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The Maserati Quattroporte — Italian for “four doors” — is utterly unlike any other upscale full-size sedan. In stark contrast to bulky and pragmatic German luxury cars laden with electronics, this soulful Maserati is fashioned for those who actually enjoy driving and delight in controlling a car rather than letting electrons do most of the work.

It’s likely that just a small subset of luxury-sedan buyers will fully appreciate the Quattroporte’s high-strung and sporting Italian spirit — as opposed to simply craving one for its inherent cachet. That’s not to say that more should: Like peaty Scotch, slack-key guitar or Thomas Pynchon novels, either you get it or you don’t.

The Quattroporte is, in the best sense of the phrase, a modern vintage car — not that there’s anything old-fashioned about a 400-horsepower 4.2-liter V8 (the first non-turbocharged or supercharged engine of its size to achieve such high output) or a race-bred six-speed sequential manual transmission. But there’s a feeling, both in the Quattroporte’s quietly classic styling and its Old World furnishings that this is a car for sophisticated connoisseurs rather than simple strivers.

Maserati made a scant 4,800 sedans, roadsters and coupes in 2004, so the 2006 Quattroporte will be a rarity. The company intends it for “technical drivers” — a polite way of saying rich gearheads. For roughly the same money, you can buy an enormous Audi, BMW or Mercedes with substantially more power than the Quattroporte, but you might as well let your chauffeur drive while you play with the electronics.

Despite a storied past and a reputation — in both racing and manufacturing — that rapidly eroded after the brand’s 1950s glory days, Maserati somehow remains a powerful brand in the minds of many, almost as synonymous with Italian sports car as is Ferrari. (Remember the Chrysler TC “by Maserati” convertible of the late 1980s, essentially a repackaged LeBaron?) Never mind past missteps: to say you drive a Maserati is more of a meaningful boast today than anytime in the last half-century.

The Quattroporte isn’t likely to be confused with anything from Germany, England or Japan.

But its unique look might take getting used to, at least from the front. On first glance, the nose of a Quattroporte may seem strange, even ugly — its high-set, protruding oval grille that evokes Maseratis of yore almost clashes with the modern, streamlined headlights on either side and air scoops below. But the longer you take in its sweeping fender line and fine detail — like the graceful arc of the rear side-window — the more it appeals.

The overall shape is handsome and well proportioned, as expensive Italian cars almost invariably are. Though conservative and subtle in style, the Quattroporte is somehow more visually alluring and less bland than its competitors.

Maserati style and attitude shows most in the interior furnishings, which are an implicit rebuke to the staid, digitized, light-show cockpits of many other luxury sedans. The leatherwork is superb, the wood veneering classic, the colors lively and the busy, mostly analog dashboard (including the archaic Maserati clock in the center) a bit of a throwback to big-dialed Italian sports cars of the past.

The flagship Executive model adds, among other trim features, a host of items to spoil backseat passengers, including rear- and side-window sunscreens, handsome private-jet-style foldout writing desks and a complete set of climate and seat controls. There’s even a rear-seat switch to power the front-passenger seat forward, if you feel your secretary is taking up too much of your legroom. As befits a luxury sedan, there’s ample space in every dimension, both front and rear, though not as lordly an amount as the long-wheelbase German sedans allow.

The rigid steel body with aluminium bonnet and bootlid, conforms to the latest and most stringent safety standards for passenger protection. One of the mainly highlights of the Quattroporte’s active security system are the incredible powerful brakes, bringing the vehicle from 100kph to a complete stop in just 35.5m. This setup is comparible only to that of the fastest cars in the world, further testimony to the sporting soul that characterizes every Trident vehicle.

• Brembo braking system with four self ventilated dual-cast discs; front 330 mm x 32 mm (360 mm x 32 mm for the Quattroporte Sport GT S); rear 330 mm x 28 mm
• Four-piston fixed front calipers with differentiated diameter and (front six-piston with an aluminium casing for the Sport GT S), four-piston in the rear
• ABS anti-lock system
• EBD Electronically controlled braking distributor
• MSP stability control (includes ABS, EBD and ASR)
• 6 airbags; 2 front, 2 side (front), 2 side curtain (front and rear)
• seat belts with electronically controlled pyrotechnical pretensioners
• inertial switch (acting in the fuel pumps to prevent fire in case of a violent collision)

Maserati claims that no car in the Quattroporte’s class is as fast or handles as well, though in fact the substantially less expensive, but nonetheless luxurious, supercharged Jaguar XJR out accelerates it from zero to 60 mph. Still, the Quattroporte keeps pace with a much lighter Porsche Boxster S (0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds) and tops out at just over 170 mph.

Several big German sedans that are electronically limited to a maximum of 155 mph could probably blow the Maserati away with their speed limiters disabled, but theoretical top speeds don’t get bragging rights. And besides, palpable driving enjoyment goes far beyond hard numbers on a specs sheet.

To grasp less quantifiable handling attributes, ForbesAutos.com spent five days driving an ‘06 Quattroporte Executive among the high-speed autoroutes and minuscule back roads of Spain and France, where the spacious luxury car handled the demands of each with aplomb.

Steering is sharp and communicative, and the Quattroporte’s unique-in-its-class front mid-mounted engine, its weight set entirely aft of the front axles, gives the car outstanding balance (47 percent of the vehicle’s weight is on the front wheels and 53 percent on the rears). The slight rearward weight bias aids acceleration by encouraging better torque transfer to the ground through the rear wheels; keeping the front of the car lighter helps in braking maneuvers by equalizing the load when weight is transferred forward.
The Quattroporte involves drivers, particularly with its paddle-shifted six-speed sequential manual transmission. Instead of a traditional clutch pedal and stick shift, aluminum paddles behind the steering wheel require only a fingertip flick to control the electro-hydraulically activated clutch and gear-change mechanism (right paddle for upshifts, left for downshifts).

Sequential manual transmissions are en vogue for high-performance cars right now, what with their race-bred glamour, plus the ability to be toggled into a totally automatic mode, much like putting an ordinary automatic transmission into “drive.” A word of caution: Sequential manuals are complex, expensive and, some would say, delicate mechanisms that haven’t yet established a reputation for durability in the hands of ordinary drivers. Driving technique has a lot to do with how well they hold up and repairs for these transmissions can be expensive and time consuming.

Word is that the Quattroporte will have a conventional automatic transmission for the 2007 model year and that the sequential manual option will be discontinued. Maserati wouldn’t comment, didn’t deny it either. Depending on how you feel about shifting for yourself, you can decide to buy now or wait.
Part of what makes Italian exotic cars such as the Quattroporte so appealing is that, just like people, they have idiosyncrasies that lend them character. For instance, the Quattroporte’s brakes squeal. That may seem like a nuisance and would horrify other top-end manufacturers — at least one Japanese luxury-sedan maker has admitted choosing brake pads based on their dust-free cleanliness rather than stopping power — but many race-worthy brake pads squeal, and it’s hard to keep them totally quiet. To Maserati, the tradeoff in quietude is worth superior braking performance.

The Quattroporte is a communicative and intriguiging car, not an automated appliance. It doesn’t offer the somnolent silence of a Lexus or Mercedes, and the steering and suspension constantly let you know what the road and the car are doing. The sequential manual transmission isn’t nearly as seamless in its shifts as the top German and Japanese six- and seven-speed automatics, but for a driver who wants to feel in control of the car, that’s a plus. Alternately, for those who prefer coddling isolation from the road and mechanicals, the Quattroporte might not be the best fit. It just depends on what you’re looking for.

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