BY all accounts, Maserati’s latest generation Quattroporte with the DuoSelect paddle-shift manual gearbox – which has been around since 2003 – is a stunning drive. We’ve never had the privilege of trying one of those but, judging by other performance cars with similar microprocessor-controlled manual transmissions, it most assuredly must be a thrill a minute to hustle along in anger. Snappy changes at the flick of a paddle ensure momentum is maintained at every cog-swop. And finger-tip shifting allows the driver to concentrate totally on the ribbon of tarmac ahead.
But what’s fun for the sporting driver can be a nightmare for passengers, those optimised powershifts resulting in neck-snapping progress for occupants without a wheel to hold on to. And, invariably, switching to self-shift mode for cruising through traffic can be equally problematic, the only way to smooth things out being to lift off slightly at each gearchange. That’s the reason for the new Quattroporte Automatica. Fitted with a state-of-the-art ZF automatic gearbox, it provides the kind of easy-going shifting owners expect from an executive saloon. And that, at long last, makes the Quattroporte a serious rival to grand saloons from mainstream luxury manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Jaguar. In a world full of German luxury cars, who wouldn’t be attracted by the prospect of an Italian alternative, particularly one with the rich history of Maserati behind it?
So why did Maserati take so long? The answer lies in the Quattroporte’s underpinnings. The ZF six-speed doesn’t fit with the drivetrain layout used in the DuoSelect model, so the whole configuration had to be revised. The ZF unit has had to be fitted up front, as in other luxury cars that use the same transmission, whereas the DuoSelect box is integrated into a rear-mounted transaxle. And that means the car’s mass distribution has moved from the 47/53 (front/rear) of the DuoSelect model to 49/51, necessitating some revisions to suspension settings.
Suspension is by dual aluminium wishbones at each corner, with built-in anti-dive and anti-squat geometry. Dampers are automatically adapted by a Mannesmann- Sachs Skyhook system that adjusts the settings according to the level of vibration transmitted by the road surface. Brakes are cross-drilled self-ventilating Brembo discs with four-piston calipers, front and rear, and are linked into ABS, EBD and ASR. On the Automatica, wheels are 18-inch alloy units, shod with 245/45 rubber in front, and 285/40s at the rear. The test car wore Michelin Pilot Sports. Adopting the ZF ‘box also necessitated adjustments to the V8 power-unit. Essentially the same as the V8 in the Ferrari 430, the engine features twin chain-driven overhead camshafts per bank and four valves per cylinder. Crankcase and cylinder heads are in heattreated aluminium/silicon alloy, and the balanced crankshaft, forged from tempered steel, runs in five main bearings. Ignition and fuel injection systems are Bosch 7.3.2 ME, and there’s an electronic drive-by-wire throttle.
Automatica versions of the unit, identifiable by their dark blue cam covers, are wet-sumped, whereas the DuoSelect units (red cam covers) are dry-sumped. The wetsump system allows packaging of the autobox. It also cuts down on the number of oil pumps needed, conserving power and improving refinement. The Automatica engine also has a reworked variable valve timing system on the intake camshafts and a revised piston design, tweaks that have helped increase mid-range torque to 460 N.m at 4 250 r/min, compared to 450 N.m at 4 500 from the DuoSelect.
Styling-wise, the Automatica follows the conservatively voluptuous form of its established sibling, but can be distinguished by the horizontal slats in its grille and unique alloy wheels. The smooth lines are both distinctive and elegant, enhanced by jewel-like detailing, such as the three “portholes” on either side behind the front wheelarches, with the Pininfarina signatures below them, but spoilt somewhat in the eyes of some by the reverse/tail lights, which remind one of those on the unlamented final iteration of the Daewoo Nubira. But there’s such an air of quality about all the fittings that one can forgive a slight lapse in taste. For example, sliding your hand around one of the solid alloy door-handles and pressing the button triggers a satisfying double-click as the electronic and mechanical compo- nents of the system work in sequence. And, door opened, there’s a sumptuous leather interior that reminds one of a Jaguar’s – far more appealing than the offerings of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and more stylish than an Audi’s. Maserati’s brochure says the upholstery is tailored by leather specialists Poltrana Frau, and is offered in nine different colours.
Available in five types, namely rosewood, walnut, mahogany, black piano and Tanganyika. The facia is stylish but conventional, with the traditional leaf-shaped Maserati clock in the centre, a binnacle (housing easy-to-read but rather “plain” analogue instruments) in front of the driver, and a woodfronted hangdown section accommodating the climate controls, buttons for the Bose sound system and the screen for computer and navigation displays. The controls for the ventilation system are mounted quite low, and there are many buttons, so its not easy to work things out quickly… but at least there’s no iDrive to contend with! The shifter is a conventionallooking PNRD unit, and space on the console is freed up by the adoption of an electric parking brake that engages automatically when the ignition is turned off. The front chairs are comfortable and supportive, though taller members of the test team complained that the triple memory electric adjustment (which includes steering position and mirrors) didn’t provide a low enough position for optimum comfort. An “easy entry” facility, which moves A cosy, comfy place to be the driver’s seat back automatically when the ignition has been switched off, facilitates entry and exit. Ensconced in the driver’s seat, you’re faced with a rather undistinguished looking multifunction wheel shorn of the paddle- shifts one previously associated with the Quattroporte. Space in the rear cabin is subjectively not as voluminous as in top models from the German Big Three, or even the latest XJ, but it’s a cosy, comfy place to be, with electrically adjustable individual chairs and individual climate control settings for two passengers.
There’s also a button allowing rearseat occupants to slide the front passenger chair forward electrically… thankfully, there’s no facility to do this to the chauffeur’s seat! The automatic bi-zone air-conditioning works well, allowing passengers on the left and right to create their own “ambience”. The interior is insulated from the outside world by laminated thermal window glass, and “our” car was fitted with an electric sunroof. Presumably as a result of efforts to maximise space in the rear cabin, the rear luggage compartment is not huge. The Quattroporte accommodated 252 dm3 of our standard ISO measuring blocks. Fire ‘er up with the conventional flick-blade key, and the V8 idles with a muted burble that speaks sohistication more than performance. Prod the loud pedal, however, and there’s a more aggressive growl, promising the kind of performance you’d expect from a Maserati.
Cruising in traffic, the car’s “waftability” is impressive. There’s the cocooning quality that is de rigeur for a grand saloon, along with effortless pick-up when you need to slot through a gap. The box is supersmooth, the changes almost imperceptible… but when there’s the yen to take over oneself, most of us sporting types would prefer paddleshifts (which are optional) to the tiptronic- style shifter. Depressing the Sport button makes the ZF hold on a little longer in each gear, extracting the maximum performance, but we found it never allowed the engine to rev over 7 200, some 300 r/min short of the red line. Ride is sublime, not the choppy, edgy comportment we’ve read about in tests of early DuoSelect versions. Smooth switchback roads provoke some floatiness, but choppy surfaces are masked impressively by the Skyhook dampers, and the Michelin Pilots fitted to the test car were super-quiet. Maserati classifies its Quattroporte range on a scale stretching from “relaxed driving” (the Automatica) to “involved driving (DuoSelect Sport GT). But point the Automatica at your favourite twisty road, and you still get a sporty experience. The Skyhook system firms up the dampers nicely, giving the car a more aggressive stance and sharpening up feedback. The steering is deceptively light, but feedback is excellent, and there’s the level of precision one would expect in a sporty machine.
The Automatica understeers at the limit, but a gentle lift-off will restore front-end grip, with no drama from the rear. Pressing on is a satisfying experience, with a near-perfect balance between comfort and roadholding – but the ultra-taut razor-sharp responses we’ve read about are obviously the province of the Sport GT versions, with their 20-inch wheels and sports suspension. The Quattroporte AT is also a heavy car, turning 2 079 kg on our Longacre scales, roughly the same mass as a Mercedes-Benz S500. Carrying two testers, 30 kg of test equipment and a full tank of fuel, the test vehicle surged from rest to 100 km/h in 6,22 seconds, right on par with the similar-powered SClass, but a little off the 5,6-second time claimed by the manufacturer. The kilometre mark flashed by after 25,68 seconds (at 223 km/h). Top speed is 272 km/h. The best results were achieved with the shifter in Drive, the ZF changing up smoothly at 7 200 r/min.
The Brembo discs do a great job of reining in the two-ton car, our 100-to-zero braking test turning up an excellent average stopping time of 2,76 seconds. CAR’s Fuel Index for the Quattroporte AT works out at 15,85 litres/100 km, which equates to a range of 568 km on a 90-litre tank of unleaded.