When we review a car, at some point we take it out to find a secluded location for a photo shoot. Anyone who does drive by usually keeps on going without asking any questions. Not so with a gleaming Nero black Maserati GranTurismo and a “Where are my sunglasses?” yellow Corvette Z06 sitting side by side. This was the scenario that transpired when fellow Autoblogger Chris Shunk swung by the Ann Arbor office for a joint photo shoot of our respective review vehicles. Corvettes, even screaming yellow Z06s, are pretty commonplace in Michigan. Maseratis, however, are anything but. The GranTurismo sashayed onto the world’s automotive stage in March 2007 at the Geneva Motor Show looking right at home in the company of the models who always adorn the displays of Italian marques at such events. Read on to find out what Maserati’s latest coupe is like to live with.
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For most of the last 45 years, Maserati has been a presence, but hardly a dominant force in the market. In sports cars, for example, Ferrari and Porsche have overshadowed Maserati’s best. In terms of luxury sedans, which Maserati has built off and on during that time, its four-doors (known simply as “Quattroportes”) have been a bit oddball at best, horrific at worst.

Since 2003, however, the fifth generation of the Quattroporte has achieved true desirability, thanks largely to a Ferrari-derived V-8 engine and an outstanding chassis. Thus, the Quattroporte is now regarded as one of the sportiest luxury sedans ever, and fittingly, it has become Maserati’s best-selling Quattroporte to date. For 2009, Maserati has improved upon the current Quattroporte’s success with a midcycle styling and interior refresh, and just as significant, it’s added a new flagship: the first-ever Quattroporte S, powered by a 4.7-liter V-8 that ratchets up the sportiness to scintillating heights. We headed to Salzburg, Austria, to try out Maserati’s newest. Read more »

It’s hard not to love the Maserati Quattroporte. Between its Pininfarina lines and the Ferrari-developed chassis and engine, it’s a veritable four-door exotic that makes the top-of-the-line competition from England and Germany look downright ordinary. But both countries are preparing tantalizing new offerings (Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera), and the Quattroporte has been on the market for five years now. With the complete replacement not due until 2012, Maserati has wisely developed a mid-lifecycle update for its sumptuous sedan. Now after squinting at spy shots for months, details and photos have begun to emerge in cyberspace. Read more »