German Car Zone

All Together Now: A Little More of Everything for This Consummate Italian Sedan

Sometimes, the right stuff all shows up in one place. That's the case with the sportiest, fastest, highest-quality, and all-around best-ever Quattroporte. Maserati's elegant four-door has been a favorite since its introduction, but we wanted more power, a more appropriate transmission than the jerky old DuoSelect, and sportier tuning. These facets converge in the Sport GT S.

There are many detail improvements, but the short of it combines the GranTurismo S coupe's 433-horsepower, 4.7-liter V-8, a six-speed automatic transmission, 20-inch rolling stock, and edgier suspension, in the big Maser sedan. Think Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG versus S550. The GT S also benefits from last year's mild restyling, plus updated electronics and infotainment.


As soon as you fire this so very MOTORE ITALIANO, thumb the Sport button, which summons quicker shifts and opens baffles in the exhaust system to allow more tunes to burble out of the large oval-rectangular pipes. The engine's intake moan and blaring exhaust alone make the QP a more emotional ride than most other luxury sport sedans. ZF's well-calibrated transmission is a perfect dance partner, allowing automatic and manual modes plus Normal and Sport shift action. Selecting manual means MANUAL too; no upshifts at redline or downshifts at WOT, unless you command them with the Sport GT S's large shift paddles or via the floor shifter.


Full Story: Motor Trend - First Drive: 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S


M

I like this car a lot but as a sport sedan it's now a dinosaur as the performance and interior cabin is severely inferior to the Panamera. It's all back to the drawing board.

Truth be told, as much as I do like the Panamera's interior, i would take this over the Porsche in a heartbeat...I'm sold on the sound of that Italian V8 and the exterior alone.