Classic, luxury, and sporty are not commonly used in the same sentence when referring to sedans. However, the Maserati , I believe, has broken the mould when it comes to exclusive luxury. The quattroporte is effectively a four door version of the drop dead gorgeous Maserati GT (2 door).
These vehicles are still hand built and feature top notch build quality and overall finish, which is quite different from the much older generation Maserati. Outside, the vehicle looks like any expensive saloon, with an elongated bonnet that flows into the sloping windscreen. The rear end has a short boot with two square tail pipes that finish the back beautifully. The Maserati comes with 20 inch mag wheels which completely fill the wheel arches. The few clues that give away that this is an ordinary saloon (albeit far from that) are the four air ducts on each front fender as well as the red brake callipers that can be seen through the spokes of the mag wheels. No over-bearing spoilers or bodykits, just pure class.
Inside, the body hugging poltrona frau leather seats are extremely comfortable and are electronically adjustable. The driver’s seat automatically moves back when the car door is opened so as to allow easier entry and exit. The leather covered steering wheel has a fantastic feel with a perfect balance between road feel and control. This allows for an enjoyable driving experience whether you’re driving the vehicle at its limit or on short trips in suburbia. Creature comforts are obviously standard on this vehicle and include satellite navigation, bluetooth telephone to mention but a few. The interior is fully customisable from the colour of the seats, to the colour and type of trim on the doors and dashboard , making each one quite unique.
I’m sure many of you have heard the rumour that this vehicle has been fitted with a Ferrari engine. Well, this is true. The engine is built by Ferrari, but, it is slightly de-tuned when compared to the one fitted to the Ferrari. This particular one has a 4.7liter V8 whose that has a growl that can make any man weak at the knees. The interesting part of this growl is that it can be made louder by activating the sport button, but most of this wonderful growl is heard by the people admiring the vehicle. This is because the Maserati’s windows are double glazed, which means that it effectively has two pieces of glass that are sandwiched together leaving a vacuum in the middle, making the interior more soundproof than most homes and furthermore improves the climate control within.
On the road the vehicle is quite the Jekyll and Hyde as during city driving it is as easy as driving any luxury saloon including manoeuvring in the traffic or parking at the local cafe, that, is until you decide that you need to get somewhere quickly or in the Maserati’s case, very quickly. All it takes is to depress the accelerator and the automatic gearbox gears down in matter of milliseconds. The V8 engine comes alive and you find yourself a few centimetres further back in the seat. This will continue until you run out of road or reach the claimed top speed of approximately 285 km/h. Unfortunately, this speed will not last forever as the vehicle uses approximately 15 L per 100 km, so expect a few added fuel stops, but the drive is well worth it.
If you’re looking for a fast luxury saloon, you have a few options available to you, within the same price range, from the more common saloons to the super sports saloons. In my opinion the Maserati is an Italian beauty that has the looks, luxury and speed, not to mention the heritage which for me puts it close to the top of the list. At a start price of R1.4 million for the quattroporte classic (4.2 liter engine) and R1.5 million for the quattroporte GT sport, I think it is well worth checking out. Especially if you want something that is unique , has the growl of a Ferrari and the comfort of your living room.
Car Courtesy of Viglietti Motors (Pty) Ltd.
Azim Omar CA(SA).
