Houston Cars

The name Quattroporte, of course, means “Four Door” in Italian.  Not quite the most creative name in the automotive business, but it sure sounds great in Italian.  This car pretty much pioneered the SuperSedan segment back when it was released in 2004.  Not much has changed since then, with the notable exception of a ZF-sourced  6 speed automatic transmission replacing the Duo-Select semi-automatic gearbox from past years.

When you look at the Quattroporte, you can’t help but think “Four Door Ferrari.”  And if you think about it, that’s pretty much what it is - Ferrari provided the engine after all, and the design is 100% Italian, and very sexy ( hard to do with a 4 door, at any price ).  The portholes on the front fender look great, but since Buick is using them these days, they are a bit cheapened, which is unfortunate.

I like the Quattroporte, however I have some issues with it.  At 400 HP, this car isn’t underpowered by any stretch of the imagination.  However, something to consider is that the base price is $110,000.  I can get 400 HP in a $45 thousand dollar Corvette - surely I would expect more from a car costing twice that.  ( Yes, I realize that the Corvette is an entirely different beast - still the HP comparison is hard to deny ).  For 6 figures, I’d expect to be very close to, if not in excess of, 500 ponies.  While we’re on the price topic, I can’t help but feel that this isn’t enough car to justify the stratospheric price tag.  Sure it’s powerful, fast, sexy.  And of course the Maserati name has to be worth something, right?  The Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide aren’t on the market yet, so it’s difficult to draw a good comparison.  We’ll have to wait to see what these two competitors bring to the table, before passing final judgement on the Quattroporte.

2007 Maserati Quattroporte Specs

• 400 HP 4.2 liter V8
• 6 speed manual or 6 speed automatic transmission
• Base Price: $110,000

2007 Maserati Quattroporte Reviews

Autoblog reviews the 2007 Maserati Quattroporte and writes - ‘In a Lexus LS, closing the door and starting the car leaves you completely isolated from the outside world. Turn the key in a Maserati and the engine jumps to life giving the driver a wake-up call. The feeling of the Quattroporte is somewhere between the visceral nature of a Ferrari and the more serene environment of a Lexus.’

Cars.com reviews the 2007 Maserati Quattroporte and writes - ‘The trouble with the QP is that, while the company scrambled to correct its out-of-the-gate mistake with the DuoSelect, the rest of the car was locked in development amber. The nav system, for instance, is CD-based, not DVD-based, and it feels really primitive compared with the class of the field. QP drivers will forgo the pleasures of iPod and Bluetooth. There is no smart-key available, no power trunk closure, no road-following headlamps.’