First Drive Review
In a sedan as fetching as the Maserati Quattroporte, it might seem odd to claim that one of its most distinctive aspects is the placement of the engine. Other attributes such as the styling and the leather-lined interior are more obvious to the eye, but what arguably sets the Quattroporte apart from its competition is a high-revving V-8 mounted aft of the front-wheel center line. Bringing the entire mass of the engine within the wheelbase provides for a near-perfect 49/51 front-to-rear weight distribution, which allows for quick directional changes and—perhaps most important—gives the Quattroporte a lithe and lively feel that other large luxury sedans simply cannot match.
Most sports cars, in fact, don’t have their engines placed as far back in the chassis as the Quattroporte’s, so does that make the Italian four-door more of a sports car than a sedan? Maybe not in standard guise, but it gets close in 4.7-liter S guise, and an even greater argument could be made for the 2009 Sport GT S model.
Top of the Food Chain
Most of the Sport GT S’s case rests on the chassis tweaks that lower it 0.6 inch in front and 0.4 inch in back compared with the S version. These shorter springs are 20 percent stiffer than the standard units, and Bilstein shocks replace Maserati’s Skyhook adjustable suspension. Even with the GT S’s 20-inch wheels and low-profile rubber, we enjoyed the change, as Maserati has tuned the single-rate Bilsteins to offer superior compliance and wheel control without the crash and occasional harshness of the Skyhook system. The GT S clings to the road and has a predictable balance as the limit approaches. There isn’t any snap oversteer or mind-numbing understeer but rather a confidence-inspiring neutrality that results in a chassis that can be exploited without fear of losing control.
Powering the rear wheels is a high-output version of the Quattroporte S’s 4.7-liter V-8. Various engine-management tweaks and a new exhaust system free up an additional 8 hp for a total of 433 at 7000 rpm. The redline also increases to 7200 rpm, and the new exhaust system is adjustable from a dashboard switch that opens a bypass flap in the rear muffler. In sport mode, the engine note is pure Ferrari, which seems fitting considering Ferrari builds the all-aluminum V-8 for Maserati. Acceleration to 62 mph takes 5.1 seconds, the company says, which is 0.3 second quicker than it claims for the S version. The last Quattroporte we tested—a 4.2-liter model with the six-speed automatic—took 5.3 seconds to hit 60 mph, so we’d wager the GT S should drop below five seconds in the 0-to-60 sprint. Maserati claims an ungoverned top speed of 177 mph, or 9 mph more than we could muster in the 4.2-liter car.
Since the merciful death of Maserati’s duo-select automated manual transmission, the gearbox has been a conventional six-speed automatic. As the duo-select system was a rear-mounted transaxle, the switch to a slushbox mounted behind the engine makes the Quattroporte’s weight distribution even more impressive. For the GT S, Maserati has tweaked the six-speed auto to behave more like a manual and allow the driver more control. Shifts are quicker; more aggressive rev-matched downshifts are allowed; and in manual mode, the transmission won’t shift at redline unless commanded by the driver.
Looking the Part
In the league of extraordinary sedans, stare-inducing styling and cowhide-filled cabins are compulsory items, and the Quattroporte has them both covered. The redolent, leather-filled interior makes any occupant feel like a pampered pup in a Louis Vuitton handbag, with GT S–specific features that include carbon-fiber-like detailing in place of wood trim, sport seats with Alcantara inserts, and larger shift paddles.
Exterior differences between the GT S and lesser variants are subtle, but the aforementioned 20-inch wheels are a major clue, as are blacked-out headlights, the concave grille, and dual oval exhaust tips.
Maserati is putting the GT S atop the Quattroporte range with a price of $138,100, or about $8000 more than the 425-hp S model. Next to the $131,350 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, the Maserati feels a bit less sophisticated and about a generation behind the big German. But even though the Maserati might feel a bit raw next to an S63, it feels more like a car and less like a simulation. The GT S's basic layout defines the connection between driver and machine, and that makes it more of a sports car than any other sedan in its class.
