No other European flagship saloon offers the same
blend of sexiness and sportiness as the new-age Quattroporte
The Quattroporte (“four doors” in Italian) is the closest
thing to a Ferrari saloon for the sporty towkay who switches easily between a
business suit and a track suit. In its 2013 form, the Quattroporte (or QP) is
not only the fastest and most powerful four-door in the history of Maserati,
but also its most fuel-efficient. And the Ferrari connection is closer than
ever, with the Maranello marque assembling the Quattroporte’s all-new 3 liter
V6 and 3.8-litre V8 engines.
The design, expertly done in-house, is an evolution of the
predecessor’s Pininfarina styling, which has worn well throughout its nine-year
lifespan. Chief designer of Fiat Centro Stile, Lorenzo Ramaciotti, had a hand
in shaping that car, so the evolutionary exterior comes as no surprise.
2013
Maserati Quattroporte
According to Maserati stylists, the new look is a “morph” of
yesterday’s Quattroporte and today’s GranTurismo coupe. The signature
triangular C-pillars bearing the trident emblem, and the three side vents
behind the front fenders have been updated and retained, along with a long
bonnet to accommodate the V8. Nestled in a front-mid configuration, the engine
allows an extremely short front overhang. The body also boasts a 12 per cent
cut in drag and a 24 per cent reduction in lift.
The Quattroporte’s Monocoque is a rigid mixture of steel and
aluminum, the latter used for the bulk of the external panels, including the
doors, bonnet and the boot lid. And the front of the chassis is based around an
aluminum sub-frame. If Maserati had stuck to conventional materials and methods
in the car’s construction, the QP would have tipped the scales at over two tons
instead of 1900kg, which is 100kg lighter than the previous model.
At just over 1.48m in height, the car isn’t quite as
low-slung as the 1.42m Porsche Panamera, but the Maser’s metalwork appears
muscular and its wheelbase actually stretches further than that of the Mercedes
S-Class “L”. In fact, the whole car is longer than the archetypal German limo,
even though it looks more compact than that. Only when maneuvering the
Quattroporte through the narrow streets of Nice is its size obvious.
In the boiler room, Maserati has returned to turbocharging
after more than a decade of naturally aspirated (NA) power. Compared to the
4.7-litre NA unit, the new twin-turbo 3.8 V8 has ditched almost a liter of
displacement. There is also a second engine choice now - a 3-litre V6 with two
turbos, too. Both power-plants are made at the Ferrari factory.
The V8 produces 530bhp and 650Nm, respectively 90bhp and
160Nm more than the highly tuned V8 in the outgoing Quattroporte Sport GT S. An
over-boost function bumps up the torque output to 710Nm during full-throttle
acceleration, between 2250rpm and 3500rpm. Interestingly, there is also a
driver- selected “under-boost” mode called I.C.E. (Increased Control and
Efficiency), which moderates the engine power by 60bhp, drops the torque at
each gear’s take-up point, and softens the throttle pedal response. The
objective is to improve consumption and reduce emissions, while smoothening the
delivery of energy and minimizing wheel-spin on low grip surfaces.
The 3-litre V6, which shares most of its core components
with the 3.8 V8, develops 410bhp and 550Nm, the latter “flat” between 1500rpm
and 5000rpm. Like the V8, this V6 employs direct injection, high- tumble
cylinder heads, four cam phasers and a pair of parallel twin-scroll turbines,
each with its own air-to-air intercooler mounted away from the main radiators
for a constant supply of fresh air.
Honestly, a 6-speed automatic would have been adequate for a
turbo powertrain with a wide torque band, but it might have looked antiquated
among luxury cars with more gear ratios. As such, ZF and Maserati put eight
cogs into the casing. This torque converter auto has been engineered for a
7200rpm engine redline and shifts in 125 milliseconds - about as rapid as
Ferrari’s Fl-Superfast gearbox and the fastest dual-clutch transmissions. Yet,
it is silky smooth when “shifting” through town. Most importantly, this new
auto-box means RIP for the DuoSelect automated manual (and good riddance).
The Quattroporte remains rear-drive, but Maserati sprang a
surprise by announcing an all-wheel drive option meant for winter/ snowy
countries. The driveline in this case is a real-time, electronically controlled
multi-clutch that diverts up to 50 per cent of the torque to the front wheels
when it encounters slippery conditions, but most of the time it is entirely
rear-wheel drive.
The styling
combines the best of yesterday's Quattroporte and today's Granturismo coupe
On the go, the new QP initially doesn’t feel much quicker
than the old model, and its century sprint timing supports this
seat-of-the-pants feeling - 4.7 seconds versus 5.1 seconds. But beyond
100km/h... 150km/h... 200km/h and so forth, the difference in acceleration and
response becomes increasingly distinct. The run-out GT S reaches a maximum
speed of 285km/h (which is also where the newly introduced 3.0 V6 QP calls it a
day), but the 3.8 V8 QP continues to dash ahead until it hits 307km/h. The only
Maser with a higher top speed is the mighty MC12 homologation special, which
can reach 330km/h.
The 8-speed ZF “automatically” obliges whenever hard
acceleration is called for, and it even provides launch control, although it is
less aggressive than how the defunct DuoSelect “launches”. Paddle-shifters let
the driver override the system and decide his own shift points, but there is a
Sport auto mode that should be speedy enough for the petrol head in a hurry.
The interior is
straightforward with a massive digital entertainment unit placed in the center
The automatic is always slick in its actions, and with two
more ratios than the earlier 6-speeder, the lower gears were optimized for
better acceleration while the 8th gear was made an overdrive for quieter, more
economical cruising. Indeed, despite a smaller fuel tank (80-litre instead of 90-litre),
the new QP can travel over 670km on average before needing a refuel - around
100km further than the retired QP.
The suspension is mostly alloy, with steel springs and
Maserati’s Skyhook adaptive damping. The Skyhook system now works faster and
more accurately, with its default mode prioritizing comfort, although the ride
quality is always closer to that of a serious sportster than a boulevard
cruiser. Press the suspension button (with a damper symbol) alongside the gear
lever to stiffen the ride and sharpen the handling.
The QP is a big beast occupying much of the lane, so it
prefers wider open roads where it can perform in earnest. Even so, the large
saloon is nimble enough to tackle a mountainside switchback. It handles in a
more focused manner than its predecessor, yet its overall performance is more
refined.
