KLAUS BUSSE, STELLANTIS VICE-PRESIDENT OF DESIGN

How did you differentiate the Grecale from Levante? “We wanted to create a new chapter for Maserati. The MC20 was such an important new milestone it deserved a step forward in the design. The second step was then to apply the design of the MC20 to the Grecale, and through that process you automatically get that differentiation, because the Levante is a much more horizontal design.”

Which elements will we see on future Maseratis?

“We didn’t want to design a car that shouts ‘look at me’ and is too aggressive in its appearance. We wanted to design a car that, to a point, adds visual value: if you see a Maserati, it adds beauty to the environment. It’s a rolling sculpture, and sculpture for us, especially in Italy, is about proportions and shapes, not decorative, two-dimensional features, creases or unnecessary air intakes or – God forbid – fake exhaust pipes.”

How do you change your design approach for EVS? “The Folgore is based on the same fundamental underpinnings, which means we’re working with something that’s 90% clear. The three areas we focus on are the different cooling requirements, the more aggressive aerodynamic expectations – which had an impact on the wheels and the door handles – and the communication: the copper, for example, and you don’t see a light blue here because it’s not performance.”