2008 Maserati Quattroporte Review
26 Apr, 2008
43 Comments 
2008 Maserati Quattroporte Review Executive GT Review
Models tested:
- 2008 Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT 6-speed sequential automatic - $298,000
Great noise, power and comfort
German saloon drivers will hate you
CarAdvice rating: 
- by Bob Hume
Luxury saloons are more common than you’d think. Take a short drive and make a mental note of how many S-Class’s and 7-Series’ you come across. We’re up to our necks in them. The wealthy seem to have no imagination any more. The appallingly rich don’t seem to get it at all; they may be comfortable in the neutral boardroom-inspired cabins of their large and expensive, yet still incredibly good German saloons but how many times do they draw level with an almost identical German saloon at the lights.
They must hate that, bless them.
What would you buy? Well, you could go down the well-trodden path to the Mercedes or BMW dealerships or if you wanted to be a bit different you might consider a Lexus or a Jaguar. Make no mistake, you’ll end up with an incredible car for your 80 to 100 grand but so will a lot of other nouveau riche.
You might decide that you’d be just as happy spending your money on something less obvious; a car with immediately recognisable branding but none of the hang-ups, one that stands out but isn’t audacious, one that communicates your affluence but says more about your sense of good taste.
The Maserati Quattroporte promises all of the above. The legendary Italian manufacturer has a strong tradition of competition and sports car building and has fused their technology and sporting pedigree into the opulence of a luxury saloon.
The tested car was the brand new 2008 Executive GT Automatic; the flagship variant of the luxury four-door five-seater Quattroporte. Styled by noted Italian automotive designer Pininfarina, this car takes design cues from the ‘70s. There’s a retrospective and nostalgic look to the rear quarter of the Quattroporte; the ‘C’ pillars and boot area are reminiscent of some of the sports saloons of thirty years ago.
The front end and grille are aggressively styled and the combination of all of the athletic curves and muscular lines, combine to make the entire car a boldly styled and achingly handsome, if intimidating form.
At cruising speeds, the big car is unflustered, dignified and sweeps along motorways and ‘A’ roads with grace. Inside the sumptuous leather cabin, everything’s calm, the famously immoderate way that Maserati furnishes its cars is obvious wherever you look and the driver’s seat is a very pleasant place indeed. My only mild grumbles are that there’s less legroom in the rear than a Lexus LS or a Jaguar XJ and that the wind noise is a bit louder than I would have expected.
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(8 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5)
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
No real negatives? Pfft it looks ugly… it looks dated… these are huge negatives!!!
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
it doent look dated its a clasiic it liek an audi i love it probably wouldnt get the interior in ikea wood though
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
5-stars for a slow, dated piece of crap??? Don’t think so.
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
@Benjie
…and u drive what?
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
TP, Benjie, totally agree! What a waste of $298,000 for that!
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
The front looks abit like the Mazda RX-8 x’ed with an Audi TT.. the Profile is a mix of Aston Martin and BMW 5 Series whilst the rear end looks like the back of the Rover 75 Connisseur sedan…
Each reasonably good looking cars on their own but god damn ugly when mixed together like this.
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April 26th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
GgRe:
‘07 BMW 550i - which would shit all over this both in a straight line and through the bends!
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April 26th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
forget about the looks, what about the fact that maserati
has a terrible reputation for bad reliability/build quality/resale.. give me an audi a6 quattro anyday..
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April 26th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Its Underpowerd and to heavy.Compare this to a BMW M5,no contest and never trust maserati factory performance figures.They always seem optimistic
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April 26th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
It’s classically beautiful Pininfarina, and doesn’t need to be tenuously compared to Mazdas, Audi TTs, Astons or anything else.
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April 26th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
It does look better than a M5 though
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April 26th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
you’re full of sh*t Benjie.
A man who drives a BMW 550i is not on this forum. Get real. Do you think we are all STUPID!!!!
The new Quattroporte is selling very well in the US where it is intended. These car manufacturers are not idiots. They know where and who will buy their cars. They haven’t been around for as long as they have if they didn’t!!!
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April 26th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Exactly Dave!
Masserati are have always been well received by people who can afford them. (US and upper class Europeans) The fact so many bag them is that they don’t get the heritage or prestige (A lot more prestige than BMW - just check the local milkbar carpark for that fact!)Also - this design is only a facelift. The design predates Mazdas RX-8!! Educate yourself before you comment!
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April 26th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Why wouldn’t someone driving a 550i be on this site?? The wealthy are just as interested in cars as those less fortunate..
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April 26th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Dave:
It’s not matter of concern whether you believe me or not. Not my problem that you can’t afford one! I love this site, it’s not simply reserved for poorpers like you.
In fact, I initially came here to research BMW products for my sister. She ended up buying a 530d courtesy of a review on this site.
Anyway, back to the subject matter. The Quattroporte is a repugnant car that is useless beyond belief.
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April 26th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
NICE…..
Oh, and Maser DON’T make commercial vans!! LOL
Cheers
F-0
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April 26th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
F-O,
what? no request for a bench seat in the Maserati?
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April 26th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Nice interior but i dont really like the front exterior styling.
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April 26th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I think people should stop arguing about the looks. I think its beautiful but it obviously causes split opinions - all good design does. I also don’t think that this is meant to be the ultimate driving machine. And have you actually driven one benji? - you don’t know if its slow. Im sure it isnt. This car looks alot better in white or almost any light colour and also alot better up close. I think that the BMW 550i is a wonderful car - I owned a 540i of the previous generation and that was great so the current 550i must be 100 times better again! - but face it, the 5 series is everywhere! And they don’t look as special as they did when new. I would have the Maserati over the 550i but there is still the question of the $70,000 cheaper M5. Hmmm. Couldn’t truthfully say that I would get the maserati over that. Especially the M5 Touring. Now that isn’t everywhere!
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April 26th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Also forgot to say - How can you say its dated compared to a 5 series Benjie? They came out the same year! Also its in competition with the 7 series more than the 5.
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April 26th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Benjie -
“The appallingly rich don’t seem to get it at all; they may be comfortable in the neutral boardroom-inspired cabins of their large and expensive, yet still incredibly good German saloons but how many times do they draw level with an almost identical German saloon at the lights.”
“They must hate that, bless them.” - This must be why you take such an aggressive approach to this car.
Personally, I quite like it, definately draws more attention than your other big limo’s (7, A/S8, LS, XJ, S).
Then again sometimes it depends on what you want more than anything else and that’s why many people will choose the more laid back LS460 over a Mercedes S350.
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April 26th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Urgh - sections of that that dash look cheap and nasty.
Climate controls etc just look like they have been slapped in a slab of wood like a kit car.
The round buttons on the steering wheel match those on the Nav system but then look down - different theme altogether…
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April 26th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
That rear end just puts me off the car completely. The new Maserati GranTurismo, on the other hand, is an absolute stunner!
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April 27th, 2008 at 8:49 am
It has won most beautiful sedan in the world 3 years running by the automotive designers institute. I would rather buy 3 of those then one Maybach Panzerwagen or for that matter any bland Teutonic prestige jalopy. Maybe they are reliable and full of the latest electronics, but non of them has got soul and all though I never owned a German car and never will I have driven plenty of them and got bored to death every time. I rather would drive a Citroen 2CV or Fiat Bambino for driving fun than any modern Teutonic truck. I will put my order in for the Masser as soon as I sell the wife and I will save in the process.
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I’ll take an RS6 Avant or an E63 thanks.
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
IT IS AN UGLY CAR. Simple as that, Ive seen on or at least a variant similar in looks in the flesh with a packed car, all people in the car agree… UGLY. Maybe for 50 year olds its attractive, but anyone with a pulse knows its ugly
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April 27th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Which Pininfarina-designed Lexus would you prefer it to resemble, TP?
I just read your second sentence above. Read it aloud and then repost it to make sense.
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April 27th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
TP and Bot are right…..ugly as
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April 27th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Just my two cents,
I think it looks quite boring, the interior colours are terrible and layout seems quite boring too and the rear lights look remarkably similar to that off the Daewoo Nubira
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April 28th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Can people please stop arguing about how it looks! I like it but I can see why people would think its ugly. And Im sure people under 50 think it looks good. Im only 32. And also to Martin almost every part of the interior can be changed into alot of different colours. So the top of the dashboard, the leather, the alcantara, the leather piping, the carpets, the cieling - pretty much everything. I agree though the colours here are ugly.
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April 28th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Alex, I sort of figured you could change the colours, I mean you dont spend just under $300,000 on a car and be stuck with one choice of interior. I was only saying that _these_ specific colours were a bad choice.
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April 28th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I agree with golfie on this. Its a Classic Maserati style and performance vehicle. Like Bob Hume says its an alternative to the regular German offerings. Funnily enough both Aston Martin and Porsche will have similar offering in due course so it shows there’s a biggish market for these four door coupes.
Yes TP the dash looks a bit 70 Hifi and afterthought.
I note Bob says “Make no mistake, you’ll end up with an incredible car for your 80 to 100 grand” when referring to the S Class or 7 series. Bob you got your maths wrong possibly confusing AU$ with Irish Euros or £’s!!!! S class for $100k nah more like $200. Whats the crack
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May 1st, 2008 at 1:21 am
‘Athletic curves’, Muscular lines’, ‘achingly handsome’
Are you doing a car review, a GCSE literature exam or an expose for ‘big boys in boots’ top shelf magazine?
It looks like a cross between a princess and a cortina!
NEXT!
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May 1st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Right – controversy eh?
Here goes…
TP & co – You’re not fans are you?
Benjie – The rating is more about the delivery and poise than its prowess as a dragster or a go-cart. Not so much dated than retrospectively cued – in my opinion, the overall exterior design successfully draws from a rich vein of design successes an iconic period.
OSU811 – Value retention for later models has improved and reliability issues are no more than a vague memory for Maserati.
Phill – I would not compare a Quattroporte to an M5 any more than I would compare a pair of socks to a hat. They’re completely different types of car.
Golfschwein, Dave, Marc Luck and Mercatroid – I think you all understand what I’m getting at – you get a feeling that although Maserati obviously want to capture some of the German and Japanese luxury saloon market, they tend not emulate them. The essence of the Quattroporte is all about doing it differently.
Alex – Excellent points. The most contentious design often becomes the best – it’s easy to forget that the first couple of Chris Bangle-designed BMWs drew massive controversy from both customers and press. No-one had ever clapped eyes on anything that looked like the current 7-Series when it was launched. Bold but great design can initially alienate and confuse its audience – most observers eventually accept and appreciate it but some just never understand it. It is now so popular that it’s mainstream – further reinforcing my point.
Camski – I completely agree, it’s down to the individual isn’t it?
Jbot – The Gran Turismo IS a beautiful car - I would eat my own spleen in a white wine sauce to own one and I really don’t like white wine sauce.
No Name – well spotted – I’ve given that range in GB pounds and will email Alborz with a groveling apology!
In summary, the Quattroporte is an all-or-nothing kind of car as far as the audience goes and this is illustrated brilliantly in the range of all of your comments. I didn’t say that it was better than its rivals – simply different; somehow refreshing. I’d be the first to admit that German luxury saloons are brilliant and I actually said so in my piece. How else would they sell in such great numbers and given the huge amount of resources that they spend on research and development, you’d expect them to be more than just okay. I drive a Mercedes and I’m very happy with it!
Thanks for all of your comments.
Bob
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May 1st, 2008 at 10:19 pm
this car is a piece of sculpture which has some serious heritage. it is as bob suggests something different which has a totally different look and feel from the rivals mentioned.
The fact that Maserati are owned by Ferrari can only be a good thing in terms of of reliability and risidual value which some of you voiced your concerns about.
It is good that we still have some bold artists in the world of automotive design and that cars should have personality.
I’ve been lucky enough to have a spin in this car and i for me it brought a smile to my face that no bmw has to date.
I’d buy one if i was 10 years older and had the cash.
That’s my only criticism - it is a bit grown up.
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May 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 am
Has anyone here commenting actually seen the quattroporte in the flesh? I have. A dark blue one. The sound was incredible and the lines were superb. Photos do not do this car justice. Trust me!
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May 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
To continue. The Quattroportes biggest downfall has always been it’s tranny. That issue has been sorted now with them adopting the brilliant ZF six speed auto as seen in a wide range of top marques around the world and also the humble (GULP) Ford falcon!
PS Has a Ferrari engine. Enough said!
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May 2nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Indeed Matster - that’s the very same 4.3 V8 that’s in the fantastic F430 (check my review). I visited the Ferrari factory in Maranello late last year and was interested to see that the engines were fitted to the Quattroporte by Ferrari on site - not surprising but interesting all the same.
The difference in sound produced by the same engine in each car is like night and day; in the Ferrari it sounds raw and shouty - in the Quattroporte it’s rich and bassy. All down to tuning and muffling of course.
As for seeing it in the flesh - yes you really need to. Take a look at the size of the panels, miniscile shut-lines and of course the way the whole thing fits together.
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May 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
All you whiners must drive fords, holdens and vauxhalls because most of you guys certainly cannot appreciate the beauty of Italian design.
The problem with this car is its gearbox which believe me is so bad that it may stop anyone from buying this great car. However, I hear this has been fixed.
I will buy this car anyday over an Aston or a Bentley GTC. It certainly outclasses Beemers and Mercs in terms of looks at least.
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May 3rd, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I meant the Bentley Flying Spur**
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May 6th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
sculpture and heritage?
Please. It’s a car. And an achingly ugly one at that.
If you fancy a driving around in sculpture and heritage, can i suggest a motorised damien hirst sheep…
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June 14th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
People here really don’t have any taste at all! It’s a great looking car. Go to the site and have a look at the different views for yourself!
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June 14th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
The first thing that draws you to a car is the way it looks….
In most cases be it at a Motorshow or in a showroom you generally approch a car from the front - usually form the drivers side which means you’re looking at its front-on 3/4 view….
Aan angle at which and quite frankly this thing looks more like a whale shark - not one of the most beautiful animals in the world nor one of the fastest.
In terms of looks alone which as I said is what draws you to a car this is about as good looking as a 300C or even an Edsel Ford
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