Car Review: Maserati Quattroporte GTS
As a motoring journalist I get to drive a different car every week. These cars range from small, entry level cars to something like an R11 million Rolls-Royce. Something I was yet to drive, even after having been in the industry for more than eight years (and around 450 cars), was a Maserati. I am happy to report that I am now able to tick this off my driving list.
Maserati recently opened its stand-alone showroom here in Cape Town and I was lucky enough to attend the launch of it. You could almost smell the money in that room, or was it the new car smell of the Maseratis that decorated the room? The following week I was invited to take the Maserati Quattroporte GTS for a spin and I jumped at the opportunity. It would have been unfair to experience this alone so I called on my friend (and photographer) Tessa B to join me, how nice would it have been if it were an Italian stallion whispering “Quattroporte” in my ear? Ok no wait, that would be creepy!
I picked up the flagship of flagships at 10am and was struck by its size. I didn’t expect a BMW 7 Series/Mercedes-Benz S-Class size vehicle, but this is thanks to my inexperience of Maserati. But, the minute I drove it off the showroom floor I was surprised by just how nimble it is. The car sort of shrinks around you and you are no longer reminded of the sizeable tank you’re in. Being in the centre of the CBD I wasn’t able to open it up, but again, I was impressed by how confident I felt driving it. I slipped in and out of traffic and within no time was on the highway out to Noordhoek to fetch Tessa B.
The weather in Cape Town on this day was absolute perfection! We took a drive out toward Cape Point via Misty Cliffs and what a drive it was. I have read a few reviews that say the roar of the engine is not as “throaty” as its predecessor, but it was certainly able to extract a few high pitched, excited screeches from us. Has it perhaps lost its charm and gone too mainstream? Maybe for some, but for me, it was still able to charm the pants off me…not literally of course, that would be a different kind of review. But if I am completely honest with myself, I did have a few moments where I forgot that I was in fact at the wheel of an icon. This may have had something to do with two girls being in a car and only allowing for engine roar and sheer driving pleasure between gossip sessions. I had to remind myself of the task at hand!
There is a 3,8 V8 engine powering this beast which sees 395 kW of power being sent to the rear wheels. The steering is quick and accurate enough and throw this big fella in to a corner and it handles like an agile hatchback. My co-pilot did not feel the same as her eyes were closed when I did this and she merely held on for dear life. I wasn’t even going that fast! I can’t say how this stands up against its rivals as I didn’t have the opportunity to really give it horns, but I would hope that it is as confidence-inspiring as something like the S-Class when really gunning it around a corner. You can get this hefty guy from 0-100km/h in just 4,7 seconds…which again Tessa B experienced with her eyes closed.
You would expect nothing short of incredible when stepping inside the Quattropporte and one’s first impression is really good. There is something about sitting inside a cabin with that trident badge staring back at you. But I wonder, if you took that badge away, would it feel as premium as you want it to? I am not so sure. But it’s up against some stiff competition. However, space is certainly not an issue. Think “limousine space”. If Tessa B had had her way she would have hopped in the back and been chauffeured around like that all day. But I would have none of it!
After a lunch on the water’s edge we headed back to Noordhoek via Chapmans Peak Drive and what a way to end such a beautiful day. At R2 477 000 a pop, you should expect that kind of day every day, and I think owners of a Quattroporte GTS will certainly feel that way, come rain or shine!
Check out our fun day out in the Maserati Quattroporte courtesy of Tessa B Photography.
For more info visit the Maserati website.