Quattroporte

The Quattroporte’s lines are enhanced by advanced technology

The Maserati Quattroporte’s show-stopping looks are the work of Pininfarina, the famed Italian coachbuilder. New technological features and revised aerodynamics combine to render the elegant Maserati flagship model even more desirable and sensual.

The front end is dominated by the new grille with the traditional Trident logo in its center. The grille’s convex vertical strips give the car an assertive poise and hint at the potential that lies within. The front and rear lights make use of LED technology to give the Quattroporte even more striking looks.

The Quattroporte is a car with a distinct character that combines power and elegance. Its unmistakable lines give it a beauty unmatched by any other sedan on the road.

 

The Maserati Quattroporte's cabin offers superb comfort and luxury

The interior of the new Maserati Quattroporte has raised the bar when it comes to comfort, luxury and personalization. Improvements have been made to the seats and the multi-functional steering wheel with its sports grip, and there is a revolutionary new Bose® Multimedia System. In addition new leather colors and wood trims multiply the choices available for customizing the interior.

The Quattroporte has electronically adjustable seats and the driver’s seat has three memory settings and an Easy entry/exit system (that pushes the seat back and lifts the steering column when the key is removed from the ignition). Owners can also opt for the Comfort Pack seats which provide heating, ventilation and massage functions.
Passengers in the back can relax and enjoy the ride in a well-insulated cabin, with optional window shades to cover the double-laminated side windows. The Quattroporte offers adjustable rear seats, meaning that passengers will have no trouble finding a comfortable position. The rear seats can also be fitted with the Comfort Pack seats with heating, ventilation and massage capability, as an option.

The spacious, 15 cubic foot trunk has an even shape and flat floor and can fit 3 to 4 golf bags, depending on their size. Every inch of room in the trunk can be exploited thanks to a luggage set specifically designed for the Quattroporte and available as an option. Owners can also specify either an optional 17” spare wheel that is housed under the trunk floor, or instead a puncture kit that includes an air pump and use that space for additional storage.
There is a range of other standard features that comes with the new Quattroporte, including a sunroof, a cooler compartment inside the front armrest, two cup holders that tuck away into the rear armrest and an electronic blind for the rear window.

Switchgear

The main commands inside the Quattroporte can be accessed easily and quickly. Switchgear linked to the driving dynamics (Park Off, Low Grip, Sport, MSP deactivation) is set close to the driver. To one side, on the right of the center display, are the commands to activate/deactivate the door locks and the window blinds. Lower down on the console with its own display is a group of commands for the dual-zone Automatic Climate control.
Simplicity and speed of use are the concepts behind the interior’s design. Each switch controls only one function and the graphics make using them intuitive and immediately understandable.
The electronic parking brake is located on the center tunnel. It is operated by a simple pull of the recessed lever, but also engages automatically when the car is placed into Park and the engine is turned off. Likewise, to disengage the parking brake pull the lever or simply put the car in gear and press the accelerator and the brake will automatically disengage.
To complete the center console, twin, chrome edged cup holders and an ashtray and cigar lighter are adjacent to the gear shift lever.

Prestigious woods

As per tradition, attention to detail and a refined interior lie at the heart of the new Maserati Quattroporte’s design. The exceptional styling is a celebration of Italian craftsmanship. Wood, the most classic of materials, covers vast areas of the interior, giving the cabin a welcoming warmth.

Two new prestigious woods make their debut, adding to the extensive choices already available in the Quattroporte: Vavona and Polished Wenge. These woods prove once more the lengths Maserati goes to in sourcing the best materials. For those who prefer a sleeker look, high gloss Black Piano and Blu Laque finishes are also available.
Vavona has warm, amber tones; the wood is recognizable for the rounded and florid form of its grain. It is a wood that works particularly well with all the warmer leather colors in the range.

Polished Wenge, with its stretched grain, is a tropical wood. It is dark and dense and brings warmth to any environment with its brown tone.

Blu Laque is the new alternative to Black Piano and has been introduced to combine with the Blu Navy leather. This also can be used to create new and smart contrasts to the lighter leather colors in the range.
Rosewood, Briarwood and Mahogany also continue in the range to offer an exceptional array of choices.
Specially sourced, all the woods undergo treatment that is a combination of traditional working methods and the most advanced precision technology. Owners can even personalize their choice of prestigious woods with inlays.

Poltrona Frau® leather

The Poltrona Frau® leather that adorns the interior of the Maserati Quattroporte is the result of a special selection process aimed at providing the finest quality and a material that is pleasing to the touch. The tanning treatment it undergoes makes the leather supple yet hardwearing and adds to the overall aesthetics.
Poltrona Frau® represents workmanship of times gone by. It combines time-honored hand craftsmanship with the best modern techniques. This process makes the leather extremely soft and comforting in winter but cool in summer. Poltrona Frau® leather ages well too, another reason Maserati owners laud it so highly.
The most discerning Maserati owners can opt for the Luxury Pack in natural Poltrona Frau® leather, the last word in elegance and exclusivity. The leather is extraordinarily supple, something that will give passengers a sensation of refined extravagance. The Poltrona Frau® logo and the double stitched seats embellish the look.
Two new colors make their debut on the new Quattroporte: the natural and subtle Sabbia and Marrone Corniola, a modern shade of brown with a vivid and sporty tone.

Comfort and life on board

The navigation and entertainment system on the new Maserati Quattroporte has been completely revised, and now features the new Multimedia System by Bose®.

The Multimedia System includes, as standard, an on-board computer, a hard-drive based satellite navigation system, a CD player, an iPod® connection, a jukebox for storing mp3 files on the 30GB hard disk, satellite radio, voice control, Bluetooth® Wireless Technology, and a USB/AUX-in that doubles as a USB reader.

Sound is delivered courtesy of the Bose® Surround Sound System, also standard equipment. The speakers reward occupants with a breathtaking acoustic performance that was designed specifically for the new Quattroporte. A high resolution, 7" color TFT screen sits in the center of the dashboard and displays the music functions, the satellite navigation, on board computer (that shows information about the journey and the car's setup), Bluetooth® and the USB reader.

Controlling the system is easy and intuitive thanks to the unique proximity sensors that call up menu functions as your hand gets close to the dial controls. You can also access the most frequently used functions via the steering wheel mounted buttons. Voice controls that work the audio system, the satellite navigation and the telephone also help the driver keep their hands on the wheel.

The Trip Computer provides details on average fuel consumption, the trip time, distance covered, average speed, and the miles/days until the next service is due.

Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control

The new Maserati Quattroporte comes with dual-zone automatic climate control as standard, further enhancing comfort on board. A series of sensors measure the quality of the air coming into the car, and to prevent unclean air or unpleasant odors from entering the cabin automatically activates the air recirculation function. A second sensor helps to prevent the glass from fogging by reducing the level of humidity in the air whenever it detects that the windows are at dew point.
Passengers seated in the rear can also benefit from the excellent climate control system featuring six air ducts (two on the center console, two on the door pillars and two at foot level). The system can be enhanced with the addition, as an option, of a rear command panel. This allows rear passengers to control their climate independently from the front seat occupants.

Other on-board features

Among the other electronic equipment that comes as standard on the Maserati Quattroporte are the light sensors. These automatically measure the strength of ambient light and turn the headlights on and off accordingly. There are also rain sensors that activate the windshield wipers and regulate their frequency, cruise control, an alarm (with perimeter and volumetric sensing and an anti-lift device), and the automatic locking of the doors when the car is put into gear and begins to move. Tire pressure sensors are also standard.

In addition to the standard rear parking sensors front parking sensors are also available as an option.

 

The Maserati Quattroporte's engine, transmission, chassis and suspension

Engine

The new Maserati Quattroporte comes equipped with a naturally aspirated, eight cylinder 4,244 cc V90° engine. The lubrication system features a wet sump, which means a reduction in noise, making the cabin quieter.
The Quattroporte’s V8 power unit is made of aluminum alloy and silicon, with the drive shaft and five supports in forged, reclaimed steel. The timing is controlled by two chain-driven overhead camshafts per bank and four valves per cylinder activated by hydraulic tappets. The aspirated overhead camshafts, designed especially for the requirements of a luxury sedan, are controlled by a variable valve timing system with actuation times of less than 0.15 seconds.
The ignition and injection systems are tightly controlled by the engine management system to maintain emissions within guidelines. The accelerator is controlled electronically using ‘drive by wire’ technology while the ECU microprocessor communicates with other systems through the Controlled Area Network (CAN) to optimize engine performance. The Maserati’s V8 engine delivers its power in a specially designed way to give the Quattroporte maximum on-board comfort and smooth gear changes while also delivering the performance for which Maserati is famous.
The torque curve, which reaches its peak of 339 lb-ft at 4,750 rpm, is characterized by its fluid delivery. The engine’s revs rise effortlessly to offer consistent power at any point in the rev range. The Quattroporte’s performance is among the best in the luxury sedan category with its 405 bhp power output, a top speed of 164 mph and a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 5.5 seconds.

Transmission

The Maserati Quattroporte’s automatic transmission provides fluidity and smooth gearshifts without compromising power or speed. The 4.2 liter engine’s delivery is teamed with transmission management software that was developed to optimize pick up and provide seamless power delivery.

The result of a collaboration between Maserati and German transmission specialist ZF, the transmission is served by a hydraulic torque converter. The transmission provides smoothness at low to mid revs but also delivers cutting edge performance with gearchanges right up to the 7,200 rpm redline.
The driver can modify the transmission response to best suit the road conditions or to match his own driving style by selecting the Low Grip or Sport buttons.

Low Grip mode can be selected when the road surface is slick or icy. Pressing the Sport button makes the transmission more aggressive and places the emphasis on performance with faster changes at higher revs.

To keep in touch with its granturismo heritage, the Quattroporte can also be driven in manual mode by moving the shift lever located on the center tunnel to the left into the manual gate. Just as in sequentially shifted racecars, upshifts are engaged by pulling the shift lever back in the gate, while downshifts are engaged by pushing the shift lever forward. Optional paddles can also be used to control gearchanges: again, just as in a Maserati racecar, the paddles are fixed to the steering column, with the right paddle for upshifts and the left paddle for downshifts.

The Sport setting can be used in either manual or automatic shifting modes, with the manual/Sport combination providing the most engaging driving experience.

Chassis and suspension

The Maserati Quattroporte’s chassis makes it an involving drive while also improving safety and comfort. Its high torsional stiffness results in well-balanced handling and enhances the driving experience.
The car’s front and rear double wishbone suspension, with forged aluminum arms and hubs, features ‘anti-dive’ and ‘anti-squat’ geometry. This prevents the front end dipping under braking and the rear end squatting under acceleration. The suspension on the Quattroporte version of the Maserati flagship can also be further upgraded with the optional Skyhook suspension system. Skyhook controls the variable shock damping in response to the driver’s inputs and road conditions.

The Skyhook system

The optional Skyhook electronically controlled suspension system provides automatic and continual adjustment of the damping. The system adapts to the driver’s style behind the wheel and the road surface to help maintain comfort levels on board.

Skyhook boasts software that is dedicated to the Quattroporte and designed to offer the maximum in comfort on the move. Skyhook acts by using acceleration sensors that detect movement on all four wheels and the body to adjust the dampers accordingly.

There are two different settings: Normal and Sport. In Normal mode the ride is softer, meaning more comfort. The driver can switch to Sport mode at any time to stiffen the ride and bring out the Quattroporte’s sporty nature and performance.

Traction and stability control

The Quattroporte’s dynamic handling is further assisted by the Maserati Stability Program (MSP). This has been specially designed by Maserati to help improve safety and works by integrating the ABS (anti-lock braking system), EBD (electronic brake-force distribution) and ASR (automatic slip reduction), acting on the brakes and the engine in order to help enhance the driver’s control in critical situations. The Program is based on a series of sensors that constantly monitor the car’s handling. MSP can act according to two different logic maps; these correspond to settings chosen by the driver by pushing ‘Sport’ on the center console. This setting adjusts the dampers, the traction control and the speed of the gear changes.

Steering

The power steering is direct and accurate at speed to give the driver precise feedback. At the same time, it is light and easy to use at lower speeds and when performing parking maneuvers.

Weight distribution

The Maserati Quattroporte’s weight distribution is unique in its category with a slight bias towards the rear (49% of the weight is on the front tires and 51% on the rear). This split transforms the luxury sedan into a car where performance is privileged and that rewards the driver with its superb handling. This set up was achieved by shifting the engine behind the front axle to maximize traction and acceleration while also helping to make the car more stable and balanced.

Brakes

The Maserati Quattroporte’s brakes are made up of four self-ventilating discs (13 inches in diameter both front and rear) with fixed, four piston calipers in the front.

Fixed calipers are more rigid than the two piece calipers used on almost all other sedans, and apply direct braking force to both sides of the rotor.

The system is completed by the ABS, that helps to prevent the wheels locking under braking, and EBD, that distributes the braking between the front and the rear axles; both systems are integrated into the Maserati Stability Program (MSP).
The Maserati and Brembo braking system offers unbeatable stopping power, giving the Quattroporte sedan braking performance that rivals two-door supercars.

Lights

The new Quattroporte S features redesigned front and rear lighting using the latest in LED technology. The use of LEDs makes a big impact on the car and is one of the elements that link this model with the Maserati GranTurismo.

The most important lighting functions have been improved. The front xenon cluster now boasts the Adaptive Light Control system. Xenon produces a brighter and clearer beam compared to conventional halogen bulbs. The lights also automatically track the movements of the steering wheel so that the beam points to the inside of a curve (up to a maximum of 15º). For safety reasons, when the car is travelling at highway speeds the system returns to a traditional fixed position.

Ten LEDs are set along the bottom edge of the headlights. These amber LED turn signals catch the eye and integrate beautifully with the redesigned front headlights. The new fog lights are located low in the bumper and provide a wider beam.

The LED system is also used in the rear. This technology was employed because LEDs illuminate more quickly and produce a more intense light than normal bulbs. They last longer, consume less energy and their performance does not dim over time.