by Michael Schratter
Papa Ferrari has sown new heathens, and all of their names begin with Maserati.
Background:
The 1980s were an especially dark time for Maserati, with the Biturbo having a reputation for being unreliable and rather plain. In the early nineties, the Maserati stopped importing cars into North America completely, with fiat buying the company in 1993.
In 1997 the Biturbos were halted and the factory closed for a total refurbishing. With Maserati in a vulnerable state, Ferrari initially bought 50 percent but went on to acquire full control of the name shortly thereafter.
Upon rebirth, Maserati produced two world-class cars: the four-seat Coupe and the two-seat Spyder roadster. With the availability of an F1-style gearbox, powerful V8 engines, and vastly improved build quality, the new Maserati cars were introduced to the U.S. market for 2002 and have restored status to this Italian sports car once again.
2005 was a transitional year for Maserati. The year saw the reintroduction of the Quattroporte luxury sport sedan, which is now accompanied by the voluptuous GranTurismo coupe, as well as the company’s split from Ferrari. Today’s Maseratis may lack the cachet of the marquee’s Italian rival but they hold the advantage of being considerably more affordable while still offering vehicles with supercar performance and sexy Italian styling.
My Drive:
Driving a 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT off of the auto/ONE lot, the exhaust note immediately commanded my attention; the Ferrari supplied V8 under the skin made such a beautiful bark. The jet-engine-in-need-of-a-tune-up sound was so guttural, so bass. Yes, the throaty Maserati makes Germanic luxury sedans sound… how who should I say this, umm… ahh… dare I say, pathetic?
With no true manual transmission, the Quattroporte Sport GT DuoSelect system offers modes that are purely automatic, purely paddle, or a blend of the two. I found the DuoSelect F1 transmission most entertaining when paddled through its 6 gears. In aggressive driving the paddle shifts were a little drawn out, but when the gear popped, boy oh boy was the surge breathtaking.
You might think it to be sacrilegious not to have a true manual with an Italian car that has a Ferrari supplied V8, but in this case it works. The Quattroporte is for the comfort-seeking demographic, the weekend warrior with discerning tastes and a flare for mischief.
For a car of its size, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it dove in and out of corners. Unless provoked horrendously, the Maserati maintained rigid and didn’t shift its girth. It is superbly controlled, utterly without float, and yet never harsh or jiggly. And despite the ultra-low-profile tires, comfort issues are nonexistent. The GT’s ride is the near side of ideal.
Appearance:
If a 400-hp, 4.2-litre V8 connected to a 6-speed paddle-shift transmission doesn’t impress, just take a look inside. Apart from a few carbon fiber accents, the interior of the Quattroporte had black leather everywhere. As Maserati says, it offers “the kind of couture luxury that only the lucky few can afford.”
Heading outside, marking the Quattroporte as a real Maserati, the legendary trade-mark trident is branded in the center of the chrome-framed front grille. The car’s styling is antagonistic, yet elegant and manages to be free of even the slightest hint of fussiness. The side profile of the car is dynamic thanks to three air inlets on either side of the front end, while the headlights being set slightly back from the grille accent the aggressiveness of the car’s nose. The Quattroporte is a big refined car that manages a look of sport easily.
Unfortunately the Quattroporte’s tail end is weak in its styling. Outside of the dual double exhausts protruding beautifully from the mid rear bumper skirt and the “Maserati” written in cursive chrome above the rear license plate on the trunk, the Italian menace’s derrière unfortunately resembles the forgettable tush of an early ‘90s Honda Prelude.
I have mixed feelings about the standard 20-inch wheel/tire package. Badass though they are, the ‘20s sidewalls look a bit petite in the Quattroporte wheel wells. That aside, my car was finished in beautiful gun metal gloss paint that was coupled with big red calipers behind aluminum rims. It all made for a very sharp body combo.
Bottom line:
If you want to make your neighbor’s S-Class look Plain Jane, if you want an executive sport car with a rear-biased 47/53 percent weight distribution, nimbly communicative and weighted steering, and, of course, a Ferrari-supplied V-8, well then, the Sport GT dives into corners and rockets along rolling mountain roads like no other sedan this side of a BMW M5.
I think that there is a saying, something like, “Every man likes a lady in public, and a whore in bed.” This little zinger aptly applies to the Quattroporte, which will gladly behave like a passionate Italian gal in a red dress, and yet if asked will behave like a virtuous Roman Catholic bishop too.
And it is this warmth and passion that allows Maserati to distinctly separate itself from its German counterparts. Devoid of the mathematical laws that encompass the German technicalities of speed through calculus and physics, the Italian competitor’s fervor flies fast. The comparison is between it and the M5, and give or take 5 grand, both are relatively similar in 2nd hand price point, and stats. But here is where they differ, only the one is exotic.
The Quattroporte Sport GT’s style, composure, and warmth of implementation make it a most enviable automobile. Couple its $112,200 list price that’s now floating half that with barely used 2007 models, and well, who would have thought a Italian prima donna could be so affordable?
Tags: affinity auto, auto/ONE, Maserati
I have a 2007 QP Sport GT and can say without doubt it is stunning. In grigio palladio with beige leather and burr wood the sport gt does the business with the befit of looking restrained. the comment on the wheel arches/tyre balance is well founded but i have cured that by upping the tyre profile which is easy now that Pirelli make Zeros in the next profile up. The result is it fills the arches more, makes the car look more compact, handles just as well with just a hint more compliance in sport mode and increases the final drive ratio by 3.5%. well worth the effort. On the last trip to Italy i criused at over 150mph for over 40 miles south of Naples, addmitidely it was 3 in the morning but what a drive. The Germans make terrific suit shifters with little passion whereas the Italians do passion by the bucket full. I’ve had villagers kiss the bonnet and offer rapturious applause in the more remote parts of Italy. The car is the star, the end.