cars for 110 years, their partner for this one-off, Marchesi Antinori, have been making wine for 639 years, and one such variety is known as Tignanello, a wine said to be ahead of its time for being the first made of Sangiovese grapes to be aged in barriques (barrels).


Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

The car bearing the name of the wine has taken its colour palette from the ground that plays host to the vineyards and the barriques that ages the wine for three years before it is released to market. The exterior colour is a rich mixture of chestnut, copper and burgundy with a metallic finish.

Even from manufacturer studio images, the colour looks as though it presents a different hue depending on the intensity and direction of light that reaches the bodywork. Gold badges provide a nice light contrast while the wheels are finished in black, matching the black fabric roof.

Inside, the upholstery takes direct inspiration from the barriques with a tan leather flanking a red centre-section on all four seats, complete with seven silver vertical strips. Laser-etched wood features on the door cards and leather is liberally used on almost every other surface in the cabin, with a mixture of light and dark brown covering the dashboard, seats, steering wheel and armrests.


Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello
Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

If it were possible, I imagine that the two-tier infotainment would’ve been made of leather too. I’m a sucker for interior details and this GranCabrio provides them with the blending of the Maserati and Tignanello logos: the trident and the sun. All four headrests see the trident appearing in the horizontal lines that make up the shape of the sun as seen on the Tignanello bottles. Another great touch is the Tignanello sun appearing on the centre console with 1971 and 2021 etched into the trim on either side, representing the oldest and newest vintage of the wine that are available.

This GranCabrio would surely look incredible in its natural setting of northern Italy, but as is the case with many one-offs it is likely to spend its life in a collection, perhaps never running the battery down enough to warrant a full charge; up to 278 miles should be more than enough range in this case. That said, the car is yet to meet its owner, as it is going up for auction at the Festival Napa Valley’s Arts for All Gala in July 2024 with all proceeds going to charity.

The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello is the result of one of an unexpected cross-brand collaboration, especially considering that drinking and driving shouldn’t be mixed. What is ultimately a brown electric convertible with a brown interior at first glance is a fabulously detailed example of what can be done by the Furioserie customisation service. It’s different and tastefully done in my opinion.


Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello

AUTHOR

Ken Pearson

Ken Pearson

Deputy Editor

Photography by:

Maserati

Published on:

2 July 2024

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken Pearson

Ken Pearson

Deputy Editor

Resident Mercedes expert, affordable drivers' car champion and EV sympathiser. Can often be found on the other end of an argument with Craig with regards to powertrains and styling, bringing balance to the force.

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