Maserati is making its mark with a brand new model and a restyl

The unmistakable snarl of the Maserati engine purred through the car as we set off on a sun-drenched drive through the North Yorkshire Moors.

As I sunk into the leather interiors in front of the chrome-ringed dials of the Quattroporte, with its tight grip of the road and its distinctive Trident symbol gleaming on the front of its shark nose, it was obvious I wasn’t in my usual mode of transport anymore.

It’s not often my regular car draws any glances on the road, but the Maserati’s combination of sportiness and luxury is one that commands attention. And if they don’t see you, they’ll certainly hear you with that deep growl.

Though it sounds terribly sporty and a model in which the driver is positively pampered, the very name (meaning four door) is the giveaway that this is a family saloon, albeit a fancier one than most.

The model, the flagship of the Maserati brand, has been relaunched for 2017 with an exterior restyling, refinement of the interior, and additional high-tech features. But it still has that classic Italian style and elegance that has helped this model stand the test of time since it was first designed in 1963.

When it debuted at the Turin Motor Show that year it was the first time a Maserati racing engine had been placed inside a saloon and it still combines those worlds of sport and sleek practicality today.

I’d been asked to get behind the wheel as part of a press day to promote the new models, built by the brand’s team in Modena, Italy.

We were given a driving route which meandered through the Moors, past RAF Fylingdales and along the Whitby coast in which we could put the model and its 19” wheels through their paces.

It handles exceptionally well on the twisting roads of the Moors and takes a corner likes it’s on rails.

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