Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT and Sport GT
Before Maserati launched the current generation Quattroporte back in 2003, there wasnt a great deal of variety in the luxury saloon sector. Unless you were willing to blow serious money on a Bentley or a Maybach, you were limited to the ageing Lexus LS430 or the usual suspects from BMW, Audi and Mercedes. The only contender with any elegance was Jaguars aluminium bodied XJ. All that changed with the introduction of Maseratis long and cool slice of Italian exotica.
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It makes sense for a car that attempts to cover as many bases as the Quattroporte to allow a little specialisation. The basic chassis is extremely talented, but the split into Sport and Executive GT models allows the company to fine tune the product into a more focused form. First shown at the 2005 Frankfurt Show, these models escaped the attention of many, Maserati keeping things rather low key. Explore a little further and youll discover that the Italians have put quite some thought into these cars.
Most buyers opt for the DuoSelect sequential manual transmission models, but Maserati also offers the option, at no extra cost, of a fully-fledged front-mounted automatic gearbox built by German transmission experts ZF. The Automatic models are smoother but the DuoSelect gearbox does give you that Michael Schumacher feeling of control. In either form, the Sport GT costs £83,290 (just over £6,000 more than the standard model), while the Executive GT will set you back £85,990. The Executive GT is targeted at high net worth individuals and business users looking for a car that offers cross continental capabilities coupled with effortlessly refined fixtures and fittings.
A chrome mesh grille and chrome side grilles compete for attention alongside an external identification plate and 19-inch ball-polished alloy wheels.
"The Quattroporte is the best car Maserati make. It also has a decent claim on being the most impressive Italian car in series production"
A wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel and an Alcantara-trimmed head lining are nicely judged details while a comfort pack for rear seat passengers offers combined heating, ventilation and massage for rear passengers as well as electric adjustment of both seats and backrests, retractable wood rear tables matched to the rest of the interior and curtains for extra privacy and comfort. That said, virtually every aspect of the cars interior is in some way customisable if you have the money. Of course there are some customers who need four doors but secretly hanker after the handling and appeal of a sports coupe. These are catered for by the Quattroporte Sport GT.
As well as a carbon fibre theme for the interior, 20-inch alloy wheels, a sportier looking steering wheel and handbrake design and aluminium pedal covers, the Sport GT also adds gearbox software that can shift cogs fully 35 per cent faster when at maximum attack, shaving vital tenths off the sprint to 100mph. The brakes feature metal weave tubing, cross-drilled discs and titanium-coloured calipers. A revised exhaust system produces an even fruitier note when you let the revs rise and uprated Skyhook software allows the electronic shock absorbers to act in a more aggressive manner. The Quattroporte may look slick but it can do aggressive really rather well.
If youre enthusiastic with the right hand pedal, youll catapult to 60mph in 4.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 171mph. Be a little less feisty and youll be able to average 14.9mpg from the 90-litre tank that will give a touring range of around 280 miles.
Perhaps the fuel economy would be a little better if the Maserati could tip the scales at a little less than 1860kg more than the weight of a Mercedes S500 but rear seat passengers wont begrudge the space they get one bit. This car is seriously lengthy. Measuring over five metres from tip to tail, the Maserati is longer than a BMW 7 Series, wider than a Mercedes S Class yet lower than a Jaguar XJ. The chassis is a clean sheet design with a classic longitudinally mounted engine driving the rear wheels.
The engine in question is a development of the powerplant found in the Maserati Coupe and cranks out a hefty 400bhp. The power delivery has been optimised for smooth low end torque rather than all-out top end power, and the engine features a combination of classic race-derived design such as the dry sump lubrication system and the chain driven twin overhead cams, plus high-tech touches such as the CAN (Controlled Area Network) electronics system. Maserati historians will know the Quattroporte badge dating back to 1963, but the latest model is resolutely forward looking. Gone are the days of boxy, ill-proportioned variants: the latest Quattroporte is the first Pininfarina-designed Maserati for fifty years and its a cracker. After designing the 1953 A6GCS Berlinetta Sport for Maserati, master stylist Pinin committed himself to Ferrari, then the Tridents fiercest rival. Now that Maserati and Ferrari are effectively under one roof, the Pininfarina design magic returns to the marque. Maserati claim that the original 1963 model was inspired by the boom in motorway building that occurred in the late fifties.
This created a whole new breed of customer who wanted a sumptuously equipped, rapid but elegant mode of long distance ground transportation. The first Quattroporte to wear the badge shared an engine with what was then the worlds most powerful barchetta drop top, the Maserati 450S. Other highlights in Quattroporte lineage include the 1976 Giugiaro model that was selected as the personal transport of Italian President Sandro Pertini. Theres a lot of history here and the latest Quattroporte models do justice to the illustrious heritage.
With the Quattroporte, youve often had to accept a degree of character with its abilities that some find wearing. The latest car has personality but no tiresome quirks. It really does stand comparison with the best luxury saloons sold today. The Sport GT and Executive GT models only strengthen the Quattroportes hand.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT and Sport GT
PRICES: £83,290-£85,990 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 440g/km
PERFORMANCE: [Executive GT] Max Speed 171mph / 0-60mph 4.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 14.9mpg (combined)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front,side and curtain airbags, ABS, stability and traction control, ISOFIX child seat fixings
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 5052/1895/1438mm
