Maserati has announced the GranTurismo, returning the to sporty coupe which has seen many iterations over the years, but now with the option for 100 per cent electric propulsion.

Folgore is the name that Maserati applies to its electric vehicles and the new GranTurismo Folgore will sit alongside Modena and Trofeo versions, both powered by a 3-litre V6 engine, as you might expect.

But the Folgore takes Maserati in a new direction and creates something rather unique for those looking for a high-end electric sports car. As this is the GranTurismo it only has the two doors, but there's four seats, the long, low, body designed for sporty driving in comfort.

There's something unique in the design here that marks this aside from the likes of the Porsche Taycan - Maserati isn't using a flat floor solution.

Instead, the battery pack is more like a T shape, fitting into the body that it shares with the combustion models. The result is that the passengers can sit lower, the interior retains the cossetted feeling you'd expect from a sports car, while retaining that great weight distribution.

The battery offers 92.5kWh energy and supports fast charging up to 270kW, giving you 100km range in just 5 minutes. Maserati say you'll get about 280 miles of range.

It's an 800V system powering three 300kW motors, one at the front and two at the rear. These are Maserati-designed motors, and as there are two motors at the back, you'll get the advantage of torque vectoring, where the rear wheels can have the torque individually managed.

It's an all-wheel drive system, able to deliver a 0-62mph time of 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 199mph.

Maserati is obsessed with sound and lacking that V6 engine, the Folgore will have a bespoke synthetic sound, with external and internal speakers adding the ambiance.

Aside from the sporty performance, you're buying into Maserati quality, with the exterior look of these cars being similar, although there are details on the Folgore to make it stand out, like the dark copper logo and wording.

On the interior it's clean and modern, with the Folgore using a range of recycled and sustainable materials - with light or dark interior options.

There's a 12.3-inch central display and an 8.8-inch comfort display, while there's also an 12.2-inch digital dashboard which curves around the rear of the steering wheel. There's support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a heads-up display - and in the centre, the Maserati Digital Clock.

This clock replaces the tired old analogue model that some cars offer, to be more useful, not only showing you the time, but also able to reflect important things - like that you're connected to a charger.

There will be support for voice through the Hey Maserati command, and a digital rear-view mirror will give you an unobstructed view.

There's no word on pricing or availability just yet, but this looks like an exciting step forward for the heritage Italian brand.