flagship sedan, the Quattroporte, has always been about high fashion rather than raw performance. And sometimes when Maserati would try to blend the two, as it did in early editions of the car with its automatic clutch manual, the results were not particularly satisfying.
Rather, the came into its own when it replaced that hybrid transmission with a smooth-shifting ZF gearbox. On this go around, by injecting more sporting personality into the car, Maserati has gotten the mix just right.
The heart of the Quattroporte S is its larger 4.7-liter V-8, up a half-liter over the base model. It puts out 425 bhp. To accentuate this newfound muscle, Maserati has decided to make all Quattroportes (the base 400-bhp 4.2-liter model included) much more aggressive-looking with a slightly longer nose, reshaped headlamps and vertical instead of horizontal fins in the radiator shell, making the car look more like the sporty coupe.
Inside, the cabin becomes more refined with much more supportive front bucket seats, a new thick steering wheel with handy thumb grips and a revamped center stack with new controls and a Bose navigation and sound system with a 40 gig hard drive.
The fashion side of the equation hits a high note, but it's the driving that stirs your soul. The new engine gives the car a spirited feel enhanced by the V-8 sounds that only an Italian engine can make. The ZF transmission smoothly shifts through its six forward gears seamlessly. Or you can pop the lever in manual mode and use the shifter or column-0mounted paddles to make the engine sing through the different gear ranges.
Best of all, the Quattroporte S features larger 19-in. wheels and tires along with a magnetically controlled shock system called Skyhook. There are two modes, Comfort and Sport. Hit the Sport mode and you'll notice engine revs climb by 500 rpm, the steering stiffens up ever so slightly and the suspension becomes tightly drawn like a bow, enabling you to point and shoot this large sedan with amazing accuracy and feedback.
The Quattroporte S is one of those special once-in-a-lifetime cars, the kind you dream about in your lottery-winning fantasies (as it should with its estimated $125,000 sticker). Still, with Maserati's total production of both GT and Quattroporte at less than 15,000 annually, there is an element of exclusivity that others can't match. Bravo.
- 425-bhp 4.7-liter V-8
- Skyhook adjustable shocks
- Aggressive new looks
- High Euro makes this baby expensive
- Fitted luggage is optional
- Not particularly fuel efficient
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