Maserati Quattroporte GTS first drive

Maserati’s flagship of flagships – the range-topping Maserati Quattroporte GTS. A 523bhp Ferrari-made 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine makes this the fastest and most powerful Maserati saloon ever built, and the near-£110k price tag positions it well inside exotic territory.

This is a car of real sporting ambition, from a company with equally ambitious designs on global sales growth. And having driven it in Europe last year, now’s our chance to find out how well it stands up in right-hand drive form, and on British roads.

It’s big. Huge, frankly. Those who’ve taken their eye off the Maserati model range these last couple of years may be quite taken aback at how big the Maserati Quattroporte has become.

While the last one bridged medium- and full-sized executive saloon dimensions, the new one has a wheelbase of 3171mm – longer, even, than even the long-wheelbase versions of the Mercedes S-class and Jaguar XJ. There’s certainly no mistaking the stature of this sharp-suited Italian now, nor any way to ignore its dominant presence in the car park.

Based on Maserati’s own aluminium platform and built in a factory formerly owned by Bertone in Turin, the Quattroporte has all-independent suspension, and an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF driving the rear wheels.

‘Skyhook’ adaptive damping is standard, likewise 20in alloy wheels with 285-section tyres at the rear, and iron brake discs measuring 380mm up front. The car bucks the modern trend for fuel-saving electromechanical power steering, though, by featuring a speed-sensitive hydraulic power steering system.

And it looks great. The Quattroporte’s exterior styling mixes visual muscle with elegant refinement effectively enough to easily distinguish the car from the more ordinary premium-branded German options. Frameless doors, combined with Maserati’s characteristically generous use of chrome, lend a particularly classy appearance.

Inside, there is space to stretch out in in both rows – something the old Quattroporte never offered. But the impression of class evident externally wears a bit thin as you interact with the car’s systems, and fiddle with its fixtures and fittings.

Material quality levels are far from poor, but compared to some of the best-constructed saloons in the world – the cars the Quattroporte must directly compete with – they’re disappointing. The leather upholstery is rich and pleasant, the seats large and comfortable, and equipment levels are good.

There’s just not the same painstaking attention-to-detail you find in a Mercedes S-class here, nor even a BMW 7-series. The switchgear looks plain and feels ordinary; there are too many plasticky trims on the fascia than any £100k car can get away with; and the factory-fit sat nav looks and feels like an oversized, overworked aftermarket addition.

Such things, perhaps, can be overlooked in a sporting saloon with more dynamic talents. And the Quattroporte has its charms as a driver’s car, no question. Not just big on performance, it’s also got grip and chassis balance to rival a much smaller sporting four-door, and communicative steering.