Our roads were once filled with grand touring cars, providing the manners and style of a sports car, but with more room and comfort. It’s now shunned for the working-class SUV, which is little more than a modern-day Conestoga wagon. It’s as if consumers are comforted by the ability to haul people or cargo at a moment’s notice.

Of course, the truly wealthy pay others to haul. They indulge themselves driving cars like the 2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore. It’s a GT of the first order, the sort of car Maserati has been building since the 1950s.

But this four-seat droptop comes with a difference from past GTs: It’s powered by electricity, and is the only vehicle in its class. If you’d rather, Maserati also offers it with a gas engine, in which case it’s named the GranCabrio Trofeo.

Having sampled both, I expected to prefer the petrol-powered Trofeo, with its sonorous exhaust singing with the distinct beauty of a great Italian automotive tenor. Its Maserati-designed twin-turbo “Nettuno” 3.0-liter V-6 engine comes from the Maserati MC20 supercar, generating a healthy 542 horsepower and enough speed to spill your espresso. Reaching 60 mph takes 3.4 seconds. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission come standard.

But it pales in comparison to the Folgore, powered by an electric motor up front and two in the rear, providing all-wheel drive. Its 83-kWh battery pack provides 233 miles of driving range according to the EPA. Using a DC fast charger, it can gain 62 miles in five minutes, according to Maserati. More importantly, it runs 0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds. Top speed is 180 mph. It’s electrifyingly quick, which is perhaps why it’s named Folgore, the Italian word for lightning.

It's aided and abetted by the GranCabrio’s low, classic, sensuous shape. By switching out the V-8 for a shorter twin-turbo V-6 in the Trofeo, Maserati engineers were able to place the engine behind the front axle, allowing for a lower hood.

In the Folgore, the automaker didn’t follow the industry norm of placing the car above a massive battery skateboard. Instead, using the Trofeo’s platform, a T-shaped battery is fitted within the car’s center tunnel and under the rear seat. This retains its low height, making it the lowest EV on the market. Best of all, it lends this EV a different feel from most of its ilk.

The Folgore’s handling is balanced as in any true GT, as the weight of the battery is centered within the car. Acceleration is swift, but not brutal. Body lean is well controlled and the ride is far from punishing. Yet its athleticism tackles twisting backroads with the intensity of any sports car, but without the penalty in comfort. Airflow is adroitly channeled around the cabin, making conversation easy. The only handling flaw comes with its very wide turning radius.

As with all electric vehicles, the GranCabrio Folgore possesses an unearthly smoothness that’s pleasing, relaxing and very different in character from the gas-powered Trofeo. Still, its bite is as fierce as its bark. The Trofeo’s engine note in entrancing; put the top down and you’ll never want to listen to the Sonus Faber audio system again. Its snarly engine has the goods when it comes to speed, although not as much as the Folgore. But all of its fury feels gruff compared to the Folgore EV's effortless speed and ethereal calm.

Lowering the cloth top takes 16 seconds; raising it takes 14. Both can be done while moving up to 31 mph.

Once ensconced, you’ll find a leather-lined cabin that begs to be touched, as its surfaces ooze a richness that eludes so many premium automakers. The instrument panel is dominated by two touchscreens. The top 12.3-inch screen controls infotainment functions, the lower 8.8-inch screen, comfort and climate features. The user interface comes courtesy of Android Auto. Interestingly, the clock perched atop the dashboard acts as a fourth display. A head-up display is optional.

As you might expect, the large front seats are all-day comfortable. The cozy rear seat is far tighter and suitable for the most accommodating of friends. That’s not surprising in a GT. Yet there are some quirks to the GranCabrio’s cabin. The starter button is on the steering wheel. The button to open the glove box is on the lower touch screen. The hazard signal button on the center console is too easy to accidentally hit while reaching for the transmission shifter. The paddles mounted on the steering column that adjust its regenerative braking are too far away from the wheel. And you’ll have to pack lightly; the trunk holds only five cubic feet of gear. But the quirks aren’t enough to overcome this rare gem’s qualities.

The 2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is a sexy slab of automotive indulgence. Its graceful form is one of sheer eloquence, effortlessly exuding a luxury vibe while its EV powertrain unleashes the velocity expected of a car wearing the trident logo. And it passes the tough test that most convertibles fail: it looks as good with its top up as it does down.

Let others stumble along in their overpriced station wagons. With the sky as your roof, the wind in your hair, driving a car in a class of its own, this convertible’s cachet comes from its true exclusivity and world-class luxury and performance. With the 2025 GranCabrio Folgore, Maserati has captured lightning in a bottle.

2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore

Base price: $206,995

Motors: Three permanent-magnet synchronous

Horsepower/Torque: 751/996 pound-feet

Range: 233 miles

DC Fast Charge rate: 270 kW

On-board charger 15kW

Length/Width/Height: 196/77/54 inches

Curb weight: 5,159 pounds

Cargo capacity: 5 cubic feet (top up); 4 cubic feet (top down)

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