Maserati Quattroporte Review: 2007 Model | Quattroporte | Car Buyers Guide

2007 Maserati Quattroporte Review

Amputation is a nasty thing. But 'amputazione' somehow sounds kind of cool, certainly to a generation brought up on Peig Sayers. Given the choice between suffering Peig's story and removal of a limb, I'm not certain which I'd choose. However, if the book was rewritten in Italian, it would take on a whole new romanticism.

Car names are the same. Imagine Audi called its new car the 'four-door'. We'd laugh and point at the marketing men. Maserati gets away with it though with the far more alluring 'Quattroporte'. Maserati has used this name on its four-door models since the sixties and the current generation has been on sale since 2004. This year the model range expanded to six distinct models, though the big news is the option for the first time of an automatic gearbox.

Previous to 2007, the only transmission option was the DuoSelect, an automated manual with full automatic capability for when you are cruising and tactile shift paddles behind the steering wheel for when you want to bring the engine to life and attack an interesting piece of road. Given the luxurious interior and the cosseting ride of the Quattroporte (when not in 'Sport' mode), plus the generous space in the rear for passengers, it was unsurprising to hear that many customers would rather have a conventional automatic.

Maserati opted for a ZF-supplied six-speed unit, a slick gearbox we've tried in plenty of cars in the past couple of years. It still offers the driver a certain level of control, with sequential shifting available on the gear lever and on the car we drove (the Sport GT) there are paddles behind the steering wheel too. In reality, it's a better partner to the Quattroporte than the DuoSelect is. There are times where you'd rather experience the ferocious impact of a full-throttle upshift, but those instances are likely to be far outweighed by the more relaxing progress made with the automatic.

Other changes are minimal. The automatic car does without dry sump lubrication, with the assumption being that owners won't be cornering as hard; and there is a bit more torque available too. Despite the car's two-tonne bulk, it is incredibly rapid and needless to say the V8 sounds fantastic when pushing out its 400 horses at over 7,000rpm.

It's difficult to look at a car as beautiful and charming as the Quattroporte objectively. I'll admit that the BMW M5 is a better car in almost every aspect, but I'd still consider giving my right arm to have the Maserati in the garage.

 

Engine:
4.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8, 400hp, 460Nm
Transmission:
6-speed automatic
Acceleration:
0-100km/h 5.6 seconds
Top Speed:
269km/h
Economy:
14.7 l/100km
CO2 emissions:
345 g/km
Boot Capacity:
450 litres
Weight:
1,990kg
Base Price:
Approx. €190,000 as tested (not on sale officially in Ireland)
Verdict:
Fantastic sense of occasion and style, but if you step back and look at it logically, there are better cars available for less money.

4.5 Stars

See all used Maserati cars on Car Buyers Guide here.


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