After a long break from the highest levels of motorsport, Maserati returned to the track this season. Instead of the Formula One circuit, where it won titles in the 1950s, all-electric Maseratis are now running laps in Formula E, as the first Italian luxury automotive brand in the series.
Spanning 16 races across five continents, the Formula E World Championship is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to high-performance electric vehicles. To the untrained eye, Formula E cars may look similar to their gas-powered counterparts over in F1, but these race cars are powered by electrons instead of hydrocarbons. Formula E is where bleeding-edge technological transformation is taking place, and Maserati is at the heart of it.
Nearly a century ago, the Tipo 26 was the first race car to sport Maserati's iconic Trident logo, the same one now emblazoned on the nosecone and bodywork of the Maserati Tipo Folgore Gen3. Don't be distracted by the Tipo Folgore's stunning looks though, as this Gen3 race car packs an amazing and powerful punch as well.
At the heart of the Tipo Folgore Gen3 is a pair of motors that crank out 805 horsepower as it shoots down straightaways. In the corners and chicanes, regenerative braking kicks in to return over 40 percent of the power needed to propel the Tipo Folgore back to the batteries. The Gen3 is the lightest, swiftest, and most-powerful electric racer ever built—and it's the most efficient, too.
American racing fans will have a chance to see the Tipo Folgore Gen3 and experience the thrill of Formula E racing when the World Championship makes its first-ever stop at the Portland International Raceway in Oregon, on June 24. Given Portland's well-deserved reputation as one of the greenest cities in the US, and its devoted base of sports fans, the City of Roses is the ideal spot for electric racing.
With its focus on getting every last mile of range out the batteries, among other things, Formula E is where the action is when it comes to the future, not only of racing, but driving too. “Maserati doesn’t need more awareness,” says Giovanni Tommaso Sgro, head of Maserati Corse. “Everybody knows what Maserati stands for, what its history is. But Formula E gives us a chance to really address and educate consumers about Maserati’s evolution is in terms of e-mobility."
Off the track, Maserati rules the roost when it comes to grand tourer cars. Unmatched for high-speed, high-style road trips, Maserati grand tourers are ideal for even the most demanding driver. The GranTurismo Folgore, which is Maserati's first full-electric car, offers an impeccable ride and handling while dashing from zero to 60 in 2.7 seconds. The newly launched GranTurismo Trofeo and Modena, with internal combustion engines, round out Maserati's grand tourer lineup.
Innovation is a two-way street with Maserati and Formula E. Much more than batteries on wheels, electric vehicles are complex, powerful, software-driven machines. Telemetry systems in the Tipo Folgore Gen3 process terabytes of data every race, making countless, minute adjustments.
And those scads of data from the races influence more than the Tipo Folgore Gen3's performance. Software is a crucial part of the automotive experience, especially with electric vehicles, and Maserati is harvesting the data for use across its electric powertrains. "That combination of software technology and the drivers coming to Modena to our Innovation Lab, actually getting inside the simulator and allowing us to really plug in into their brains and understand what we can do with the Folgore, is a key asset for us," explains Sgro.
There's a payoff there, and it's not just for Maserati. Electric powertrains and connected cars mean that data flows in both directions—up from Formula E and back down to Maserati’s upcoming EV line-up via software updates that could improve the driving experience while extending range.
We produce some of the most iconic cars in the world and now we are going to produce the most iconic full electric cars in the world, the highest performing and the best designed, the definition of Italian luxury. We are the ones who move the world in luxury performance and so we’re going to export that Italian luxury electric mobility across the world,” says Davide Grasso, CEO at Maserati.
Maserati has embraced an all-electric future. By 2025, every one of its cars will be available with an electric powertrain. And in 2030, the dulcet roar of Maserati engines will be replaced by the sublime purring of Maserati electric motors. “If you close your eyes, you can tell a Maserati when it goes by,” says Sgro. “It’s an iconic sound—but we like to refer to the electric sound as the new sound of power.”
The "new sound of power" is the future of driving, and Maserati's commitment to Formula E and electrification puts it at the front of the pack as we race towards an all-electric future.
This story was produced by WIRED Brand Lab for Maserati.
