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| The Pininfarina conceptual illustrations show incredibly clean, flowing lines, a long, lean profile and aggressive stance. Making it look exactly the same in the flesh with the various engineering and safety considerations would be difficult. (Photo: Pininfarina) |
A few selectively chosen prospective customers have been shown top-secret pre-production images, one of which, President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, has been reported to have requested delivery of the first Maserati Quattroporte to leave the factory. While necessarily pro-Italian he was also obviously impressed enough to put his money behind his principals. To draw in the ultra-wealthy Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach clientele, Maserati is additionally planning a special Royale limousine version, powered by a variation of the Ferrari Enzo's 6.0-L V12. If anywhere near the supercars 650-hp, 485 lb-ft of torque output, the new top-line Maserati will be the most powerful sedan in the world.
But while the North American market is integral to Maserati's success it has no plans to offer an automatic gearbox alongside the Cambiocorsa sequential shifting manual transmission. Shiftless customers shouldn't be too concerned though. I've driven a Cambiocorsa equipped 2003 4200 GT Coupé in full-auto mode and it shifts smoothly considering its hydraulically-actuated manual cogs. No doubt Maserati will smooth it out further for its sedan application. It's also important to realize those interested in the Trident brand over a Mercedes or BMW, will most likely want the sporting advantages such a sophisticated F1 derived transmission has to offer, especially considering both the 'base' and Royale Quattroporte's substantial output.