“When the judgment is superior to the work, [the artist] never ceases improving,” once stated Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s a statement
that crosses the border of every major industry and the icons representative of that industry. Within the automotive business the same can be said for those responsible for the manifestation of the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte S, a magnificent piece of work in its own right.
Seems like the Italian automaker Maserati is on a roll with their “S” models. We first took you inside and out of the 2009 GranTurismo S from Modena, Italy. Such a bella donna! That vehicle steps up the performance capabilities of the stimulating coupe while adding adjusted design techniques within its Italian frame. Back at it again, the “S” in the new Quattroporte positively alters the vehicle with similar characteristics.
To explore the enhancements of the four-door super chariot Maserati welcomed Automotive Rhythms to the enchanting land of Salzburg, the fourth largest city in Austria and home to the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We enjoyed fine foods such as Turkey Schnitzel at Europe’s oldest restaurant, Stiftskeller St. Peter, which was built 803 AD. But most of all, the spectacular roads and scenic landscape turned our driving into daily meditations. And of course it was an honor to have lunch in the grand palace of Schloss Hellbrunn, summer resident of the Archbishop, where the Maserati Quattroporte S felt perfectly at home while Austrians admired and commented respectfully. Shortly afterwards you could stroll the palace garden and daze for hours at the manicured lawn and singing fountains while fish migrate to the surface for attention. So much for life in the 17th century, let’s get back to the subject at hand.
Take an engine from a race car and put it in a new sedan was Maserati’s philosophical strategy that laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most impressive sport luxury sedans in the world. First introduced in 1963, the Quattroporte has undergone several decades of alterations to world acclaim. The model we are all most familiar with is the 2003 Quattroporte unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. All told, it won 46 international awards within its five year lifecycle. The Quattroporte instantly clamored for attention while offering Ferrari like performance. Almost too much however as the F1 style transmission was too harsh for the vehicle’s nature. Maserati quickly changed that the following year. Yet, this vehicle has put the company in a great position. In 2007 they made a 24 million Euro profit and first quarter 2008 sales were up 15.6%. Maserati expects a sales growth of 42% in total from 2007. Pretty impressive for a small company that only has a few models.
The well-composed Pininfarina designed Quattroporte is as stylish and clean as they come and is easily decipherable by way of
millions of design, interior and personalization combinations. The long laundry list of design changes from the previous generation includes a new front bumper, a new grill with vertical fins (borrowed from GranTurismo S), larger headlights with L-shaped LEDs, bumper integrated foglights, standard web-like 19 inch wheels, redesigned rear bumper, and more prominent lower body molding. And Maserati has improved the lighting with new bi-Xenon adaptive headlights with LED turn signal indicators, tail lights and brake lights.
The harmony of the vehicle’s interior all comes together with meticulously crafted details, Italian lines, a new center console, great seats, and a sportier grip on the steering wheel. The rear cabin is spacious enough and allows boardroom sessions as seatbacks host a foldaway tray and the windows can be shaded.
Further upgrades comes in the form of Bose’s new Multimedia System which offers 11 speakers, two subs (each with its own amp and self-cooled), XM, GPS Navigation, 40 gig hard drive (20 for software and 20 for ripping music), voice commands and Bluetooth for hands free chatting. This is very uncharacteristic of Maserati and is a system you would find in an Infiniti. Bose doesn’t focus on wattage as they say it’s not a true indicator of performance. Instead they claim it’s all about speaker placement, system tuning, and using the power intelligently. Good sound, but I’ve heard better. They setup also takes some time to adjust to. I advise setting up your music before you put the Quattroporte in drive.
For performance, the 2009 Quattroporte S now features the upgraded 4.7-liter V8 emitting 425 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 4,750 rpm. The base Quattroporte receives the 4.2-liter with 400 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is set at 174 mph and moves from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds. Not racehorse speed in terms of numbers, but it certainly feels like your negotiating the circuit quickly. This is partly due to the ZF automatic transmission which features three drive modes -- Normal, ICE and Sport—and also allows you to shift via the paddle shifters. A new exhaust system improves emissions without sacrificing performance. An upgraded “Skyhook” suspension allows the vehicle to ride similar to the GranTurismo as we found out on tight mountainous bends. And of course you need impressive stopping power from Brembo. The package, again, is similar to the GranTurismo S but also borrowed from the Quattroporte Sport GT S. It features front dual-cast rotors and monobloc aluminum six-piston brake calipers.
Vehicles go on sale mid October with and starts at $125,750. AR notes the untimely August 7, 2008 passing of Andrea Pininfarina, grandson of company founder Battista “Pinin” Farina. As stated earlier, Pininfarina designed the Quattroporte S.
Copyright 2006 Automotive Rhythms Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.