Heart of a prancing horse
Apart from the fact that it wears the iconic trident logo, the GTS also has a few features that make it a special car. For starters, there’s a Ferrari-developed engine under hood, a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 with seriously impressive figures attached to it, some 390kW/710Nm to be exact. This rather hefty lump drives the rear wheels through a super-smooth eight-speed automatic transmission, which makes for a very effortless drive, whether you’re peddling it or not.
Interno
The inside of a car of this nature is very important; the Quattroporte blends lashings of leather with a clear-cut, simplistic design, which is dominated by the 8.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. I normally don’t like carbon fibre or wood on the inside of the luxury cars, however it just seems to work in the GTS.
It is the type of interior that would encourage an owner to both drive, and to be driven in. My one complaint is the operation of the infotainment system, which felt slower than I had anticipated. However, I feel that a software update may remedy this. With 530 litres of boot space you could also fit a few golf bags in the boot, which is not something that I see a Quattroporte owner doing, but it’s still nice to know.
Esterno
The exterior of a luxury limo is important; it must look good but still be understated enough for the owner to glide under the radar. The GTS has the brand’s large front grille, the iconic logos located all over the car, while the silhouette is decidedly different from other large performance saloons, which makes it an obvious left-field choice. Think of it like an expensive suit… you can tell that it’s pricey, but at the same time no one would accuse its owner of being a pretentious show-off because it looks good.
Prestazione
The performance provided by the GTS is ample and while I might have wanted some more aural drama I can’t argue that by going the turbocharged route that the car is very fast and reasonably efficient. The car will get from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 307km/h, which is fair but more than brisk. In terms of handling the GTS comes with adaptive dampers and selectable drive modes, meaning that the car is comfortable on the freeway and quite dynamic through the more demanding dynamic situation although I would have liked more response from the electric power steering system.
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Verdetto
Spending a day with the Quattroporte GTS is something that I will remember for quite some time. It was my first Maserati experience and has left me feeling more in-tune with what the brand has to offer its clients. Yes, it is expensive at R2 477 000 when compared to the likes of the Audi RS7, BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS63, but it offers so much more exclusivity than these and for some buyers that is enough for them to want a Quattroporte.
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