AUTOMOTIVE

MASERATI QUATTROPORTE S Q4 GRANLUSSO

Italian Elegance Combined with Sparkling Performance.

Quattroporte is a name revered by Maserati aficionados because it denotes a fourdoor sedan with the chops of a sports car and it comes from a brand whose history dates back to 1914. Just as Italians are known for their passion and charisma, so too are the cars from Maserati, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo, brands that now fall under the corporate umbrella of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Maserati is one of the world’s most iconic automotive manufacturers, rich in tradition and sporting successes. It was founded on December 1, 1914, in Bologna, Italy, when Alfieri, Ettore, Ernesto, and Bindo Maserati opened a car-engineering workshop called Officine Alfieri Maserati. In 1926 Maserati was transformed from a workshop that modified or developed cars built by other companies into a company designing, constructing, and selling its own vehicles.

The Maserati brothers adopted the Trident symbol as their logo, created by the artist of the family, Mario Maserati, with inspiration from the famous statue of Neptune

Tom Strongman has a degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and was formerly the director of photography and then the automotive editor of The Kansas City Star. Tom, a member of the Missouri Press Association Photojournalism Hall of Fame, has written about and photographed cars for more than three decades.

2018 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE S Q4 GRANLUSSO

Engine: 3.0-liter, 424-horsepower Twin-Turbo V-6 Transmission: 8-speed automatic Q4 all-wheel drive Wheelbase: 124.8 inches Curb weight: 4,233 pounds Base price: $118,600 As driven: $129,020 MPG rating: 16 in the city, 23 on the highway

in Bologna. At the end of the 1930s, following its acquisition by Modena-born entrepreneur Adolfo Orsi, Maserati moved to Modena.

Racing was important, and one of the first cars to bear the Maserati name won the 1926 Targa Florio sportscar race. A Maserati 8CTF won the Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940, the only Italian manufacturer to ever do so.

Maserati has been part of the Fiat Group – now FCA – since 2005 and is a prestigious sports-car and luxury-sedan brand, exporting to more than 70 countries, where it continues to epitomize Italian sophistication, elegance, and style worldwide.

The current Quattroporte was redesigned for 2016. The S has a 3.0-liter, 424-horsepower, twin-turbo V-6 that was designed with input from Ferrari and the GTS has a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 with 523 horsepower. Both engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. I drove an S Q4 with all-wheel drive that assures year-around drivability.

With this iteration of the flagship sedan, Maserati offers its clients two unique trim options: GranLusso and GranSport, luxury or sport.

While the Maserati name connotes Italian luxury and performance to those in the know, the long-nose, short-trunk proportion communicates power and strength to the uninitiated who might not be familiar with Italian cars. The 124.8-inch wheelbase gives plenty of room for backseat passengers and a good-sized trunk.

The restyled Quattroporte has a grille that is more pointed and imposing with chrome elements that enhance the shark-nose effect. Electrically adjustable air shutters are fitted in the grille to provide optimal control of the engine temperature while reducing aerodynamic drag by 10 percent.

The GranLusso is identified by a new front-lower fascia with a floating bridge element and a delicate spoiler and a body-color bumper. The profile incorporates side skirts while the rear has a sculptured reflector and a body-colored spoiler. The 20-inch Mercurio wheels sit in front of black brake calipers.

If the Maserati brothers could have looked into the future, they would have been astonished at the level of performance from today’s engines. While the 3.8-liter V-8 is tantalizing with its morethan-500-horsepower output, the test car’s 3.0-liter V-6 has more than enough brawn. Turbochargers help the engine deliver power across a wide power band so throttle response is nearly immediate. The car steps away from a stop with plenty of vigor accompanied by a nice growl from the exhaust. The eight-speed automatic transmission glides through the gears, yet it can be shifted manually for sporty driving.

A new package of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems is available as an option. It includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision

Warning with Advanced Brake Assist, and Automated Emergency Braking. An additional new Surround View camera is available as an option in combination with the Driver Assistance package.

While the Quattroporte is definitely a sports sedan, its luxury pedigree delivers a quiet, smooth ride without feeling soft or mushy. The car has an ideal 50:50 weight distribution, electronically controlled shock absorbers, and extensive use of aluminum in the chassis and suspension. At highway speeds, it feels taut and purposeful, as if connected to the road by an invisible force.

The beauty of the Q4 all-wheel-drive system is the way it adds security in nearly any weather or driving condition.

Slip behind the wheel and you’re aware that Maserati has tweaked the interior design with the addition of a new 8.4-inch, multi-touch infotainment screen in the center of the instrument panel. This high-resolution touchscreen is intuitive and visually pleasing because it is nicely integrated into the rest of the cabin. The system is compatible with both the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring functions.

The lower-center console has been redesigned with a rotary knob for volume and function control, a new lid, and phone storage compartment.

Maserati has equipped the Quattroporte with an air quality sensor that calculates external pollution and prevents polluted air and toxic gases from entering the cabin. This system is one more way in which the company gives priority to the comfort of the vehicle’s occupants.

The Quattroporte is not a high-volume vehicle so you’re not likely to see many others in your daily comings and goings. That uniqueness, along with its Italian character, is part of what makes it attractive to buyers who want style, performance, and passion in a four-door sedan. .