Maserati’s new goddess
seem almost irrelevant. With a top speed of 307km/h and a claimed 0100km/h sprint time of just 4.7 seconds, the V8 model will run with most sports cars.
The 3.8-litre twin-turbo motor is lovingly crafted in Ferrari’s Maranello factory and it’s credited with 390kW and 650Nm. Despite this, the direct injection engine is said to be 20 percent more efficient. A 301kW/550Nm 3-litre twin-turbo V6 will also be available, and it’ll offer the option of allwheel drive, but our launch experience was limited to the V8.
Sadly, unleashing the engine’s potential on the launch route of wet, narrow and often congested roads was not possible within the realm of preserving the car and everything around it, but on the few occasions that I got to mash the right pedal a bit, acceleration was truly explosive.
On the twisty sections of asphalt I was impressed by the nicely weighted steering system. It shines over the numbness that is the norm in this sector by providing a meaty and communicative sensation.
That last word applies to much of the driving experience, including the aural sensation. Thankfully engineers have not done much to damp out the sonorous wail of that twin-turbo V8, which permeates the cabin in a pleasant, but never overbearing fashion.
There is a glut of buttons to play with for those who want to alter the engine characteristics, exhaust note and adaptive suspension damping.
I found the
ride quality to be supple and compliant, even with the firmer suspension setting dialled in.
The Quattroporte is not