2006 Maserati Quattroporte Reviews

In their infinite wisdom, Italians have had a fetish for fussy transmissions.Not just automatic or manual or straight up and down sequential deals; but these fiddly operations that don't do any of the aforementioned smoothly, quickly or with any degree of finesse.Alfa Romeo has been a classic example with its Q-system tranny.Convoluted they are and Maserati's automated manual DuoSelect system is a quirky affair not suited to everyone's tastes or needs.So it is to a warm welcome that Maserati has added a conventional sequential box to the biggest and most refined car in its streamlined range.Maserati's move to add the highly decorated ZF 6-speed automatic transmission to its cracking, great big Quattroporte saloon, which has used the DuoSelect system since the 2003 launch, was always going to be a masterstroke.The only challenge was that it needed reasonable engineering changes to the 4.2-litre V8 and the floorpan to install the ZF.This auto box is on the back of the engine at the front of the car as opposed to the manual's location longitudinally mounted on the rear differential.The engine has also switched from dry to wet sump lubrication.Well balanced yet sporty, the rear suspension also came in for a rejig.There is a slight shift in the weight distribution with a 49/51 front/rear split as opposed to the DuoSelect's 47/53.Torque has risen 9Nm to 460Nm, of which 75 per cent is available at 2500rpm while the power output of 295kW is reached at a howling 7000rpm.The Sport GT version, priced from $288,000, is dressed in 20-inch wheels with fatter and lower profile Pirelli P Zero tyres fitted at the rear than the front.This version has a split personality that is far from being frowned upon is welcome with open arms.In sports mode the engine sounds angrier, the dampers firm up, the revs rise and gears are held for longer. And you can pick gears on average a massive 35 per cent quicker than in normal mode. This is possible through a bit of tinkering with the electro-hydraulic transmission system's CPU.It is also louder and prouder,  the aural experience more than anything piques your senses and lifts the heart-rate.Use the giant paddles integrated on the sports steering wheel and in this guise the Quattroporte is a blast.Pressing the sport button, one of several in a vertical line on one side of the centre console screen, gives you instant attitude with the sound spewing out of the quad pipes going from a delightfully gruff rumble to a wilder, more manic tune in keeping with its Ferrari roots.On the road the ride is reasonably compliant although there is some compromise over harsher surfaces with the 20-inch wheels (standard with the Sport GT) hanging off each corner.This is but a blip to the overall package.For such a big car, the new Quattroporte with the ZF tranny steers and handles remarkably well.There is a nice balance to the weight of the tiller and it is fairly sharp, while the body remains composed with the active suspension, which Maserati famously calls Skyhook helping to keep a solid contact patch with the road.There are other driving settings to play with like normal, winter and ice but with the latter not conducive to Queensland and normal designed to be employed if you've lost the desire to be entertained, Sport was given a fair workout on this test.If you prefer everything to be less edgy, racy and not as primed, then normal mode does a nice job of giving you the performance and comfort to transport you and passengers to a fine Sicilian restaurant in cosseted luxury.There are enough safety systems to cope with the performance of this piece of Italian exotica with MSP stability and traction control and six airbags and massive brakes.And there is a fifth three-point seatbelt for the middle passenger in the rear seat.A gentle dab on the brakes gives you enormous confidence. These anchors are powerful and the pedal feel is finely modulated.The Quattroporte, like Bentley's similarly aspirational Flying Spur, offers a point of difference, to the traditional German large sedan crowd.What you don't get is a whole lot of boot space, which is compromised and what's more there is no spare to swallow up any room either, although there is a little bit of storage room underneath the floor.Officially the combined city/highway drinking rate of this Quattroporte is 14.7litres/100km. On travels between the Gold Coast and Brisbane in peak hour, our consumption was a little kinder, sitting at 12litres/100km.Some of the controls are a bit cumbersome but then again if you owned one for longer than a week you could probably operate switches and dials blindfolded.Maserati has evolved the Quattroporte, courtesy largely of the ZF box, into a fabulous package.The prediction is that the automatic will quickly account for 80 per cent of sales and after sampling this offering over 400km it is not hard to see why.It feels special, drives exceptionally well, has killer looks and sounds as commanding as an opera in Verona's famous Arena. The QP is not part of the mundane luxury crowd. That's what makes it such a hot package. SnapshotMaserati Quattroporte Sport GTPrice: $288,000Engine: 5 starsLoud and proud yet blissfully smoothTransmission: 4 starsThe 6-speed ZF is a winner, programmed to perfection with the Ferrari-sourced V8Handling: 4 starsMeaty steering and its nimbleness defies its aircraft-style carrier bulkSafety: 4 starsTicks all the boxes with a good dose of electronic brake, stability and suspension aids as well as six airbags.Value: 4 starsEasier to justify with its gorgeous styling and Ferrari engineering flavour than a German number which could have come off a limo fleet Tech specs Body: four-door saloonEngine: 4244cc 90-degree, quad cam 48-valves, wet sump V8Transmission: 6-speed ZF automatic/sequentialPower: 295kW @ 7000rpmTorque: 460Nm @ 4250rpmTyres: front - Pirelli P Zeros 245/35 ZR 20; rear - 285/30 ZR 20Dimensions (MM): 5052 (l), 1895 (w) 1438 (h) 3064 wheelbaseFuel consumption: 12l/100km (as tested)0-100KM/H: 5.6sVerdict for: Exquisite styling, fabulous powertrain, sharp handlingVerdict Against: Some of the onboard controls are a bit tedious, cramped boot.Overall rating: 4 starsHas a spirit that fuses red-blooded touring car performance with six-star pampered luxury 

It's not as though Italy won't do autos, such things are increasingly available in Alfa Romeos even in the ostensibly sporty Brera.It's more that Italians seem to regard slushers as an affront to what they believe fervently is their collective ability to drive like gods of the racetrack.That said, on the whole they make Australians look like the neophytes they are. Then there's the question of the auto's state of origin — the United States.The Italian attitude can be discerned in any car-hire establishment; in their boot-shaped peninsula wherein requests for auto are greeted with by a semi-sneering, eyes-rolled-towards-the-heavens: 'American transmission.'That the feted marque Maserati has fitted a torque converter auto to its flagship Quattroporte sedan and can be seen as a milestone.When the Quattroporte Automatica was presented to the world in Monaco earlier this year, the company suggested that this gambit was being made with women in mind.That's the sort of quaintly patronising candour that would get you hauled up before HR over here, never mind that it happens to be true.In fact, the move stems from Maserati's need to be seen as a genuine alternative to the top-end automated Teutons; (Automoteutons?) such as Mercedes-Benz's grandiloquent tourer, the CLS 63 AMG, and BMW's relentlessly capable but aesthetically appalling 7 Series.Until now, the seductive Masers have come with a 'Formula One-style' DuoSelect gearbox that, while having a Drive mode and no clutch pedal, could be a lurching, jerking and decidedly non-luxurious thing to drive.While the hardcore will cling zealously to these things, the overwhelming majority of new Quattroporte buyers will now tick the automatic box.Miscreants have chided that the six-speed unit used by Maserati is supplied by the firm ZF, who also make the unit fitted to Ford's humble Falcon. The two are to each other what Jacob's Creek Shiraz is to Hill Of Grace.Epic re-engineering was undertaken to adapt the ZF to the car without adversely affecting its near-optimum weight distribution, and to enable it to accept its high-revving, Ferrari-supplied 4.2-litre V8.The means by which this was achieved is a story in itself. Suffice to say it works beautifully and those whose machismo (or lack of it) is not linked to their transmission will find that Quattroporte auto drives almost as adroitly as DuoSelect.Certainly the new deal is sweeter in most forms of driving. In any case, the auto has a manual option that can be enhanced by in the upper-spec models; with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.For the main part, it simply won't occur that a torque converter is present, though flatten the loud pedal and it will kick down the appropriate number of gears whether it's in manual mode or no.Against that, the paddles can override Drive, though full auto function returns if you leave the flippers alone for a bit.Another upshot of the mechanical jiggery pokery; entailed by the auto adaptation is that the new models are actually fractionally better balanced than DuoSelect cars. Forty nine per cent of their weight is toward the front; 51 per cent aft.The 295kW Fazza bent-eight engine now offers lower fuel consumption. Rather more to the point, it offers more torque, the peak level of 460Nm attained at 4250rpm.If the Maser is a balm to the eye, it's certainly a blessing to the ears. The Quattroporte cannot match the autobahn-sturming Merc and Bimmer in a straight-line blast (the auto adds 0.4 seconds to the standard sprint distance), but it will resonate like Pavarotti hitting the climactic bit of Nessun Dorma.If the ride is less cloistering than other luxury sedans, the Maserati's boundless appetite for consuming corners provides a massive pay-off.Accurate, if somewhat bantam-weighted steering, prodigious grip and willingness to hang on through mudguard-scraping bends utterly belie its almost two-tonne unladen weight. The automobile weighs in 70kg above the DuoSelect.Indeed, although always with the exception of the 7 Series, winding roads tend be where the Maser leaves behind those rivals listed below.With the first-class interior enhanced by such contrivances as cupholders and an electronic parking brake, the Quattroporte Automatica can be just as sedate as any luxury barge. However, a smallish boot compromises its golf-club facility.The inside story is one of bespoke elegance. You can stipulate a level of fitting and finish comparable to a suit tailored by Brioni, with myriad combos of wood-grain panels and leather trim.The two new exterior colours, a deep blue and a dark metallic, become the car though not so as well as the pearlescent white. There's also a new woodgrain interior feature, Tanganyka, and a new interior trim, Grigio Ghiaccio.The Quattroporte Maserati has always exuded an air of affluence in keeping the trident badge, it's just that now with the creamy ZF, it won't behave in traffic as though its been stuck in the bum with a trident.Drive the Maserati in the spirit intended and you'll discover not so much a rival for the usual luxury suspects, but a car that attains levels to which they don't aspire — and it does so automatically.Oh, the power and apassionata. At last, a genuine Latin alternative to the Teutons.

Hard-driving, head-snapping clutchless manuals maybe, but a custard smooth, do-nothing self-shifter. Never.Yet, with the six-speed ZF transmission — a refinement of the same box used in the Ford Falcon — slipped into the Quattroporte, Maserati has not only produced an automatic with true sporting character but solved a niggling issue that has plagued the badge for years.Almost as an aside to the re-engineering required to switch from the transaxle rear-mounted DuoSelect layout to the ZF's traditional automatic position behind the engine, Maserati now has steering to be proud of.Gone is the nervous vagueness of previous cars, along with the suspension harshness that is often passed off as “sporty”. In its place is a mature assuredness. Nice off-centre sharpness and a linear weighting as the steering loads up.Moving the gearbox forward resulted in a weight distribution of 49:51.With a reworked rear suspension, new front bushing and retuned dampers, the seemingly minor change becomes significant. Changing the rear suspension geometry in the absence of the rear-mounted gearbox also helped to settle the car. In developing the automatic, Maserati was under no illusion about how important it was going to be to the brand.“There are a small core of owners who enjoy driving the DuoSelect but we had a good deal of evidence of potential owners who steered away from the cars because there was no automatic,” Maserati Australia boss Ed Butler says. “Of the customers who have already ordered the automatic, something like 70 per cent are new to Maserati.”Despite the Gransport being in run-out and almost unattainable and the new Gran Tur-ismo not appearing until next year, Butler has seen a 50 per cent increase in sales over 2006.“Last year we sold 121 Maserati in Australia and New Zealand of which 64 were Quattroporte,” Butler says. “This year we have asked the factory for 180 cars, all but a handful of which will be Quattroporte — and 80 per cent of those are automatics.”At the heart of developing the automatic was the need to protect the dynamic performance-car image of the Trident badge.“When working with ZF it was crucial that the essence of Maserati was protected ... the car must rev to 7200rpm, it must accelerate in the five second range, it must have a sporty character — all the things that make a Maserati a Maserati must remain,” Butler says. “It wasn't an easy task but the result is all we asked for.”With a top speed of 270km/h and 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.6 seconds, this is one quick automatic sports saloon — but that is just a small part of the picture.While there is the option of shifting manually — in the manner of a tiptronic — with either the gearshift lever or optional wheel-mounted paddles, there isn't much point in it.With the sport button selected the car quickly adapts to the driver's style with adjustments in throttle sharpness and shift pattern. Drive hard and the gearbox joins in the fun, settle into a cruise and it is laid-back central.The 4.2-litre, V8 has also been tweaked and refined. A wet-sump lubrication system is new along with redesigned inlet manifold and airbox, variable valve timing and modified pistons to improve combustion.Power remains constant at 295kW but torque is up 10Nm to 460Nm at a lower 4250rpm and fuel economy is improved by around 9 per cent.Cabin refinements include an automatic park brake that engages when the engine is switched off and releases as you drive away. There are also two “supersize” cup holders — crucial when the US is the vehicle's largest market. With three trims, the Quattroporte Automatic is similarly priced to the DuoSelect: $269,000 entry level, $288,000 Sport GT and $298,000 for the Executive GT. It is on sale now.

The trident logo on the grille and the hefty proportions – five metres from tip to curvaceous tail – give it the look of some sleek speedboat that’s grown wheels.Inside, it’s a lush millionaire’s playground, with more black and red leather than a bordello and enough carbon fibre to make an F1 geek weep.Beneath the prow – sorry, the bonnet - lies a loquacious 4.2-litre V8, good for 294kW and 451Nm of torque.The sheer size and 1863kg weight of the thing – not to mention the weight of the $258,000 pricetag – initially put you off having a genuine go.But the way the car’s superlative Skyhook suspension dismisses bumps and keeps you in touch with the road, the way it turns in, the Ferrari-like feel of the steering and the willingness of the engine eventually tempt you.It is then that you discover that not only is the rich band of torque available low down in the rev rage – for easy cruising – it provides a real shove through the top end as well. There’s even a big, fat pocket of power that waits in the shrieking 5000-7000rpm redline rush.Of course, if you’re exploring that part of the engine’s abilities, you’re probably breaking several laws at once. Then again, you’ll probably still have a massive smile plastered across your face by the time the police catch up with you.Get to know it, and the Quattroporte can provide some serious thrills – yet all the while your passengers, including the two in the back – are lounging around in louche luxury. The massive brake pedal has plenty of feel, but it seems like you need to really squeeze the stoppers at times. Of course, pulling up nearly two tonnes of expensive metal is a lot of work.If you leave the gearbox in D, it is smooth enough – although still not as seamless as a conventional six-speed auto (luckily Maserati has one of these on its way here soon). If you put it in Sport mode, however, the D-option really starts to feel shunty, and not very executive class at all.The best option, obviously, is to change the gears yourself, using the Rolex-feeling paddles behind the steering wheel. The bits where your fingers touch the back of the flappy bits is even lined with soft material. Nice. The DuoSelect transmission’s changes are fabulously quick and effortless, but the whole effect was spoiled for me by the fact that the paddles don’t turn with the wheel, so if you want to change a cog mid-corner, you have to take one hand off the tiller.Other car-makers fix this problem by having the paddles attached to the wheel, so they’re always near your fingers.Of course, it’s the kind of thing you’d only really notice if you’re pressing on. And most buyers of the Quattroporte don’t want to drive it like it’s a Ferrari. If they wanted a Ferrari, they’d buy one of those, too.The Maserati is a magnificent boulevarde cruiser and it eats up freeway miles with the kind of effortlessness a cheetah displays at a slow jog.But this super saloon has so much sporting heart that it seems a shame many owners will only ever trundle from yacht club to golf club in them.Every time there’s a Maserati sold to someone like that, there’s a group of engineers in Italy who go down to the café and cry quietly into their coffees.Then they go out, get drunk and be sick on their shoes.

In the simplest of terms, an automatic gearbox means more women customers are likely to get behind the wheel of a Maserati. And that's worth investing time and money in."We have a lot of potential customers who are not jumping into Maseratis because the DuoSelect (gearbox) doesn't suit them," Maserati head of vehicle engineering Paul Fickers says."People are used to finding performance cars with an auto gearbox."But protecting the marque's dynamic, performance-car image was equally important to Maserati — and that's what prompted a long development program that last week delivered to the world stage the new Maserati Quattroporte Automatic.Granted, the princely price tag for this auto Maser isn't so out of place in Monaco, where the car was launched.And Australians can actually think themselves relatively lucky that Maserati will keep pricing of the auto Quattroporte at about the same level as the Quattroporte with DuoSelect gearbox.It's a generous gesture, considering the significant engineering changes hidden beneath that stylish skin ... which, if you're looking to for something different, you won't find.The Quattroporte's face remains the same, but throwing a new ZF six-speed automatic gearbox into the mix presented quite a challenge to Fickers and his team."For starters, the gearbox is mounted at the front of the car instead of the rear to achieve the right weight distribution. And that makes for some quite massive changes to the car," Fickers says.The ZF gearbox — the same as is found in Ford Falcons and versions of the Territory, albeit with significantly different calibration — has been modified to handle the high revs required by Maserati, reaching 7200rpm before shifting up.It delivers a smooth driving experience while keeping unchanged the sporty behaviour of the Maserati V8.With a top speed of 270km/h and zero-to- 100km/h acceleration in 5.6 seconds, this is one quick automatic sports saloon — much more than a nice little accessory for the ladies.Manual changes can be made with the stick located on the central tunnel, which now also features two cupholders — a small thing, perhaps, but crucial for Maserati, which sells almost half its cars in the US.Paddle shifts are also an option on the Quattroporte and Executive GT models, but come standard on the Quattroporte Sport GT version.The challenge to Maserati engineers when developing the auto version of its best-selling model centred primarily on weight distribution, which is the key to the saloon's sporty handling.The DuoSelect model features a transaxle layout, with a rear-mounted gearbox rigidly connected to the engine. In contrast, the automatic transmission, with its hydraulic torque converter, is directly connected to the V8 engine.Weight distribution in the auto is 49per cent front and 51 per cent rear, compared with the DuoSelect, which has 47per cent of its weight over the front axle and 53 per cent over the rear.More weight on the rear wheels equates to more grip on the driving wheels, leading to better acceleration, improved winter-driving capabilities and better braking.Maserati has also overhauled the 4.2 litre, 295kW bent-eight engine in the Quattroporte for the auto version.It has adopted a wet-sump lubrication system and offers lower fuel consumption and increased torque levels. Peak torque of 460Nm is reached at 4250rpm, and fuel consumption is down, on average, by nine per cent, Maserati says.Another new feature on the automatic is an electronic parking brake, which not only makes room for those all-important cup holders but engages automatically when the engine is switched off.Naturally, Maserati is out to make a statement with its flagship vehicle.So, even though there are no changes to its flesh, the Quattroporte can be dressed up with two new colours — Blu Oceano and Grigio Granito (a very dark grey) — a new woodgrain interior feature, Tanganyka, and a new interior trim, Grigio Ghiaccio.More weapons to win over the women, perhaps?

What is emerging on the radar of these free-spending clients is a marque which can be considered a little out of left field.Maserati, a member of the powerful Ferrari and Alfa Romeo stable, is tickling the fancy of those traditionally loyal to German saloons.In particular, the Quattroporte is gathering speed and winning over people coming out of, among other luxury four-door offerings, Mercedes-Benz S-Class limos.The current generation QP was a late starter in Australia, arriving here last year. It's doing reasonable business and is the biggest seller in the Maserati line-up alongside the coupe, Gransport and Spyder.This imposing four-door shines with a polarising design. Part of the appeal is its sheer presence and ability to stand out in the crowd rather than blend in like most of the dressed-up $200,000-plus luxury saloons.Maserati have sunk big dollars, believed to be about $300 million, into developing the QP.This saloon is endowed with plenty of urge from its free-revving 4.2-litre V8 with each bank set in 90-degree configuration.A lot of what gives the QP stunning handling and precision starts with the positioning of this 183kg engine which is set further back and has a lower centre of gravity.Much has been made of mechanical balance with this super saloon achieving a 47-53 per cent front/rear weight distribution.The Quattroporte, a name which first sprang to life for Maserati in 1963 with the Frua-styled first-generation sedan, has trans-axle architecture where the gearbox is installed at the rear, which helps strike a more performance orientated balance.This bespoke Maserati uses a DuoSelect transmission with electro-hydraulic actuation.Left in drive it can be overriden anytime by squeezing the steering wheel-mounted paddles.A manual/automatic button can also be pushed to select specifically what function you desire and there is a sport mode which tightens up the suspension.It's a little awkward driving it around town strictly in auto as it will stay in third gear unless you shift up with the paddle.For such a big lump of a sedan, the QP has stunning body control.It uses what Maserati call Skyhook active suspension that continually adjusts damping but does not change ride height.Sensors monitor acceleration and also chart the movements of the wheels and the body, instantly changing damper settings to meet the conditions. Maserati claims it is 10 times faster than conventional systems.The feeling of changes in suspension is quite apparent, as together with the fidgety gearbox the Quattroporte seems busy sorting itself out to match road conditions and a person's changing driving behaviour.Built into the geometry is anti-dive and anti-squat protection aimed at helping the car's body maintain poise.It is relatively short geared with access to the 294kW (400bhp) of power and 451Nm of torque sorted via a six-speed changer.Unleashing all this fury through the responsive throttle which operates via a drive-by-wire system, the QP screams and yelps into life.There is a momentary lapse from the naturally aspirated V8 with a Hill Holder function keeping it stationary before the raucous V8 blasts into full noise and thrusts forward.One point which remained a concern for the new-age QP was quality issues.However, after one owner and 12,000km this super saloon as tested showed no signs of becoming unhinged with fit and finish problems.The QP is not a numb, boring luxury machine that has been sapped of personality. It is alive and busy and a hit for enthusiasts.The range will be freshened for 2006 with a swag of equipment changes including trim, wheels and a DuoSelect gearbox said to be 35 per cent quicker in Sport mode.