The Press Loves a Winner
And they love the new Quattroporte Sport GT S

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- NEW: GranTurismo S Automatic - The Press Loves a Winner - DESIGN DRIVEN

Over the past few weeks the media have been getting their chance to drive the new Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S in Italy – you can read our own experience of the launch here. The first reviews are in, and they are unanimous in their verdict: the new model is the best Quattroporte yet for the enthusiast driver.

“The revised hydraulic steering is precise and well weighted and, through quick transitions, body control is superb. No drama here. It just bites, sticks and asks for more power as you strafe the apex. This sedan really does think it's a sports car. Very composed at high speeds, too. Yes, the ride is certainly al dente, but even over the rough stuff the GT S was unflappable and rode well within the bounds of civility.” So wrote Toronto Star correspondent Peter Bleakney, who also admired the effect of putting the car into Sport mode – a recurring theme for all the journalists on hand. “There's a Sport button on the dash. Pressing it further sharpens the steering, calls up a more aggressive shift map and redirects the exhaust stream past those pesky mufflers, allowing the Ferrari-based 4.7 L V8 to broadcast a baritone bark so sinful you'll be tempted to hit the first confessional. Is this legal?” Peter’s conclusion was equally approving: “As a four-person luxury conveyance (five if you must), the Quattroporte Sport GT S has the goods. Interior craftsmanship is impeccable, and while not as gizmo-laden as its German counterparts, it carries the expected comfort features plus a Bose multimedia system that I'll confess I never explored. I had only so many kilometers with which to burn the glorious sound of that V8 into my cranial hard drive.”

The wonderful sound of the Quattroporte Sport GT S gets mentioned in just about every review. “The big news from the powertrain isn't the slight bump in horsepower, it's the sound. Yes, the Ferrari-supplied 4.7-liter engine gains 8 hp compared to the Quattroporte S for a total of 433 hp and now redlines at 7200 rpm (up 200 revs), but a push of the sport button on the dash unleashes an exotic engine note straight from the gods. Sure, the Mercedes S63 AMG and Audi S8 sound good - really good - but flooring the Maserati is like turning the volume up to eleven.” That was the opinion of Marc Noordeloos, writing in Automobile magazine. “Yes, we see cars like the Audi S8 and Mercedes S63 AMG as the logical competition to the GT S model but, to be honest, the German models are hot rod specials compared to the Italian masterpiece. They have good, strong engines and stiff suspension, but they don't come close to the chassis balance and raw emotional appeal of the hottest Quattroporte.” Marc concludes, “To get straight to the point, the Quattroporte GT S is brilliant. It carries the extroverted, loud, and fast Italian car stereotype perfectly. To drive a car that is this fast and beautiful-sounding through Italy is a treat that we won't soon forget… We dare anyone who is thinking about an S8 or an S63 to give the Quattroporte a chance. Find a twisty road, pop the transmission selector in manual mode, and just drive. Then find a tunnel, an underpass, a wall, anything that will reverberate that engine note at near ear-bleeding levels. You'll be hooked, just like we are.”

Patrick Paternie, writing for Popular Mechanics, was equally enamored: “push the Sport mode button and make the engine sing like Modena's hometown hero, the late Luciano Pavarotti. You'll be treated to an incredible aria of exhaust notes, from low-speed superbike-style bark to high-revving deep-throated yowl.”  He concluded by comparing the passion of the Quattroporte to the emotionless Germans: “In a segment dominated by the bludgeoning performance of AMG sedans and their surgically precise Audi counterparts, Maserati offers a casually elegant, high-spirited and very vocal Italian alternative. A romantic tenor among the serious baritones. Andiamo!”

Matt Stone, in Motor Trend, admired the engineering that underpins the car’s stellar performance. “Maser mounts its engines low in the chassis and fully behind the front axle, helping the front end bite and stay true. The steering communicates well, and the car's body motions are always controlled. This Maser's ride/handing balance is on the sporty side of luxurious, and its high-speed stability is faultless… The engine's intake moan and blaring exhaust alone make the QP a more emotional ride than most other luxury sport sedans. ZF's well-calibrated transmission is a perfect dance partner, allowing automatic and manual modes plus Normal and Sport shift action.”

 “There's a naughty button on the dashboard of the 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S that's marked ‘Sport.’ Give it a prod and several things happen. The engine and gearbox have their brains rewired, and two exhaust valves open to give full voice to the big V8. The result is a noise quite unlike any other luxury sedan. It is extraordinarily loud and gloriously obnoxious — pure Maserati.” Alistair Weaver, writing for Edmunds Inside Line, is clearly enamored, and seems to imply that picking a Quattroporte Sport GT S is the obvious choice, but it is in fact your neighborhood that you may need to choose appropriately: “When you engage the exhaust system's Sport mode, the V8 is extraordinarily loud, especially on the final ascent to the 7,200-rpm redline. Your neighbors will either cheer or throw stones.” We may be biased at Maserati Monthly, but we would certainly cheer and welcome Alistair to our neighborhood. He concludes, “The 2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S is further evidence of a company on a roll.”

John Simister, writing for the British magazine Octane, summed it all up in just two sentences. “This is a seriously fast, engaging and handsome sedan with more soul than anything comparable. Next to this a BMW 7-series seems a very grey device.”

The good news is that you don’t have to take their word for it. Dealers have started receiving their Quattroporte Sport GT S demonstrators; contact your local authorized Maserati dealer to arrange a test drive, and get behind the wheel of the true enthusiast’s sedan. And make sure you press that “naughty button” marked ‘Sport’!