Maserati Quattroporte

Maserati Quattroporte (2010)

General information

Having been in the pipeline for five years, the Maserati Quattroporte doesn’t for one moment leave you wanting anything more in terms of styling. A simplistic elegance in its design is finished off with the beastly looks that Maserati have come to be known for.

The shark like front of the car is best exemplified in the impressive front grill. The rest of the body is sculpted to accentuate the looks and add a sense of unity to the design. At the end it looks like an impressive mixed breed between a sports car & an elegant luxury sedan.

Interior

One aspect that the Maserati clearly sets itself apart from German made luxury cars is the richer interior it offers. Rich woodwork and small touches like ribs and leather piping add tremendously to the luxury offering.

With side pillars that rush inwards toward the roof more steeply than typical, combined with a wide center console that restricts leg room between the driver and passenger, the Quattroporte feels a lot like a sports car from the inside. It must be kept in mind with the Maserati that comfort is not one of its strong suits. That along with reduced boot space is a compromise that has been made consciously to give more room for a better design.

One of the biggest selling points of the Maserati Quattroporte is its exclusivity and it lives up to it. With barely a few thousand units spread all around, most things offered are up for customization. As such, it will be a rare sight for someone to stumble across two of these beautiful masterpieces that are identical. The downside to the customized order is of course the long wait time, but that is our sacrifice to make of course.

Specifications

The Maserati Quattroporte puts at your disposal 400 horsepower and a 4.2 litre, V8 engine. There are two more variants upping the ante with the Quattroporte S offering 425 horsepower in a 4.7 litre. The Sport GT S variant takes it even further with 434 horsepower in the 4.7 litre.

As offered a couple of years back on the Quattroporte Automatica, these Quattroporte models come with a 6 speed ZF auto transmission.

Driving experience

The Quattroporte features large Brembo brakes that offer a firm, exotic car feel. You can abuse the power that is offered safe in the knowledge that the brakes will hold true to their promise of bringing you to a safe stop. 

Though the Maserati Quattroporte likes to believe it is not so much a luxury sedan as it is a half-way-there sports car, it definitely can’t compete with them. However in the range of luxury sedans, it is definitely an impressive performance with a 5.6 second time from 0-100. The Sport GTS shaves off a half second on that as well.

The car’s handling is improved upon by the Skyhook air and the front & rear double suspensions. This suspension system offers a good ride but knows when to kick in to overdrive to make those bumps seem like nothing.

Ups and Downs

The comfort and luggage room leave a little to be desired, however that is not what you’d be interested in with the Quattroporte. The powertrain is gratifying with the automatic six speed transmission. When switching to manual, the paddle shifts offer a touch sensitive response with an instant shift in gears.

Overall, this is the car to go for if you want to buy a luxury sedan but your heart yearns for a sports car.