When you think of Italian automakers, you might first think of Ferrari or even Lamborghini. However, not far behind those names would be Maserati, an auto company known for its distinct blend of luxury and practicality.
Formed by the seven brothers Maserati in 1914, the automaker’s famous trident was first recognized for building famous race cars, such as the 1957 world championship-winning 250F and the Maserati Birdcage. Through the years, street cars became the company's main focus, starting with popular sport coupes. Along the way, Maserati also developed a sedan called the Quattroporte (meaning simply “four-door” in Italian). For the past 43 years, the Quattroporte has become the definition of an Italian super sports sedan. Now in its fifth generation, the Quattroporte has been reborn for the 21st century and, in turn, has brought new prestige to the Maserati trident.
the luxury ride
With a body sculpted by the famous Pininfarina design house, the Maserati Quattroporte exists as a four-door sedan that wants to be a sport coupe. Exclude the outside door handles and the portholes from the front-quarter panels, and the Quattroporte’s slippery lines carved in steel and aluminum are so simple they're astonishing. While appearing ultramodern, many Maserati lovers will surely detect traces of the first-generation Quattroporte design dating back to 1963.Under the Italian bonnet lies an eight-cylinder, 4.2-liter engine that gives birth to 400 Italian horses. This horsepower feeds a unique manual/automatic transmission. Known as DuoSelect, drivers are rewarded with the option of using an automatic gearbox shift or a manual gear selection through column-mounted shifter paddles. With the 4.2-liter V8 and the addition of the DuoSelect, this powerhouse combination from Maserati skillfully delivers the car from zero to 60 in a stout 5.2 seconds, while supplying a top speed of over 170mph -- impressive performance numbers and fitting for one of Maserati's sports cars.
Inside the Quattroporte is where luxury counts. Taking the wheel of the Quattroporte, the driver feels the functionality of a multimedia console in the center of the dash, allowing access to a navigation system, radio controls and a GSM phone. Moreover, within the center console, you’ll find a small refrigerated compartment to keep your iced cappuccino cool during long summer drives. As for rear-seat passengers, they can enjoy the Quattroporte’s entertainment system, featuring independent climate controls, television screen, DVD player, and inputs for other video devices. As for the ride itself, all passengers rest upon a response suspension system that employs active dampening to allow the car to sail controllably over harsh roads.
If the standard state-of-the-art Maserati sedan needs to cater to you more, the Quattroporte is available in three trim levels, including a Sport GT and Executive edition. Although the Sport GT and Executive packages are mostly cosmetic, a handful of specific features adorn each Quattroporte trim. The luxury-themed Executive offers built-in privacy curtains and a massaging rear seat with electric passenger-controlled adjustments. The performance-minded Sport GT rides on hearty 20-inch wheels and a deeper-sounding exhaust. Beyond the trim levels, Maserati has also allowed an unprecedented amount of color options, including 15 exterior colors, 10 different shades of leather and 13 choices for stitching yarn.
The verdict
While it may share many of the electronic amenities of its competitors, the Quattroporte does a fine job of bringing Maserati's traditional sense of Italian luxury into the 21st century.Luxury score: 45/50
How does the Quattroporte fare in terms of practicality?
the practical ride
It's clear from the base sticker price of $103,700 that the Quattroporte is not a sedan for the average motorist. But for high-end buyers with more practical minds, the Quattroporte's price is above that of the Lexus LS 430 but lower than the Bentley Arnage and the Maybach 57.After purchasing the Quattroporte, Maserati offers a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty. However, vehicle maintenance may prove problematic because of Maserati's small North American dealership network. Also, with the Maserati Quattroporte production number running about 4,000 per year (with 1,800 earmarked for America), the inventories for replacement parts will be scarce. This potential drawback is compounded by the fact that the Maserati nameplate had been hurt by its past models' reliability records.
Spanning across a 120.6-inch wheelbase and a 74.6-inch width, the Quattroporte touts a 16.5-foot body length, serving as a comfortable ride for its five-passenger capacity. The Maserati Quattroporte's trunk size is comparable to the competition at 15 cubic feet, in spite of the vehicle's rear-mounted transmission threatening to steal that precious space.
Although the roar of a Maserati eight cylinder might send you to a palace of performance, the 4.2-liter engine will haunt you with an unflattering 12mpg in the city and 18mpg on the highway. The 4,250-pound curb weight may also fail to do any favors for the sedan's fuel mileage. Other than being a pain to your wallet at the gas pumps, the Quattroporte is also subject to an unpleasant gas guzzler tax in the United States at purchase.
The verdict
Of course, if you're even looking at a car like this, you know the allure to the Maserati Quattroporte isn't really fold-down rear seats, $19.99 oil changes or 12mpg fuel economy. Just be aware that owning one of these cars will remind you of that fact.Practicality score: 36/50
and the total is...
Like a fine Italian opera, Maseratis endure ages after their creation. And in the case of the Quattroporte, Maserati has created a luxury sedan that exists as a modern expression of an old piece -- a car where technology such as the DuoSelect transmission merges with classic elegance in the leather and woodgrain interior.Ultimately, the Maserati Quattroporte’s six-digit retail price won’t attract the Mercedes and BMW crowd. However, for the extra change, one can imagine this car as offering a personalized notion of luxury motoring. A rare taste of Italian touring, the Maserati Quattroporte can boldly match wits with the best of Germany, Britain and Japan in comfort and performance.
81/100
References:http://www.autos.aol.com/
http://www.edmunds.com/
http://www.maserati.com/
http://www.maseratiamerica.com/
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