Published:
13 August 2021The twin-turbocharged V8 lying under the contoured bonnet is this car’s greatest asset. It’s the main event in its driving experience and an overwhelmingly dominant presence within its motive character, and there are several strings to its bow.
It starts in surprisingly reserved fashion, and also runs very quietly when you’re mooching about gently. The eight-speed gearbox that it drives through is occasionally guilty of clunking its way into reverse gear, and of whining and resonating just a little bit through the rearwards section of the car’s driveline under light throttle loads. In neither respect can the Quattroporte be considered one of the most refined limousines of its kind, clearly.
The car offers Sport, Corsa and ICE driving modes (ICE is short for Increased Control and Efficiency, rather than being a dedicated winter mode) in addition to its default mode. Selecting Sport introduces the vocal presence you’re anticipating from the V8 engine, which is rich and deep. Corsa turns the volume up another notch, although never quite to Mercedes-AMG or Jaguar SVR levels of demonstrative noise.
The engine’s boosty, torque-swollen power delivery suits a car of the Quattroporte’s size and role well. Get deep into the throttle when locked in an intermediate gear at middling revs and the way the car surges forward in response feels rather like pouring rainwater out of an old oil drum. The acceleration builds a little slowly and softly at first, but then it takes on a momentum all of its own, ultimately adopting a really willing, elastic and unstoppable quality. This engine doesn’t have the throttle response of some modern turbos, but it’s obedient enough and likes to rev, carrying on giving very freely beyond 6000rpm.
