Maserati Quattroporte Automatica

An auto box in a big luxury saloon? That’s hardly news…

It is for Maserati. To mark the Quattroporte out as a very different, more sporting proposition to its mainly German rivals, it has only been offered with the Duo Select automated manual until now. Although it has an auto mode, it still uses a clutch and will never be as smooth as a proper, torque-converter auto.

This limits the car’s appeal - so now, having established the Quattroporte as the edgy, sporty, driver’s choice, Maserati has bought in ZF’s awesome six-speed auto 'box.

But doesn’t the Quattroporte’s gearbox sit at the back?

It does; by having a transaxle gearbox the manual Quattroporte gets a slight rearward weight bias (47/53) that cuts understeer and aids handling. Positioning the auto gearbox at the front hasn’t required major changes to the car’s structure, but it has shifted the weight forward slightly, to a 49/51 split.

The engine that comes with the auto is now wet-sumped and gets blue cam covers; power is the same at 394bhp, but there’s a 7lb ft increase in torque to 339lb ft, delivered 250rpm lower than the dry-sumped red V8 at 4250rpm.

So has the Quattroporte gone all soft?

Not really. The 0-60mph time slips slightly to 5.6sec and the top speed is down fractionally from 171mph to 167mph, owing to the auto’s longer sixth gear which also gives a claimed nine percent improvement in extra-urban (i.e. motorway) fuel consumption.

Maserati’s Skyhook adaptive damping system has been recalibrated for ‘improved comfort’ in the auto, so yes, it has been softened slightly.

So it’s either a manual with an auto mode, or an auto with a manual mode?

Right. Around town the ZF auto gives its usual, seamless performance; automated manuals like the Duo Select have become much smoother in auto mode, but still can’t match a proper torque converter automatic, and particularly one as good as this.

The ZF box is also capable of delivering manual changes which are almost as fast as an automated manual - and almost as smooth as a twin-clutch manual; the Aston Martin DB9 is no less exciting as a sports car for having this gearbox.

But how well does it work in the Quattroporte?

Our first drive in the Quattroporte Automatica is the first time we’ve used this gearbox and felt slightly disappointing. When you get outside town and ask a little more of it, the ‘box doesn’t change with its customary speed and smoothness. Both up- and downshifts, whether in auto mode or using the paddle-shifters, were occasionally hesitant and imperfectly synched with the engine.

The answer might lie in the engine; by comparison with the V8s and V12s of its rivals, many of which use the same gearbox, it’s a responsive, high-revving but relatively low-torque unit and suits the DuoSelect automated manual well; it doesn’t feel such a natural fit with the auto.

So which do I choose?

The important thing is that you now have the choice, and a lot of buyers who would otherwise have ruled the Maser out will now pick it over a 7-series or an S-class. And that’s a very good thing; it is a colossally cool car, however you define it.

On balance we’d trade occasionally lumpy full-power shifting for seamless changes 95 percent of the time, and choose the auto; its resale value will also be higher. Prices start from £77,000; the most popular Sport GT trim will be £83,200 and gets the paddle-shifters as standard. They’re a £658 option on the base car and on the comfort-oriented, £85,900 Executive GT, each of which accounts for about a quarter of sales.

Maserati Quattroporte Automatica

How much?	From £77,000
On sale in UK:	2007
Engine:	4244cc 32V V8, 394bhp@7250rpm, 3391lb ft@4250rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Performance:	5.6sec 0-62mph, 167mph
Made of?	Steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	5052/1895/1438mm
Other models in the range:	Duo Select manual
Or try a...	BMW 760Li,Lexus LS600h,Mercedes-Benz S500

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Maserati Granturismo

Wow!

Indeed. Striking stuff isn’t it? From certain angles it’s truly sensational, particularly aspects like the taper of the nose, the A6GCS-style grille and the way the sills pinch and roll under the car to give a beautiful waisted look.

But other details don’t work so well. Maserati is proud that the rear lights use the same LED technology that made the old 3200GT’s boomerang clusters possible. But why do these ones look so boring? In fact the back end looks remarkably like a new Mondeo’s. And the long 2.9m wheelbase needed to create four seats creates a very long-looking car.

And is it the true four-seater Maserati claims?

It is, although it’s never going to rival a Quattroporte for space and the seat squab is too low and therefore lacking in support so you wouldn’t want to be back there for hours. Six-footers will find headroom tight, and legroom too if they’re behind a driver of similar stature.

But let’s get this in perspective: a Jag XK has zero rear room, a 911’s back seats are for kids only and even a 6-series isn’t as commodious. Only Merc’s bigger CL feels roomier. But when it comes to packaging four adults in elegant metalwork, the Maser’s in a class of one. And at £78,500 it’s even respectable value for money in the face of a six-figure Aston DB9 or Bentley GT.

Space aside, what’s the cabin like? And does it feel like it will last?

Let’s just say this is the best Maserati cabin we’ve yet come across. Perhaps not in terms of style – it’s quietly conservative, rather than Italian exotic in tone - but the materials, the leathers and plastics, and the feeling of solidity, is deeply impressive.

And the satnav/audio system deserves special praise. Its 30GB hard drive allows you to save stacks of music and because the nav system doesn’t have to search on a disc for info, it’s the quickest we’ve used – great when you’ve missed your junction and need an alternative route.

The old Coupé is dead and the Gran Sport version dies soon. Is this a replacement?

No, it uses a totally different platform and is meant to be a softer, more grown-up car. Essentially it’s a Quattroporte saloon chopped by 126mm. Which bodes well for the driving experience, but isn’t so good for kerbweight. The QP’s excellent handling masks the fact that it’s a two-tonne car and even the Granturismo weighs 1880kg.

Jag’s aluminium XK is over 200kg lighter than the steel GT and while Merc’s CL500 is 40kg heavier again, it still manages to embarrass the GT at the pumps, offering 23mpg on the combined cycle compared with 19.7mpg for the Italian.

Sounds ominous. So what’s it like to drive?

Certainly much less hardcore than the Gran Sport and, interestingly, not as much fun to drive as a Quattroporte. Although the rear carries a promising 51 percent of the mass, impressive given that the gearbox is now mounted at the front, just after the engine, the Granturismo doesn’t seem to have the QP’s super sharp turn-in.

And although the 4.2-litre V8 has 400bhp at its disposal, it makes do with a relatively modest 339lb ft of torque. Lairy sideways action is out, which isn’t really a problem, but more worryingly for this sort of car, so is effortless performance. Wind it up and it goes hard enough though never feels riotously fast; leave it to lug and it can feel surprisingly slow.

Around town though the auto box works far better than the old coupe’s Cambiocorsa semi-auto, it can be frustrating if left to its own devices. In normal mode it doesn’t kick down eagerly enough; in Sport mode it just doesn’t seem to want to change up at all. The brakes need a hefty push too.

So where’s the appeal for fans of the old Gran Sport?

Maserati is keeping tightlipped but admits that those looking for something more hardcore will be catered for shortly in the form of a more performance-minded Granturismo with more power and more aggressive handling.

Expect between 450 and 500bhp, a sharper chassis and even meaner styling. A convertible version of the Granturismo is on the way too, but not until next year.

Verdict

If you were expecting a hardcore driver’s coupe, this isn’t it. But it was always Maserati’s intention to make this car biased more towards luxury than performance: 40 percent are US-bound, after all. And enthusiasts at least have the comfort of knowing that more focused versions will come later.

Even as a luxury car, the Granturismo isn’t quite perfect, but by cleverly occupying that middle ground between the XK and DB9 with something so overtly Italian in style, clearly carefully constructed, and with such an evocative name, Maserati is looking at a guaranteed smash hit.

Need to know: Maserati Granturismo

How much?	£78,500
On sale in UK:	October 2007
Engine:	4244cc 32v V8, 400bhp @7100rpm, 339lb ft @ 4750rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Performance (150bhp):	5.2sec 0-62mph, 177mph, 19.7mpg, 330g/km CO2
How heavy/made of?	Steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4881/1847/1353mm
Or try a...	Jaguar XKR,Mercedes CL500,Bentley GT

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