Maserati Unleashes MC20 and EV Power in New GranTurismo

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Maserati’s a strange beast for Americans. It’s not quite as well-known as Ferrari, and when most people want to buy a high-powered Euro sports sedan or coupe, they head to BMW, Audi, or Mercedes. The brand is expanding, though, with vehicles in new segments, such as the Grecale compact SUV and MC20 supercar. One of its long-running models got a significant overhaul for 2023, which brought a more powerful twin-turbo V6 and an electric powertrain to the GranTurismo for the first time.


The 2023 GranTurismo comes in three trims: Modena, Trofeo, and Folgore. Maserati modified the powertrain from its new halo car, the MC20, for the new model. In the Modena trim, the engine makes 490 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, but the top gas-powered Trofeo trim gets a version making 550 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels – a GranTurismo first.


Though it’s a grand tourer and not a ferocious supercar, the GranTurismo is quicker than anyone needs. The Modena trim clocks a 3.9-second run to 62 mph from a standstill, and the Trofeo does it in just 3.5 seconds. Impressive, yes, but not everyone is ready to sign up for a new gas car right now. 


For those people, Maserati offers the GranTurismo Fulgore, a fully electric GT car with 751 horsepower and 996 lb-ft of torque. Those numbers wouldn’t look terribly out of place on a heavy-duty pickup truck meant for towing, but here they help the GranTurismo deliver a 2.7-second 0-62 mph time. The almost 5,000-pound car features unique battery placement, with the unit installed in the transmission tunnel and trunk. 


[Image: Maserati]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • 95_SC 95_SC on Oct 04, 2022

    I’m not sure putting the battery in the trans tunnel and the back is unique. Pretty much every model that isn’t exclusively an EV puts the batteries where the ICE components the electric version doesn’t have normally go. Pretty car though.


  • Bunkie Bunkie on Oct 04, 2022

    From the “you can’t make this stuff up” department, the headline of the ad that occupied the screen right next to the picture of this Maserati read “Blunder #11”


    It’s an in joke in my household as my wife keeps getting offers from one of her financial institutions to lease a Maserati, an offer that is, consistently, declined.

  • MRF 95 T-Bird Whenever I travel and I’m in my rental car I first peruse the FM radio to look for interesting programming. It used to be before the past few decades of media consolidation that if you traveled to an area the local radio stations had a distinct sound and flavor. Now it’s the homogenized stuff from the corporate behemoths. Classic rock, modern “bro dude” country, pop hits of today, oldies etc. Much of it tolerable but pedestrian. The college radio stations and NPR affiliates are comfortable standbys. But what struck me recently is how much more religious programming there was on the FM stations, stuff that used to be relegated to the AM band. You have the fire and brimstone preachers, obviously with a far right political bend. Others geared towards the Latin community. Then there is the happy talk “family radio” “Jesus loves you” as well as the ones featuring the insipid contemporary Christian music. Artists such as Michael W. Smith who is one of the most influential artists in the genre. I find myself yelling at the dashboard “Where’s the freakin Staple singers? The Edwin Hawkins singers? Gospel Aretha? Gospel Elvis? Early Sam Cooke? Jesus era Dylan?” When I’m in my own vehicle I stick with the local college radio station that plays a diverse mix of music from Americana to rock and folk. I’ll also listen to Sirius/XM: Deep tracks, Little Steven’s underground as well as Willie’s Roadhouse and Outlaw country.
  • The Comedian I owned an assembled-in-Brazil ‘03 Golf GTI from new until ‘09 (traded in on a C30 R-Design).First few years were relatively trouble free, but the last few years are what drove me to buy a scan tool (back when they were expensive) and carry tools and spare parts at all times.Constant electrical problems (sensors & coil packs), ugly shedding “soft” plastic trim, glovebox door fell off, fuel filters oddly lasted only about a year at a time, one-then-the-other window detached from the lift mechanism and crashed inside the door, and the final reason I traded it was the transmission went south.20 years on? This thing should only be owned by someone with good shoes, lots of tools, a lift and a masochistic streak.
  • Terry I like the bigger size and hefty weight of the CX90 and I almost never use even the backseat. The average family is less than 4 people.The vehicle crash safety couldn't be better. The only complaints are the clumsy clutch transmission and the turbocharger.
  • MaintenanceCosts Plug in iPhone with 200 GB of music, choose the desired genre playlist, and hit shuffle.
  • MaintenanceCosts Golf with a good body and a dying engine. Somewhere out there there is a dubber who desperately wants to swap a junkyard VR6 into this and STANCE BRO it.
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