Vehicle: 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT automatic
Price as tested: CDN$159000

Performance: Astounishing is just the beginning to describe Quattroporte’s performance prowess. With a Ferrari-derived 400hp 4.2 liter 32-valve DOHC V8, powerful is a just an understatement. Its amazingly fast and refined, with sexy Italian music howling from the beautifully crafted exhaust pipe. The engine note gets even sexier when rev pass 4500 rpm. When mesh the throttle from the standstill, 339 lb/ft of torque is able to scream the tires during take-off. Despite all this power, Maserati engineers are able to tune it elegantly into this gorgeous supersedan. Our tester comes with the newly developed 6-speed automatic transmission. Maserati figured most of the potential buyers would love to have an automatic over sequential gearbox for comfort reason. They have done a marvelous job with this auto tranny. Its simply the quickest and swiftest shifting manumatic I have ever driven. Its shifts are even faster than the Tiptronic-S currently resides in the 911 Turbo.

Handling: No one would imagine such a large sedan is able to have this kind of agility. Maserati engineers are capable enough to develop a chassis that mated with active suspension, which work perfectly for each others. The setting is sporty without losing the luxury one expects from this price tag. The active suspension has done a great job absorbs every roughness and bumps on our roads when needed. When you consider Quattroporte’s tuning is more toward hard-edged performance than all-out comfort a.k.a Mercedes-Benz AMG, the slight firmness of ride comfort is more than forgiving in daily driving. With front 245/35 ZR20 and rear 285 30 ZR20 Pirelli tires on our Sport trim, along with nearly perfect 50/50 weight distribution. This machine just eats the cones on our pylon testing. The steering is sharp and precise without being twitchy on the highway. The body rolls are catch to a minimal. The oversteer is easy to correct and catch. Its stability control is also one of the best in the industry. Its not an instrusve unit as it doesn’t kick-in unnecessarily like some of its direct competitions. The overall balance of chassis and suspension are simply unbeatable, anywhere in the price range.

Brakes: Our Sport tester comes with Brembo brakes, as with usual 4-wheel discs and ABS. The stopping distance is amazingly short with wonderful pedal feel and modulation. Consider Quattroporte weights over 4300 lb, its nothing short of astouishing.

Interior: Stunning is the best description of Quattroporte’s interior. Along with the beautifully stitched leather seats and carbon fiber trim in our tester; the rest of the interior detailing is simply the work-of-art. The center clock is tastefully designed and made. Auto climate control works perfectly for our cloudy spring weather without all the quirks previously resided in Italian machines. The multi-function steering is an art to look at and pleasure to touch, thanks to its gorgeous design stitched in superb leather material.

The back seat space is spacious with plenty of head and legrooms.

Conclusion: The Quattroporte is simply the best automatic supersedan I have ever driven. The biggest difference between this Maserati and its German peers is the Italian passion built into the whole package. In the performance Audi, BMW and Mercedes; you feel like driving a supersedans built from a granite-of-steel with straightforward driving dynamics and performance. In the Quattroporte, it got a sense of Italian passion and romance built into its driving character. This alone make those Teutonic supersedans feel cold in comparison.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2007 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.75/5