By the time my flight left Greenville, South Carolina, at 3 a.m., I was already resigned to a long day. Six hours later, I landed in Los Angeles bleary-eyed but buzzing with anticipation.

No hotel stop, no nap, no detour. Waiting for me at LAX was a 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore, finished in Grigio Lava Opaco, a matte gray with the depth of volcanic stone. I had one destination in mind: Angeles Crest Highway.

Before tackling the mountain, though, I made a quick stop at a Shell station at the base of the road–the unofficial paddock for anyone about to test themselves on one of California’s greatest stretches of tarmac.

There I met Harout, a local with a white C7 Corvette. He was waiting for his friends: Gev in a C8 Z06 and Stephen in a BMW M2.

Just like that, I had company for the climb. 

First Taste of the Folgore

The Grecale Folgore wastes no time reminding you it’s a Maserati. Dual motors deliver 550 horsepower and nearly 600 lb.-ft. of torque, the kind of instant shove that makes every stoplight launch feel like a starting grid.

Steering feels direct, alive and expressive–very Italian in its communication. The chassis, too, delivers composure and competence, more sports sedan than family SUV.

Even the sound is considered. Maserati augments the natural silence of an EV with a synthesized note that’s part futuristic hum, part theatrical growl. It’s an artful solution, and while purists may scoff, it gives the Folgore a voice worthy of its badge. 

Up the Mountain

Angeles Crest is a driver’s paradise–miles of flowing corners, elevation changes, and sweeping views that reward rhythm and punish hesitation.

Chasing Harout’s C7 uphill, the Maserati proved it belonged. Instant torque out of tight hairpins made the SUV feel far lighter than its footprint suggested.

Regenerative braking worked seamlessly with the Brembo setup, allowing confident late braking. And through the mountain’s fast sweepers, the Folgore’s low-mounted batteries kept its weight settled, delivering poise rather than push.

Ahead, Gev’s Z06 roared, Stephen’s M2 danced, and I was right there with them–an electric Maserati keeping pace with two benchmark performance cars.

The matte-gray finish caught the California sun, flashing against the backdrop of rock and pine. This was not the polite, urban utility vehicle some might expect. This was a Maserati built to be driven hard.

A Maserati, Reimagined

At a scenic turnout near the summit, engines ticked cool as the drivers gathered. The Corvette guys gave the Folgore an approving nod. Stephen grinned: “Didn’t think that thing could move like that.”

Neither did I, at least not to this degree. The Grecale Folgore may be Maserati’s first fully electric SUV, but it doesn’t read as a compromise. It reads as a continuation–of performance, of passion and of the brand’s insistence that even practicality can be infused with excitement.

After a cross-country redeye and a morning spent chasing sports cars up one of the most iconic roads in America, the verdict is clear: The Grecale Folgore has earned its trident.

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