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01/10/2007
By EWAN KENNEDY
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As a designer of purebred sports cars, the Maserati marque is not willing to accept compromises. So even the four-door Quattroporte saloon is aimed at the high-performance grand-touring driver, not at someone who is more interested in image than actuality.
 One feature of the original Quattroporte was the use of a rear-mounted gearbox. This lets the front-mounted engine be set back behind the front axle. And combining the gearbox with the rear differential (an arrangement called a transaxle) keeps as much weight as possible within the wheelbase.
Trouble was, more and more buyers were looking for an automatic transmission instead of the traditional manual gearbox, even in sporting Italian cars. Maserati responded by fitting a robotised system to the manual gearbox. Though claimed to be Formula One inspired the system was flawed in its change actions, giving the sort of harsh upshifts in the lower gears that plagues most of these hybrid automated-manual transmissions.
So Maserati's engineers went searching for a suitable full automatic. Eventually deciding on the highly-regarded ZF six-speed that’s used in such diverse cars as Jaguars and upmarket variants of Australia’s own Ford Falcon. This transmission is capable of handling the big power and torque produced by the superb Maserati powerplant.
But there wasn’t space for the automatic at the back of the Maserati Quattroporte. Hateful compromises looked like being forced on the Maserati guys, but after a lot of hard work they were eventually able to keep their car true to its origins.
They had to mount the automatic immediately behind the engine, which required major modifications to the floorpan, but have managed to keep the engine in its setback position. There is some intrusion of the automatic into the front of the passenger compartment, but this is such a big car that you barely notice it.
The really good news is that the geniuses from Maserati and ZF have maintained the balance of the Quattroporte to a near-perfect 49/51 front/rear balance. And have kept the bulk of the driveline’s mass within the wheelbase to give the car maximum handling response.
Road grip is immense as the chassis works well both mechanically and through its electronic aids. Steering reaction is close to instantaneous and the big saloon communicates what it’s doing both through the steering wheel and provides excellent feedback through the seats.
 Ride comfort is surprisingly good considering the sporting nature of the suspension. But there are times when you will find it being knocked around by lumps and bumps.
The four individual leather seats support well so four adults can travel in comfort with good headroom and legroom for all. There are safety belts for five, but the centre-rear seat is strictly for emergencies as it’s severely restricted for legroom thanks to the big central console and the shaping of the centre portion destroys any attempt at comfort.
Styling of the interior is simply brilliant in a vivacious and elegant Italian manner. The dashboard is unashamedly sporting in its layout. Naturally, the traditional Maserati analogue clock takes pride of place in the dash centre.
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 electronic handbrake is a jarring feature, being noisy and harsh in operation. Back to the drawing board on that one…
The frontal styling of the big Maserati Quattroporte works beautifully thanks to the expansive air intake with its exquisite shape and bold trident logo. The side skirts stick way out and make a real statement of their intent. The tail end is purposeful, almost to the point of being aggressive as the big Italian shows its tail to the traffic.
The big 400 horsepower, 4.2-litre V8 engine produces a great burble even at low revs, reacts more than willingly to the slightest of throttle inputs and emits a race-type shriek when you really get stuck into it. Which is something that we recommend at every safe opportunity if you own a Maserati.
 Changes to the torque converter settings on the ZF transmission give sharp changes that suit the character of the big Italian perfectly. In another car they might be considered too hard-edged, but they are oh-so right in the Maser.
There's something about Italian sports cars that makes them stand out from others big sports machines. The Germans, the Brits, even the Americans make large two-door cars with plenty of performance, but none offer the same joy of life as the Italian cars. Go on, if you’ve got a spare $289,000 burning a hole in your bank account, give a Maserati a go… |
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