THE bored looking policeman on the Makkah expressway checkpoint raised an eyebrow and a hand. “What this?” he snapped, pointing to the front end of the Maserati Quattroporte Automatica. A trident that at first glance looked like a crown dominating the mesh had prompted the question. In a most un-regal fashion, I stepped out and guided him to the rear of the car. “Maserati.”
Light dawned in the officer’s eyes. Beckoning to his colleague, who promptly let several dozen relieved truckers through the gate, he nodded sagely. “Aaaah! Maserati.”
The Quattroporte, Maserati’s venture into the four-door super luxury category, has that sort of effect on people. The latest in a long line of cars to stir the soul of auto aficionados, the combination of luxury, four door configuration, turbine smooth six speed ZF gearbox and the sure touch of Pininfarina’s atelier has produced a head-turning sports saloon that when asked, rolls its sleeves up and charges ahead at a rock steady 260kph plus. Two models — the Automatica and the DuoSelect — in three trim levels each deliver six cars to the new marque.
“Above all, the Automatica must be sporty,” insisted Roberto Ronchi, Maserati’s CEO at the Monaco launch earlier this year. Even with the automatic gearbox aimed at the US market, where manual gearboxes seem to be considered an offence against human rights, and targeted more at the 40 — 45 year-old chauffer-driven rather than driving client, the car is very much a Maserati. The automatic transmission is a key technology for Maserati, which wants to grow much larger in the US in order to reach 10,000-car production capacity of its assembly plant in Modena, Italy.
The long hood with its slight downturn and gaping radiator grille raise atavistic memories of the lean-snouted red racing machines that made the company’s name. No mere design detail, the long hood allows the engine to be set behind the whole front axle assembly shifting the balance of the car towards the center to a near perfect 49/51 percent front/rear distribution and contributing to its train-like high speed stability. The wet sump engine and transmission, though deeper than their dry sump companion power unit in the DuoSelect, sits no higher in the engine bay.
Maserati’s ZF-built automatic gearbox is built to the same design as the BMW 3 Series convertible, and its fast, smooth shifts and crisp throttle response make it a challenger for the world’s best automatic. In the proper European manner the gear lever (selectable at will) allows upshifts with a rearward touch and downshifts with a forward push. Paddle shift mounted on the steering column are an option.
The hydraulic torque converter of the Automatica’s conventional six-speed automatic transmission makes this Quattroporte a little less sporty than with the DuoSelect’s six-speed servo-actuated automated manual gearbox but in defence of that, the car is aimed at the passenger and not so much the driver and its incredibly smooth operation borders on the surreal.
Maserati converted its V8 engine with its dry-sump oiling system and twin pumps to a conventional wet-sump oiling system with a single pump, a measure to make the Automatica’s engine quieter and more comfortable for America, explained Maserati’s Ronchi. The engine block and oil breather also have been changed.
The 4.2-liter V8 itself underwent some mechanical refinements, including new pistons and variable valve timing on the intake camshaft. It produces 400 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, yet its internal changes help produce more torque at a lower rpm than the DuoSelect V8, some 340 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm for the Automatica compared to 331 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm from the DuoSelect engine.
The extra low-end torque helps offset the Automatica’s 44 extra pounds of curb weight, although more fuel-efficient overall gearing makes the car slightly slower than the DuoSelect. As an aside, the Automatica gets almost 10 percent better fuel economy than the DuoSelect.
If, however, instant pace is a priority to the driver, the match of Ferrari-bred engine Automatica is not quite perfect. Some upshifts in “Drive” mode are slightly lackadaisical, though the transmission does deliver delicious throttle blips during downshifts. However, if you want the instant obedience of the DuoSelect, you will just have to buy one for weekends.
The Automatica’s ability to accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 5.6 seconds is no mean achievement for a 2000 kilo luxury GT, and the 260 kph plus top end is most satisfactory. When the engine is opened up it is a feast for the ears — a crisp ripping of silk from the four exhaust pipes sends a frisson of joy down the spine of anyone in earshot with the slightest passion for power.
The ZF-built six-speed automatic is a delight for everyday driving. In normal automatic operation, it shifts smoothly, almost seamlessly. Hit the button for the “Sport” mode and the transmission delays upshifts to 4,000 rpm and holds a gear longer through a corner to take advantage of the engine’s torque curve.
On the road, the car changes direction swiftly and easily. The steering dynamics were entirely predictable, save for a trace of under-steer when pushed into sharp curves at speed. However, that is forgivable given that there was a necessary compromise between comfort and smooth ride on one side and sporty feel to be sought for the Automatica on the other.
The interior of the Quattroporte class is what you would expect of a luxury Italian car; Frua leather upholstery and brightly-hued Tanganyika wood trim with a wealth of buttons to operate the sophisticated all-electronic systems in the car. The instrument panel is a combination of analogue and digital display with information on the car’s systems and status displayed between the rev counter and speedometer clearly but not intrusively.
As a car that promises exclusivity as standard — an interesting marketing oxymoron — at a higher level than for example BMW750i or the Mercedes-Benz S550, the Maserati workshops are prepared to fill almost any custom order imaginable, including new combinations of colour, leather and wood trim.
And speaking of buttons, I found the concept of an electronic parking brake distinctly uncomfortable and at odds with memories of fast-release hand lever hand-brakes, most especially as Maserati has such a long tradition of racing and sports cars. Somehow it was at odds with the sporty concept and I, for one, prefer to feel the bite of a parking brake when it is applied. That said, the Quattroporte is a joy to drive, has the thrust of a GT and the stability and sophistication of a luxury limousine. And should the driven become the driver — well, it is underneath the deceptive exterior still a real Maserati.