Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 GranSport | Test Drive

12 October 2020 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Words by Marco Mancino / Photos by S. Lomax

To take a seat in a Maserati is one of those moments that never lose their charm. It is a riot of smells, an explosion of excitement mixed with that irrepressible need to give life to that musical instrument hidden with elegance and discretion under the huge hood. The Quattroporte has always represented the most generous model in terms of size, even more impressive than the Levante SUV, the ultimate choice also as a representative car for institutional figures and therefore capable of maintaining a refined clientele and choosing a Maserati with the awareness of standing out and at the same time tick all the boxes necessary to treat yourself to a total coexistence with a car that is now complete and close to further and important renovations.

Forgive the preamble, but I wanted to take the right time here, because cars like this represent the bridge between the present and the future as well as retaining a charm of yesteryear, the deepest Made in Italy pride and a cultural heritage that embodies a choice that can never go wrong. Now available with only V6 engines (petrol and diesel), a few days after our test Maserati dropped a trio of aces with the new Trofeo collection, the only one that will offer to the Quattroporte itself, but also the Ghibli and Levante the 580 horsepower V8, not to mention the moment of grace accentuated with the MC20 and with the anticipation of the arrival of the Grecale SUV and a range ready to expand and underline its position of excellence and avant-garde. This is therefore the ideal time to celebrate a model that has given so much to its brand and which could change radically with the new versions and next generations. Better take a deep breath, fasten your seat belt and head away from traffic. We have an orchestra to play.

The Quattroporte does not hide its dimensions, after all it needs to underline its status as a luxury sedan, more spacious and even more prestigious than the Ghibli. At the same time, however, it manages to hide XL measures and a weight that almost reaches 2 tons thanks to the sober lines of the sides, with a front grille that makes it immediately distinguishable in the rear-view mirror of those approaching and a tail not too dissimilar from its little sister. For decades, the Quattroporte has been the spearhead of the brand, which except for the sportiest coupe is also the favorite on the second-hand market, either because of its exceptional usability, or because it is really difficult to resist the sound of its engine, even if in this case we have two cylinders less than other versions no longer in the price list. The GranSport then is the one that most embraces the sporting character of the Italian sedan, in our specific case the S Q4 version, which means the V6 is supercharged by two turbochargers, a 3-liter that delivers 430 horsepower on both axles, 580 Nm of torque and an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox perfectly able to satisfy the most disparate needs of the driver.

In the city, the Quattroporte moves with ease, and apart from the fact that it is certainly not the car to be left parked in the middle of nowhere, the glass surfaces offer excellent visibility on all sides, this is also one of the advantages of the more traditional three-volume body, which also comes handy because of an extremely large luggage compartment. Normal mode is the most suitable for the time you will spend on less exciting journeys, with the sound of the V6 that is muffled, smooth steering and a gearbox that favors reduced revs per minute. Fortunately we are now driving along the last kilometers of the motorway that divide us from Courmayeur, in the most perfect style of our escapes from the confusing city life. Just enough time to sip a coffee and let Alex and Steve discuss the details of the upcoming shooting and it’s time to point the trident towards the Little San Bernardo pass. I press Sport button, move the gear lever to manual mode and squeeze the grip on the steering wheel of the Quattroporte, providentially equipped with the well-known aluminum paddles, among the largest around. It is here that the big and fat Maserati demonstrates the side that has hitherto been kept perfectly in check, at least as long as it was a matter of posing as a comfortable sedan.

The Quattroporte’s character undergoes a transformation directly related to the intensity with which you act on throttle and steering. The dynamics are those that allow you to push hard on straight stretches, as well as in the fastest corners, playing with the gearbox and ensuring excellent grip thanks to the all-wheel drive system you get with the Q4. The grip out of corners is one of the aspects that most surprises me and it is precisely there that taking advantage of the 580 Nm of torque allows you to splash towards the next bend with an ease that you would not have believed possible. Devouring the first stretch of the Little San Bernardo has never been easier and the soundtrack that comes out of the two couples of pipes at the back gives its best once you have gone over 2,500/3,000 rpm, without regretting too much the lack of two cylinders. What it’s really not lacking here is pure power, the elasticity of the engine and its precision when entering corners with a steering that in Sport mode was already much more sensible, even on motorway sections.

This is one of those moments when the frenzy peeps out and the speeches in the cabin are interrupted to leave room for the most spontaneous exclamations about the surprising qualities of a large 1,995 kg sedan, which with three people and luggage on board, runs through the hairpin bends of the mountain pass with an ease that I would have never expected. The automatic ZF plays a vital role as well – you select a gear and it’s there, ready to rev up or let the next one push you to the top, reached all too quickly. At that point, with the most incredible ease, the Quattroporte makes the noise it has created disappear and moves with ease and with the utmost discretion among groups of cyclists and tourists who have disconnected from their weekly routine. This is where the eyes end on its handsome trident on display in the center of the large front grille, or on the generous 5-spoke wheels, the huge red brake calipers and the inevitable hum of an engine that I thought would have drained the tank in half the time and that instead has also proved capable of not making us stop at every petrol station, especially when the pace decreases a bit.

Speaking and driving exciting cars, the main point is that of involvement, that is the ability to satisfy the driver, but also to surprise him without throwing him into troubled situations. In this context, the Quattroporte proves to be an incredibly complete car and that after the pull on the curves to go up and down towards La Rosière, it pampers you in the deepest comfort of its leather armchairs and with suspension that despite the drama and the many carbon fiber surfaces present on the dashboard and panels, do not forget their dedication to making this the Maserati par excellence. Where aesthetically it remains faithful to the more conservative design, the Modenese Trident confirms its lineage and in the same way widens its greatness thanks to a drivability that knows how to satisfy even when you would have liked to leave with the more traditional sports car left in the garage.

If you’re nerdy – like me – and you always wait for numbers and figures, I thought it would have been better to put them at the end so as not to limit the reading of the article to a mere search for chronometric confirmations, aspect that in the case of an exciting car like a Maserati would be nothing short of an understatement. Let’s start with the price, in fact, to put a Quattroporte in your garage, you need at least € 105,000, but in this case we are talking about the 250 or 275 hp Diesel. The petrol version with rear-wheel drive only – the S – starts at € 116,800, while a specimen like that of our adventure in the Alps between Italy and France, the S with Q4 all-wheel drive and GranSport specs, starts at just over € 133,000, which on balance is really the best choice you could make and not only because up to this point of our journey it has been a fun escape partner, but for what is about to happen within a few kilometers. In this precise moment our journey takes a turn and the glorious hips of the Maserati face the majesty of a landscape that seems extrapolated from the exhibitor’s most coveted postcard. Welcome to Val-d’Isère.

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