Maserati 1970 Indy 4200 - Restored on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 Drivers' Notes | Lost that loving feeling

The 2020 Maserati Quattroporte is the Italian brand’s flagship sedan. ThereÂ’s only one other Maserati sedan — the Ghibli — but the Quattroporte commands the big bucks with its blend of opulent luxury and performance, all topped off by a Ferrari-sourced engine. We drove the Quattroporte S Q4 in GranLusso trim, which is the less powerful and cheaper partner of the GTS. Since it's the GranLusso, it added silk-and-leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, a chrome front fascia insert, 20-inch wheels and glossy black brake calipers. An impressive, high-tech 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine lurks under the S Q4Â’s hood making 424 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, both respectable numbers for a boosted six-cylinder. ItÂ’s paired with a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission thatÂ’ll send this big sedan from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. The all-wheel drive system is no slouch. It sends 100% of the power to the rear wheels in most driving conditions, but can quickly send as much as 50% of torque to the front wheels if it detects a loss of grip. It also has a limited-slip rear differential. At about 207 inches in length, thereÂ’s no disguising that the Quattroporte is a large car. ItÂ’s about the same size as a BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan. When youÂ’re competing with those names, the standards for excellence tend to be off the charts. Of course, Maserati comes with its own expectations and standards of performance. This carÂ’s electrically-controlled adaptive dampers, Brembo brakes and unique exhaust note go a long way toward enhancing the driving experience, but read on to see what our editors think after spending a week in the driverÂ’s seat. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: Hearing the word “Maserati” evokes something. A sense of exotica and exclusivity, notions of performance and luxury, whiffs of elitism and maybe even envy. When people see a Maserati Quattroporte in person, very little of that happens. People will eye a Bentley, give a thumbs-up to a passing Porsche, and straight-up gawk at the right Jaguar. By contrast, no one seemed to notice this Maserati, be it on the highway or when parked next to them in the parking lot. I canÂ’t blame them. Its design doesnÂ’t really scream, well, anything. Under normal driving, the 3.0-liter V6 under the hood doesnÂ’t either. In Sport mode, though, the twin-turbocharged Ferrari-sourced engine raises its voice in a sonorous growl.

2017 Maserati Quattroporte First Drive

When German companies launch a new luxury sedan, they chat about more power, better economy, and leveraged links to Silicon Valley's hottest microchip and graphics powerhouses. It's not like that in Italy. The Mediterranean peninsula only has one authentic maker of luxury sedans, and cutting-edge consumer technology has never been Maserati's forte. Beautiful cars, sure. Compelling engine notes, yup. The prioritization of handling emotion above cornering speed and even ride quality? Absolutely. Three years ago Maserati thought that blueprint would be enough for its all-new Quattroporte. It wasn't. For starters, the car wasn't beautiful. Compared to the filigreed purity of its predecessor, the QP (as they call it in Modena) looked awkward, even clunky. A big part of that was the sheer scope of the 124.8-inch wheelbase, which made it nigh impossible to deliver the proportional elegance and unfussed panel pressings of its predecessor. Still, the added length provided rear legroom that takes surveyors to measure. More important than what it had (and whether that was good or bad) was what it didn't have. There was no button on the remote to open the trunk, no self-parking system, no reversing camera, definitely no 360-degree camera setup, no radar cruise control, no semi-autonomous steering, and no modern navigation or infotainment. By far the biggest Maserati (at 207.2 inches, it dwarfs most of the standard versions of almost any sedan, anywhere), the Quattroporte now has some small visual changes and enough driver-assistance stuff (like radar cruise) to bring it up to German levels. At least, that's the on-paper argument. Not one of the 2017 model's visual upgrades is metallic. The changes include a new plastic grille (inspired by the design language of the Alfieri concept car), updated lights, and some very subtle differences between the sportier GranSport and the more luxurious GranLusso versions, two new trim packages. The aero guys have been busy, too, with a flat floor and a new Air Shutter that lowers drag by 10 percent and by itself improves the fuel consumption by three percent (anything else is down to stop-start). In a tech, tech, tech world, the Quattroporte is the anti-Tesla. There are no plans to give the big boy any form of hybrid power much less a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Maserati's engineers look at you funny for mentioning hydrogen fuel cell or battery-electric power.

Ten of the greatest Super Bowl car commercials of all time

With an average of over 100 million viewers each year, the Super Bowl always has advertisers bringing out the big guns. And for those among us who don't know the difference between a safety and a touchback, those commercials can be one of the most compelling aspects of the annual ritual. Car companies, in particular, have a long history of making the most of the huge Super Bowl audience by debuting some of the most memorable advertisements that have ever aired on television. So, in preparation for the new batch we'll be seeing this coming Sunday, here's a collection of our favorites from the past. 10. Audi – The Godfather When Audi created this homage to the quintessential gangster movie to promote its newest sports car, the company managed to make a commercial that was simultaneously funny, a little bit disturbing, and most importantly memorable. 9. Maserati – Strike This one might start out slow, but it delivers not only with the wicked sound of the third-generation Ghibli's engine, but with an interesting message about hubris in the auto industry as well. 8. Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo – Dream Directed by none other than Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), this dystopian spot has centers around a narrator who explains that in his dream the bad guys are unable to catch him despite their best efforts by way of street bikes, race cars, and supersonic jets. While the twin-turbocharged 300ZX car was certainly a performance powerhouse to be reckoned with in its day, the concept and execution of this one does come off a little bit campy now – but in a good way. Then again, it is a dream, after all. 7. General Motors – Robot This one is unique in that it's genuinely depressing on a profound level. Who would've thought that the simulated suicide of a lovable, anthropomorphic car-building robot who has fallen on hard times could be such a downer? 6. Nissan – With Dad Although the debut season of its new LMP1 racer didn't exactly turn out how the team hoped it would, there's no denying that Nissan's depiction of a strained father-and-son relationship that eventually leads to redemption (and the introduction of the 2016 Maxima) tugs at the heartstrings. 5. Volkswagen – Big Day A surprisingly poignant advert, this one might be low on dialogue but it certainly gets its message across. And just as the dramatic soundtrack begins to lull the viewer into a sense of security, our expectations are upended. 4.