2009 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT-S: Minds its manners

PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The balanced chassis means that the GT S feels like far less than its 1,990 kg, handling Italian roads easily.

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Modena, Italy–The Italians know a thing or two about passion: just look at their high-end cars.

We all know Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, etc. have created some of the most achingly desirable exotics extant. But what about the four-door premium sport sedan?

The Pininfarina-penned Maserati Quattroporte (even "four doors" sounds alluring in Italian) proves the large luxury sedan need not be stoic, imposing or contentious. How about bold, curvaceous and enduringly beautiful? If Sophia Loren were a car ...

Launched in 2003, this looker initially had a few issues. The ride was flinty, the dry sump Ferrari-sourced 400-hp 4.2 L V8 too rorty, and the rear-mounted F1-style six-speed shifted harshly. Not exactly what most buyers of this class of car were looking for. So Maserati has been gradually teaching the Quattroporte a few manners.

The V8 went from dry sump to wet sump and the racy transaxle was replaced with a six-speed auto bolted to the engine (a collaboration between Maserati and German tranny specialist ZF).

Now the folks at Maserati have decided it's high time to inject some extra passione into their flagship sedan. Topping out the 2009 range is the $179,800 Quattroporte Sport GT S, a harder-edged version of the 4.7-litre Quattroporte S that was introduced last year. It gets a 12-hp boost to 433 horsepower at 7000 r.p.m. (torque remains 361 lb.-ft. at 4750 r.p.m.), a modified ZF six-speed auto operated by larger paddle shifters, 20-inch alloys and heavily revised underpinnings. The 0-to-100 km/h dash drops by 0.3 seconds to 5.1.

With the Sport GT S, Maserati isn't gunning for mega-horsepower bahn-stormers like the Mercedes AMG products. It is targeting drivers who would prefer to jump off the autostrada and take a more sinuous route to their destination.

And so I find myself doing just that, leaving the arterial A14 in northern Italy and heading east over a series of wonderfully challenging roads that cut through small villages and endless vineyards.

The first thing you'll ask yourself while unravelling a twisting road in the GT S: This car weighs how much? Hats off to Maserati for dialing in an intimate, balanced chassis setup that completely belies the car's 1,990 kilograms. They ditched the Skyhook active damper system (although it is optional), lowered the ride height and went with carefully tuned springs and dampers – 28 per cent stiffer in front and 7 per cent at the rear. The front/mid engine placement allows for a near-ideal 49/51 front-to-rear weight balance.

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.

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?

Young lads in the villages whooped and hollered as we drove through, signalling me to gun it. Being a good Canadian, I obliged by slipping the GT S into neutral and giving them a good eight-gun salute. Only Italians can build engines that sound like this.

And like all good Italian engines, it comes alive when on the cam. Below 4000 r.p.m. it's strong and sonorous, but from 4000 r.p.m. to the 7200 r.p.m. red-line? Mamma mia!

The ZF six-speed pairs beautifully with the V8. It performs delicious throttle blips on downshifts, and cog swapping is so smooth and rapid it makes the use of a twin-clutch transmission redundant.

Inside, the GT S receives the full Alcantara treatment – seats, doors, steering wheel and headliner, although buyers can opt for standard leather if they wish. There are five shades of Alcantara and 10 shades of hide to choose from. Other GT S-specific upgrades include Titantex carbon fibre-look trim and extra long shift paddles that really work a treat when you're twirling the wheel.

Along with those 20-inch Multi Trident alloys, you'll recognize a GT S by its concave black grille, dark chrome window trim and large oval exhaust tips. Because Maserati didn't want to mess with the purity of Pininfarina's design, a lot of aerodynamic tuning went into the undercarriage.

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 kilometres with which to burn the glorious sound of that V8 into my cranial hard drive.

Up until the world's economy went to hell in a hand basket, Maserati was on a tear. From almost flatlining before Ferrari took the reins in 1998, the now Fiat-managed Maserati has posted profits for the past two years on the strength of the Quattroporte and Gran Turismo Coupe. It produced a record 8,586 cars last year. When asked about expectations for 2009, director of public relations Luca Del Monte shrugged and said, "We don't know."

On sale now, the 2009 Quattroporte Sport GT S is a unique offering in the rarefied world of high performance Euro luxury sedans. While the Quattroporte has always been desirable for its exclusivity and Italian flair, this well-sorted Sport GT S has hit a sweet spot: involving, passionate luxury without the nagging.

Travel was provided to freelance writer Peter Bleakney by the automaker. pebleakney@sympatico.ca

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