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“Maserati owners from all over the world come to us at the wheel of their cars. Not only because they want to, but above all because they can”, explains Alessandro Conte, sales consultant and walking Maserati encyclopedia, in the showroom at Viale Ciro Menotti 322 in Modena, where the Italian sports car manufacturer has been based since 1940. As if proof was needed, one of the few right-hand-drive Mistral Spyders from the early 1960s is currently on display in the showroom. Its Australian owner had obviously traveled extensively across Europe before leaving the classic for a few months in the airy exhibition hall, built by renowned star architect Ron Arad. This is evidenced on the windshield, which sports highway vignettes from Switzerland, Austria and a “Corsica Ferries” sticker. One of the reasons for the success of Maserati has always been the unique combination of powerful sport motor in a car body that is suitable for traveling. Two days earlier, we made our way from Switzerland in the Levante, the first off-road family car in the history of this Italian sports car brand. We’re looking for illustrations of the living myth of Maserati, which seems to be present even in this new category of sport utility vehicles, SUVs for short. This is evident after only a few kilometers on the faces of passers-by. Our Levante S Q4 GranSport is a real eye-catcher, not only because of its bright blue color called “Blu Emozione” – aha, it is not only the colors that contain the Maserati feeling – but also its athletic appearance with the trident in the middle of a large grille, and above all, by its sound. This reminds us, in the lowspeed city traffic, of the sonorous hum of a motor boat. However, this sound is limited only to the two selectable driving modes. In normal or even efficiency mode, the 430 hp twin-turbo engine drives quietly, with a more restrained hum. SPORTILY DRIVING ON THE OLD PASS ROAD On the highway, in the more comfortable normal mode, hardly any noise penetrates into the interior, which is furnished with exquisite materials. The miles just fly by. To avoid the summer traffic jam at the Gotthard, we choose the A13 over the San Bernardino. Shortly before the tunnel we turn right onto the old pass road. After a few hairpin turns in sports mode, it becomes clear: even the SUV from Maserati is great fun in the mountains. Despite being five meters long and weighing 2.1 tons, the Levant is amazingly agile. The now well-audible 430 hp of the three-liter V6 twin
turbo engine precisely delivers a fast and smooth-switching eightspeed automatic torque converter to the rear wheels, with electronic control of the front axle when needed. According to the official data sheet, the Levante S Q4 accelerates in just over five seconds from 0 to 100 km / h, and I don’t doubt it for a second. Sportily, we drive past impressive mountain scenery up the pass and then down again, heading south. After a night stop in the fashion metropolis of Milano, we reach Modena shortly after noon the next day. Year after year the relentless increase in the flow of toursts seems to have not as yet reached this almost sleepy-looking town. In the pictoresque center of the city, which owes its wealth mainly to the production of fast cars, the locals cycle comfortably on bicycles through the car-free roads and streets. We walk past the statue of Luciano Pavarotti, one of the many world-famous citizens of Modena and a confessed Maserati fan, to the picturesque Piazza Grande, a UNESCO heritage site. Modena is also the birthplace of the great Enzo Ferrari, duly honored in a modern museum next to his father’s former workshop. At hourly intervals, the legend of the red racing cars is told on the big screen, which still inspires hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic race car fans to this day. From here, you can book actual pilgrimages to the production sites of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati, all within a half hour drive. CHEESE AND VINTAGE CARS: ON THE PANINI ESTATE A wonderful time-travel through the history of Maserati can also be experienced by appointment only a few kilometers south of Modena on one of the largest private properties in Italy. Around 600 powerful cows graze in the meadows around Hombre Farm, supplying organic milk for one of the best Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses in the world. Right next to the cheese factory and the stables is an inconspicuous barn with a dozen old tractors lined up in front of the side porch. A glass door reveals a direct view of the harbingers of the most important Maserati collection in the world. The owner of the estate and the classic car collection is the Panini family whose name is ubiquitous every four years during the football World Cup. In fact, it was the football trading cards that contributed significantly to the wealth of the family and enabled them to own the farm and the Maserati collection. GOURMET BURGERS IN «FRANCESCHETTA 58» With luck, that same evening we were able to reserve two seats at “Francescetta 58” just outside the old town center. Modena is not only world famous for its fast cars, but also for its great cuisine. The big star in town is Massimo Bottura, which is a three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana which has been voted for the second time the best restaurant in the world by the San Pellegrini list. This leads to actual pilgrimages by gourmet fanatics and makes it impossible to reserve a table for months on end. The “Franceschetta 58” is a somewhat simpler offshoot of the Mother Osteria, but the menu is a real treat even in this simple and relaxed environment of a former tire workshop. The house’s specialty, a tasty burger, is authentically served in a paper box, a real fast food revelation. The next morning we visit the halls of the Mercato Storico Albinelli, taste some Parmigiano and a little Culatello, and marvel at the high prices of the small round vials in which the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is sold, another Modena world- wide export hit.
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