Maserati Quattroporte. Italian icon of elegance
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury sports sedan, produced since 1963 by Maserati, the Italian company owned by the Italian-American concern Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. In 2021, the sixth generation of the sedan was available in the market of Israel after being restyled in 2020.
A car is not just a car. Looking at the 2020 Maserati Quattroporte, you are convinced of that. It’s not just a car that gets you from point A to point B and does it quickly and comfortably. It declares the status of its owner. These are the requirements for luxury full-size sedans.
Quattroporte is a full-size 4-door, 5-seat premium sports sedan. ‘Quattroporte’ is Italian for ‘four doors’. The Maserati Quattroporte is one of Maserati’s most famous full-size sports sedans. It is a competitor of the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, and Lexus LS. The Italian car has a lot to contend with. The current, sixth generation was born in 2012 and is already been updated twice.
First generation
It was produced 1963 to 1974. First appearing at the Turin Motor Show, the Maserati Quattroporte, created under the direction of Pietro Frua, was the Italian manufacturer’s first sedan. The novelty had a five-meter steel body and a 4.1-L V8 engine with 260 hp. The sport sedan could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds, and its top speed was 225 km/h. Such values made it the fastest sedan of its time. Since 1968, there was already 4.7-L engine, allowing to exceed 250 km/h. Both engines were equipped with a 5-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission.
The first-generation Quattroporte could feature not only outstanding dynamics, but also a luxurious interior. Air conditioning and electric windows were among the options. Hundreds of Quattroporte cars were produced. Among the first owners were such famous people as Marcello Mastroianni and Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Second generation
It was produced 1974 to 1977. The second Maserati Quattroporte had known hard times. The new sedan increased in length by 200 mm to 5200 mm, the wheelbase increased to 3070 mm. The car became FWD and was based on the Citroën SM model platform, equipped with a 190-hp 3.0-L V6 engine. Unfortunately, it was significantly inferior to its predecessor in terms of speed performance. The top speed of the second Quattroporte barely reached 200 km/h. The main features of the model were hydropneumatic suspension and FWD transmission, which is more associated with ordinary civil cars than with sports cars.
And even worse, the sports sedan could not obtain a certificate for compliance with the EU standard, which practically cut off its oxygen. It could not be sold in most European countries. Such difficulties arose partly because of Maserati’s unsuccessful mergers first with Citroen and then with Peugeot, and partly because of the oil crisis that broke out in the 1970s, as a result of which demand for sports cars fell sharply. The result was only 13 cars sold, several of which have survived to this day.
Third generation
It was produced 1979 to 1990. By the end of the ‘70s, the Maserati brand was controlled by De Tomaso Automobili SpA, which actually brought the “Italian” back to life. Thus, the third Quattroporte was born, which debuted in 1977, and its production began two years later. The third generation received under the hood a V8 engine with a capacity of 4.1 L, and then 4.9 L, which produced 280 hp. It had a 3-speed automatic transmission or a 5-speed manual developed by ZF.
The sedan once again became RWD. This pleased fans of the brand who were disappointed with the second generation. And the most striking thing about this generation was the level of luxury. The Royale limited edition with an engine, boosted to 299 hp, and an even more luxurious interior. Only 53 cars like this were built. Totally, until 1990, just over 2K sedans of the third generation were produced.
Fourth generation
It was produced 1994 to 2000. In 1993, Maserati became part of the Fiat Group, and a year after that the fourth Quattroporte was born. It was built on Maserati’s own platform, used for the second generation of the Ghibli coupe, and was designed by the famous Marcello Gandini. The result is an elegant and pleasing to the eye sedan, which has a good coefficient of aerodynamic drag equal to 0.31. The fourth sedan generation turned out to be the most compact - its length was 4.55 meters. But this did not make it less comfortable. The interior was upholstered in high-quality leather, with natural wood inserts everywhere.
Three engines are available - two 2.0-L and 2.8-L V6 engines of 287 and 284 hp, and a 3.2-L V8 with 335 hp. The designers did a great job on safety of the sedan, equipping it with airbags and ABS. A total of 2.4 thousand cars of the fourth Maserati Quattroporte were produced.
Fifth Generation
It was produced from 2003 to 2012, having undergone a restyling in 2008. The fifth Quattroporte, first presented in 2003 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, can be considered a serious breakthrough of Italian engineers and designers. Its design, created by the inimitable atelier Pininfarina, was moderately aggressive and perfectly complemented the image of a sports car. And the character of the new sedan is really racing. Almost perfect weight distribution between the front and rear axles (47:53), a preselective six-speed gearbox, a carefully tuned suspension and powerful motors did their job - the sedan accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.1 to 5.6 seconds depending on the modification.
The roomy interior was finished with exceptionally expensive materials, and the trunk received 450 L of space. All seats were ventilated, heated and massaged, and a folding wooden table was provided for the rear passenger. Maserati offered its customers a wide list of options and many customization options. Therefore, the fifth Quattroporte has become a real hit and a model of what a premium sports 4-door should be. The fifth generation Quattroporte has over 25,000 cars in circulation, more than all previous generations combined.
Sixth Generation
It has been in production from 2012 to the present, with two restyling projects in 2016 and 2020. The new Maserati Quattroporte is capable of providing a lot of positive emotions thanks to its outstanding dynamics, handling, perfectly tuned suspension and high level of comfort.
The cars of the last, sixth generation have been significantly upgraded. The body design of the new Quattroporte was developed under the direction of Lorenzo Ramazzotti, who previously worked at the ItalDesign studio and is now in charge of the Ferrari and Maserati brands at Fiat. The new design is refined and impetuous in Italian style. More than 60% of the exterior body parts are made of aluminum, but the weight of the five-meter car is still impressive - 1,900 kg.
Since the sixth generation, the sports sedan has been equipped with 4WD. In order not to change the car’s behavior, under normal conditions the entire power of the engine is directed to the rear wheels. The front wheels are connected only in case of slippage of the rear axle.
Since the sixth generation, the sports sedan has been equipped with 4WD. In order not to change the car’s behavior, under normal conditions the entire power of the engine is directed to the rear wheels. The front wheels are connected only in case of slippage of the rear axle.
The sports sedan is no longer equipped with atmospheric engines, which have been replaced by twin-turbochargers and direct fuel injection. The basic 404 hp version of the Maserati Quattroporte is capable of a top speed of 285 km/h, and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 5.1 seconds. The top V8 produces 523 hp and 650 Nm of torque, most of which is already available at 2,000 rpm. It accelerates sedan to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, and the speed limit is at 307 km/h. As the transmission, the sixth Quattroporte has received an 8-speed automatic ZF, control unit which developed and debugged engineers Maserati. The gearshift time is reduced to a minimum, and the gear ratios are matched to the specific engine.
The interior of the Maserati Quattroporte has become much more expensive and comfortable. New technologies were widely used in it. The form of the panel remains the same, but plastic is now difficult to find, it has been replaced by leather, aluminum and inserts made of precious wood. The central console has a large computer monitor with high resolution.
2016 restyling
The restyled 2016 Quattroporte is not easy to tell from its predecessor. The sedan has received stylishly elongated headlights with lensed optics and elegant sections of LED daytime running lights. The grille is made in the corporate style, consists of a lot of thin chrome vertically oriented ribs and flaunts a large manufacturer’s logo. At the bottom of the front bumper is a large elongated air intake, covered with a plastic mesh with large cells. In general, the car has received a few minor cosmetic changes, but at the same time has not lost its charm and perfectly recognizable on the road.
The 2016/2017 Maserati Quattroporte is equipped with four engines, automatic variable transmissions, and RWD or 4WD. The base engine is a turbocharged V6 gasoline engine that produces 350 hp. With it, the sedan accelerates to 100 km in 5.5 seconds and the top speed is 270 km/h. The top versions are equipped with a turbocharged petrol V8 engine, producing 530 hp, with which the sedan accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and can reach 310 km/h.
2020 restyling
The second restyling gave the new Quattroporte rear diffusers, colored brake calipers and a chrome grille. In the new sedan, the panels and steering wheel are finished in carbon fiber. There is also a system for air quality control.
The 2020/2021 Maserati Quattroporte can be equipped with either a 275 hp 3-L diesel engine or a 3-L gasoline engine producing 410-430 hp. (up to 580 hp as a maximum). Depending on the engine, a diesel-powered car will gain first hundred in 4.7 seconds, and with a gasoline engine it accelerates in 4.7-4.9-5 seconds. The top version with a 580-hp motor accelerates in 4.3 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. The sedan still has RWD or 4WD and is equipped with a ZF-designed 8-speed automatic transmission.
