The 2008 Maserati Quattroporte - A High Performance Luxery Sedan
Back in 2004 Maserati began production of the Pininfarina-designed Quattroporte V with a high revving, Ferrari-sourced V8 engine and choice of either a super smooth ZF-sourced six speed automatic or the highly touted Duo Select transmission. A truley high performance luxery sedan for serious enthusiasts.
The 4.2L (4244 cc to be exact) 32 valve DOHC engine is left alone, borrowed from a Ferrari Modena and detuned a bit. Even in a tamer configuration, this supercar inspired engine boasts 400 horsepower and a 7000 RPM redline for ’spirited’ driving. The engine’s aggressiveness is truley shocking in comparison to the likes of Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the BMW 7-Series, Maserati’s main competitors for this car.
The German transmission experts ZF put together an exceptionally responsive automatic gearbox, with paddle shifters being a fun available option. Whether you’re into banging gears or letting the engineering do the work for you, expect a blistering 160+ mph top speed and 0 to 60 mph sprints in the mid 5 second range.
As for handling, all Maserati’s are renowned for their road holding ability - and the Quattroporte is no different. With exceptional front to rear weight distribution, 49 / 51 in the Quattroporte Automatic for example, the car is remarkably well balanced - a large contributer to traction and cornering ability.
So we know it goes, what about stopping power? Maserati’s got that covered quite well, with supercar level braking ability thanks to Brembro. Four wheel cross-drilled disc brakes and four piston (six on the Sport GT S) calipers all the way around, EBD and ABS, all controlled by the Maserati Stability Program (MSP) ensures stopping power in even the most extreme conditions.
On the inside you’ll find a truley luxerious and blissful experience. Electrically adjustable seats with memory settings, an ‘easy entry’ system and even massaging capability keep you comfortably fastened in during spirited driving. Automatic bi-zone air conditioning keeps you cool while the specially laminated thermal glass windows keep the sun’s glare and UV rays outside where they belong while an exceptionally high quality BOSE stereo system keeps you entertained.
This kind of German meets Italian flare comes in a few distribution flavors. The Sport GT, Executive GT, Automatica, and the Sport GT-S (sharpest of them all). You’ll be looking at around 16 MPG (miles per gallon) and a base MSRP of about $125,000 for the standard Quattroporte. Maserati expects to sell around 2300 units, nearly half of those in the United States.