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Maserati GranTurismo Folgore – Fastest EV in the UK Market

Refined luxury meets refined power in the new Maserati GranTurismo Folgore, available in the UK very soon. “Folgore” translates as “Thunderbolt” in Italian, and its clear to see why.

Faster than the Tesla Plaid, this dark horse will become the fastest EV available in the UK market and takes 4th place overall on our site, with a score of 84.

That being said, it clocks in at around £200k vs the Tesla Plaid’s considerably cheaper £125k price tag, plus the Plaid is still scored as being top dog overall, with its acceleration and power being undisputed.

Performance

The Folgore has 3 electric motors. Each one provides 250bhp, which propels it to 62mph in 2.7 seconds up to a top speed of 199mph

The Folgore’s lower power output and acceleration give it a more elegant and controlled ride – unlike the break-neck feel of its Tesla rival.

The Folgore has 3 electric motors. Each one provides 250bhp, which propels it to 62mph in 2.7 seconds up to a top speed of 199mph.

It has a highly sophisticated torque vectoring system that distributes power to whichever side of the car can handle it best. This essentially means that although it is four-wheel drive in theory, it can behave more like a rear-wheel drive car, thus providing dynamic handling that adapts to the situation.

 

Three Drive Modes

The Folgore has 3 drive modes, designed to give different power and handling profiles; GT, Sport and Corsa.

Overall, GT mode is a great way to improve the performance of the car. It does this by limiting the power, making the traction control system more aggressive, and using torque vectoring to help rotate the car around corners.

GT

  • GT mode: GT mode is a performance mode that is designed to make the car more responsive and agile. It does this by limiting the power to 80%, which reduces the risk of wheelspin. It also makes the traction control system more aggressive, which helps to prevent the car from losing control.
  • Traction control: Traction control is a system that helps to prevent wheelspin. It does this by automatically reducing the power to the wheels that are spinning. In GT mode, the traction control system is more aggressive, which means that it will intervene more quickly to prevent wheelspin.
  • Torque vectoring: Torque vectoring is a system that helps to rotate the car around a corner. It does this by applying different amounts of torque to the individual wheels. In GT mode, the torque vectoring system is more active, which means that it will help to rotate the car around corners more quickly.

Overall, GT mode is a great way to improve the performance of the car. It does this by limiting the power, making the traction control system more aggressive, and using torque vectoring to help rotate the car around corners. However, it can feel a bit unnatural at first, as the car will be more responsive and agile. If you’re used to driving in a more relaxed manner, GT mode may take some getting used to.

This makes Sport mode the fastest setting overall, as the driver can get back on the power sooner after exiting a corner, thanks to the rear torque vectoring system working overtime to maintain traction.

Sport

  • Sport mode: Sport mode is a performance mode that is designed to make the car more responsive and agile. It does this by sharpening the throttle and steering responses, which gives the driver more control over the car. It also allows for slightly more leeway in terms of attitude adjustment, meaning that the car can be more easily controlled when cornering.
  • Throttle response: Throttle response is how quickly the car accelerates in response to the driver pressing the accelerator pedal. In Sport mode, the throttle response is sharpened, which means that the car accelerates more quickly.
  • Steering response: Steering response is how quickly the car turns in response to the driver turning the steering wheel. In Sport mode, the steering response is sharpened, which means that the car turns more quickly.
  • Attitude adjustment: Attitude adjustment is how the car behaves when it is cornering. In Sport mode, the car is more responsive to the driver’s inputs, which makes it easier to control the car when cornering.
  • Stability systems: Stability systems are designed to prevent the car from losing control. They do this by automatically applying the brakes or reducing the power to the wheels. In Sport mode, the stability systems are less intrusive, which allows the driver to take more risks.
  • Rear torque vectoring system: Rear torque vectoring is a system that helps to rotate the car around a corner. It does this by applying different amounts of torque to the individual wheels. In Sport mode, the rear torque vectoring system is more active, which helps to rotate the car around corners more quickly.

Overall, Sport mode is a great way to improve the performance of the car. It does this by sharpening the throttle and steering responses, allowing for slightly more leeway in terms of attitude adjustment, and making the stability systems less intrusive. This makes Sport mode the fastest setting overall, as the driver can get back on the power sooner after exiting a corner, thanks to the rear torque vectoring system working overtime to maintain traction.

Corsa mode is a great way to experience the full potential of the car. It allows the driver to take more risks and have more fun, but it is important to be aware of the risks of power oversteer.

Corsa

  • Corsa mode: Corsa mode is a performance mode that is designed to give the driver as much control as possible. It does this by disabling most of the stability systems, which allows the driver to take more risks.
  • Power oversteer: Power oversteer is a condition that occurs when the rear wheels of a car lose traction while accelerating. This can happen when the driver applies too much power to the rear wheels, or when the car is cornering too quickly.
  • Early morning dew: Early morning dew can make the road surface slippery, which can make it more difficult to control a car.
  • Tarmac: Tarmac is a type of road surface that is made of asphalt. It is typically smooth and grippy, but it can become slippery when wet.
  • Provocation: In this context, provocation means to intentionally make the car lose traction.
  • Angle: In this context, angle refers to the amount of sideways tilt that the car has when cornering.
  • Shunt: To shunt means to move suddenly and forcefully. In this context, it means to move the power from the rear wheels to the front wheels.

Overall, Corsa mode is a great way to experience the full potential of the car. It allows the driver to take more risks and have more fun, but it is important to be aware of the risks of power oversteer. If the driver is not careful, they can easily lose control of the car.

Jason Rose

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