Maserati QUATTROPORTE
Slinky Sports Saloons Are Rather Thin On The Ground. Maseratis Quattroporte Offers A More Elegant Alternative To The Usual Crop of Bluff Autobahn Stormers. Andy Enright Reports
Four door
Maserati models may not be anything new, 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 £69,995 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.
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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.
The latest car is big. 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.
"Dont think this is one of those four-door cars where the rear seats are still only token afterthoughts"
The Maserati DuoSelect (MDS) transmission is a six-speed sequential manual system that offers the driver the choice between an F1-style paddle shift and an automated mode where the cars electronics do the shifting for you. Its not quite as smooth as a proper automatic with a torque converter but its a very good effort. Theres even a hill holder facility that keeps the brakes applied for enough time to allow the driver to move his foot from brake to accelerator without the car rolling backwards. There are also two additional modes that can be selected on the fly.
Low Grip allows the car to move off in second gear, avoiding wheelspin while Sport mode quickens the gear shifts, puts them higher up the rev range and also adjusts the settings for the suspension, traction and stability control systems for a more aggressive touch. If youre equally aggressive with the right hand pedal youll catapult the Quattroporte to 60mph in 4.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 171mph. Be a little less aggressive 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. Dont think this is one of those four-door sporting cars where the rear seats are still only token afterthoughts. The interior is over two metres in length and both front and rear seats are electronically adjustable to ensure effortless comfort.
The wood finishes used in the Quattroportes cabin create an upmarket feel and those wishing to take the bespoke feel a few notches further can opt for extras from the dedicated personalisation programme Officine Alfieri Maserati. Three different wood finishes are available for the Quattroporte trim: rosewood, mahogany and briarwood, but those who are looking for a sportier ambience may be tempted by the titanium-style finish instead. Standard on every Quattroporte is the kid-glove soft Poltrona Frau leather upholstery. You can even buy a set of five Quattroporte bags finished in this material that fit snugly into the cavernous 450-litre boot. A standard Bosch-Blaupunkt Multi Media System controls the onboard computer, the satellite navigation, a Bose Sound system and a single CD player.
Many of the functions can be controlled from the steering wheel, but there are also dash-mounted buttons for the front seat passenger to fiddle with. As an option, customers can also add a GSM telephone, a CD changer located under the steering column, a front television module and an onboard CALL Telematic system. A particularly tempting option if youre transporting young uns is a Rear Seat Entertainment System which offers a central screen, TV tuner, DVD player and auxiliary input for a video game console or other external system such as a video camera. Rated as the coolest car on the planet by GQ magazines annual Objets De Luxe review, its hard not to be impressed by the Maserati Quattroporte.
This is the car that Maserati have long been capable of making, the car that showcases the talents of a manufacturer now given the budget to show what it can do. Its also the first Maserati to wear the Quattroporte badge that represents a viable alternative to the best sports saloons in the world.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Maserati Quattroporte
PRICES: £69,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 440g/km
PERFORMANCE: 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
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