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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.

Maserati MC20 Icona and Leggenda special editions channel the MC12

Maserati is celebrating 20 years since the introduction of its legendary MC12 launched and took to the circuit with a couple of special edition MC20 supercars. Named the MC20 Icona and MC20 Leggenda, each takes after a specific look originally applied to MC12s. The MC20 Icona uses the MC12 Stradale’s best-known look with the white and blue two-tone on the exterior. Maserati says it consists of Bianco Audace Matte and Blu Stradale on this MC20. YouÂ’ll also notice the Maserati Fuoriserie logo in Bianco Audace on the side of the car and the Italian flag just behind the front wheels, reminiscent of where it sits on the MC12. Maserati matched the wheel finish of the MC12 with a silver look on the MC20, and the blue-painted calipers really pop behind said wheels. As for the interior, Maserati equips both cars with the optional lightweight four-way racing seats. The Icona specifically enjoys a black and blue two-tone interior colorway with “Icona” embroidered onto the headrests. As for the Leggenda (directly above), this MC20 takes after the Vitaphone Racing teamÂ’s livery for its MC12 GT1 race car. ItÂ’s finished in Nero Essenza and Digital Mint Matte. Interestingly, Maserati throws a splash of yellow at the Leggenda with yellow trident logos on the doors, grille and C-pillars. The trident wheels are then done in Nero Lucido with Digital Mint accents, and the calipers are painted in black to complete the package. Inside, you get a black and silver two-tone interior with “Leggenda” embroidered on the headrests. Maserati is only making 20 of each special edition model, called out by “UNA DI 20” on a badge in the engine bay. All of them are specÂ’d with a number of options such as the carbon fiber interior package, electronic limited-slip differential, nose lift, carbon fiber engine cover, Sonus Faber sound system, blind-spot monitoring and premium carpets. Related video:

Maserati Alfieri Concept seen and heard in early leak [w/video]

As is so often the case ahead of a major debut, somebody wasn't able to keep the latest concept car from Maserati under wraps all the way until the drawing of its curtain at the Geneva Motor Show. The low-slung silver coupe you see above is said to be the Maserati Alfieri Concept, and, though these images aren't exactly the greatest, it looks pretty good. We like the small proportions of the Alfieri and the aggressive look of the car's front and rear fascias, and we certainly note a more assertive design than the Granturismo it would likely replace.
Rumor has it that both V6 and V8 engines may be on the table, mounted up front and driving either the rear or all four wheels, but we'll have to wait for official confirmation before we know for sure. In any case, this new Maserati, if it does go into production, is tipped to line up against such sporting contenders as the Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911. Check out the two leaked images above, watch and listen to the car move under its own power in the video below, and feel free to let us know what you think in the Comments.