Maserati Quattroporte review - just in case some of you are tempted to expand your fleets;-)
06-11-2007, 01:20 PM
#1
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Maserati Quattroporte review - just in case some of you are tempted to expand your fleets;-)
I just spent Sunday morning tearing up and down a twisty mountain highway in a new QP auto Sport edition.
When I walked up to the midnight beauty, it seemed like a massive car. And it is. But sightlines are excellent and sport seats easily adjust to fit almost anyone. Rear seats adjust as well. I started off in auto mode and in the regular comfort mode. It handled like a big S-class Mercedes, wallowing a bit, but well controlled wallowing. Then hitting the sport button on the dash, everything changed. The dampers woke up and snubbed the car down almost like a Porsche Carerra, the tranny stopped slurring and snapped off shifts like a Prussian drill sergeant barking out orders, while the throttle response went from buttery to laser sharp. All of a sudden the car seemed to have lost 800lbs and 4 ft in length!
Oh, and did I mention the engine? Derived from the Ferrari V8, it pulls strongly from low revs, but really loves to live above 4000rpms. It's not exactly a torque monster at the lights, but is willing to get the job done. Of course that means serious speed rather quickly, so you need to be careful where you choose to deploy that kind of thrust. And the sound...a chorus of angels hammering away in God's own workshop of speed.
The QP has always been hammered for it's Duo-select transmission and the automatic has been a long time coming. This is one fine transmission! Almost DSG-like in it's behaviour. The torque converter stays locked up longer than any other auto I've driven, and delivers almost F1 style shifts for speed - but at many times the smoothness of the real auto-manuals. Even left to it's own devices in auto mode, it wasted no time downshifting at the slightest hint of aggressive driving. Large winged paddles on either side of the wheel allowed for a quick change even in auto mode, then reverted back to regular drive, while in manual mode with the sport button depressed, would allow you to bounce off the rev limiter.
The brakes? Well, they are massive and apparently stop the car really well, but seeing as there was virtually no traffic on a rural road, there was no reason to test them. I can say the pedal feel was totally natural, without the over-assisted feel in so many modern cars. Extremely easy to modulate from the start.
What any fan of Italian cars knows though, is that speed and refinement is nothing if your senses are not involved. The QP is gorgeous. The interior smells like an expensive handbag. The engine sings a deep throated aria. But the feel of the thing is what makes it authentically a great car. The weight of the steering wheel, feeding you details about the road surface. Enough, but not too much to tire. The feeling from the seat of your pants as your internal intertia sensors tell you about the lovely balance of the chassis, utterly neutral until a knowing hand takes the wheel and alternately provokes over-steer and under-steer on whim. It is no surprise this car has beat BMW's M5 at the track despite being well short of power. It's immediately transparent and easy to push - hard.
After being wined and lunched, we set off to work on our LeMons racers - at the other end of the automotive spectrum;-)
When I walked up to the midnight beauty, it seemed like a massive car. And it is. But sightlines are excellent and sport seats easily adjust to fit almost anyone. Rear seats adjust as well. I started off in auto mode and in the regular comfort mode. It handled like a big S-class Mercedes, wallowing a bit, but well controlled wallowing. Then hitting the sport button on the dash, everything changed. The dampers woke up and snubbed the car down almost like a Porsche Carerra, the tranny stopped slurring and snapped off shifts like a Prussian drill sergeant barking out orders, while the throttle response went from buttery to laser sharp. All of a sudden the car seemed to have lost 800lbs and 4 ft in length!
Oh, and did I mention the engine? Derived from the Ferrari V8, it pulls strongly from low revs, but really loves to live above 4000rpms. It's not exactly a torque monster at the lights, but is willing to get the job done. Of course that means serious speed rather quickly, so you need to be careful where you choose to deploy that kind of thrust. And the sound...a chorus of angels hammering away in God's own workshop of speed.
The QP has always been hammered for it's Duo-select transmission and the automatic has been a long time coming. This is one fine transmission! Almost DSG-like in it's behaviour. The torque converter stays locked up longer than any other auto I've driven, and delivers almost F1 style shifts for speed - but at many times the smoothness of the real auto-manuals. Even left to it's own devices in auto mode, it wasted no time downshifting at the slightest hint of aggressive driving. Large winged paddles on either side of the wheel allowed for a quick change even in auto mode, then reverted back to regular drive, while in manual mode with the sport button depressed, would allow you to bounce off the rev limiter.
The brakes? Well, they are massive and apparently stop the car really well, but seeing as there was virtually no traffic on a rural road, there was no reason to test them. I can say the pedal feel was totally natural, without the over-assisted feel in so many modern cars. Extremely easy to modulate from the start.
What any fan of Italian cars knows though, is that speed and refinement is nothing if your senses are not involved. The QP is gorgeous. The interior smells like an expensive handbag. The engine sings a deep throated aria. But the feel of the thing is what makes it authentically a great car. The weight of the steering wheel, feeding you details about the road surface. Enough, but not too much to tire. The feeling from the seat of your pants as your internal intertia sensors tell you about the lovely balance of the chassis, utterly neutral until a knowing hand takes the wheel and alternately provokes over-steer and under-steer on whim. It is no surprise this car has beat BMW's M5 at the track despite being well short of power. It's immediately transparent and easy to push - hard.
After being wined and lunched, we set off to work on our LeMons racers - at the other end of the automotive spectrum;-)
06-11-2007, 04:33 PM
#3
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
An A8 sized sedan shouldn't feel like an RS4 with nose weight reduction surgery, but it does!
I'm amazed that such a big chunk of car can handle like that!
Yes, most of our forum members don't want to spend a large chunk of change on something that depreciates like a Maserati, but for those who are looking for that last bit of driver enjoyment and don't need to brave winter snows, it doesn't come any sweeter than this.
Yes, most of our forum members don't want to spend a large chunk of change on something that depreciates like a Maserati, but for those who are looking for that last bit of driver enjoyment and don't need to brave winter snows, it doesn't come any sweeter than this.
06-11-2007, 08:20 PM
#5
AudiWorld Uber User
Thread Starter
The lease numbers are not out of line for a $130K luxury sedan.... before negotiation....
48 mo
2500 do
2273 per mo
36mo
2500 do
2549 per mo
Warranty is 4 years/50K miles.
2500 do
2273 per mo
36mo
2500 do
2549 per mo
Warranty is 4 years/50K miles.
06-12-2007, 07:26 AM
#7
I think I saw some lease specials on the "old" QP in the L.A. area a couple of months ago.
If so, I assume they were clearing out the pre-a/t inventory. A friend of mine has one of those and it is gorgeous...but a PITA to drive that old tranny in L.A. traffic.
I haven't checked, but I bet those lease numbers (from April) are pretty close to the S8 numbers, especially if the Maserati dealer is "dealing".
I haven't checked, but I bet those lease numbers (from April) are pretty close to the S8 numbers, especially if the Maserati dealer is "dealing".
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06-12-2007, 07:28 AM
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Re: Maserati Quattroporte review - just in case some of you are tempted to expand your fleets;-)
Nice review. I have been thinking about a QP for a while now. But I still think I'm going to keep my Mk2 RS6 production slot. Maybe a GranTurismo though. Especially when it gets a hp boost to around 430.Maserati's are just great looking cars. The price is going up though. I believe a new QP is like 10-15K more than last year's 95k. I am looking for a nice 2 seater,like the GranTurismo, or if I feel like spending the dough, an Aston Martin DBR9. But I would LOVE to take a new QP for a spin..
06-13-2007, 03:12 AM
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Well, you know how I feel about Alfas, Maseratis and emotion :)
The QP's a beautiful car, and only the 4 seat Aston can compete.
Oh, did I mention that someone in Singapore was selling a 1971 Montreal? Was seriously tempted.
Oh, did I mention that someone in Singapore was selling a 1971 Montreal? Was seriously tempted.