By
EWAN KENNEDY
3 July 2006
You could describe the Maserati Quattroporte as a four-door sedan,
after all the Italian words quattro (four) and porte (door) say that’s
what it is, but this is much more than a sedan. This is a large grand
tourer with a huge amount of road presence and the ability to bring a
smile to the face of even the most jaded of drivers.
Above all, the Quattroporte provides very
rapid transport for four occupants while they are being cosseted in
full-on luxury. Luxury that not only works well but looks oh-so right as
well. Indeed, we found ourselves just sitting in the Maserati in our
driveway a couple of times; simply soaking up the style, the feel and
the sheer presence of Italian automotive timber-and-leather design and
craftsmanship at its very best.
Even if you can’t afford a Maserati,
you may care to wander down to your local agent, talk kindly to them and
ask if you can sit inside and enjoy the Quattroporte for a few minutes.
While you are in there, pay particular attention to that gorgeous analog
clock taking pride of place in the centre of the dash, and admire the
way the famous Maserati trident emblems are incorporated into the
leather trim.
Who knows, you may then do everything you
can to somehow come up with the $258,000 needed to put you in the
driving seat.
Should you have special preferences for
interior or exterior features in the way of trim, colour or material,
Maserati is only too happy to oblige. The factory says it could supply
four million Quattroportes without any two of them being identical.
Power for the Maserati Quattroporte comes
from 4.2 litres of high-performance Italian twin-cam V8. Power peaks at
a hefty 400 horsepower (Italians have no interest in kilowatts, but it’s
about 295 of them).
If there's a drawback it’s the
sequential manual gearbox. It’s there to provide additional sporting
flair, but like most of its type it can be harsh in its upchanges and a
real pain when trying to reverse gently into a tight parking space. You
get the convenience of large paddles to change gears manually and these
are simpler to use than in many other cars. There's a pseudo-auto
setting that can be activated by a dash button.
Incidentally, the gearbox is mounted in
the rear of the car, sharing its housing with the differential. This
means the engine can be slotted right back in the engine bay, thus
achieving excellent overall weight distribution for excellent handling.
Ride comfort is surprisingly good and the
big Maserati reels off the kilometres in motorway driving with
consummate ease. On the twisty bits it has more agility than you would
expect from a 5.0-metre long car that weighs in at close to two tonnes.
Road grip is immense as the chassis works well both mechanically and
through its electronic aids.
The four leather seats support well and
are virtually all individual, though the rear seat does offer a
semi-bench setup should you need to carry an extra person from time to
time.
Tired of the somewhat predictable top end
of the market with German machines that are very technically advanced
German, but somewhat lacking in character? Then a trip to your Maserati
agent will show you there's something else very special on offer in the
way of big, luxurious sporting saloons.
