Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S

[HarleyEarl]

433 gorgeous horsepower to debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Maserati Quattroport Sport GT S.

[Sixty8panther]

Still ugly.... still looks like someone hit its face with a shovel.

[Intrepidation]

I love the Gran Turismo, this looks dated.

[Blake Noble]

The front fascia is a real bag of what-the-f@#k.

[regfootball]

i love maseratis. awesome.

[smk4565]

I too like the Gran Turismo a lot, it is a phenomenal looking car. The front on this looks pretty good, but the back is too Lincoln MKS. The front looks like it should be on a coupe, not a sedan much like the Aston Martin Rapide and the Porsche Panerama don't look right. Some things work on 2-doors, but not on 4 doors.

[balthazar]

I see these from time-to-time, there's a ferrari/maserati dealer 10 minutes from me. Car was moderately dated when new, is long overdue for a reskin. Lose the Buick VentiPorts, too.

From the rear (besides sharing taillight design with the kia rios), the car is totally generic with the exception of a chrome script across the decklid so large it's only proportionally correct on a motorhome - purposely large enough so you might know it's 'something special'.

The front is yet another descent into the generic except for a single feature- the low ovaloid grille, which is nice. Everything else could have come off of 22 other cars- not the sort of thing one expects when dropping this much coin.

Quite underwhelming, IMO.

[Intrepidation]

I see these from time-to-time, there's a ferrari/maserati dealer 10 minutes from me. Car was moderately dated when new, is long overdue for a reskin. Lose the Buick VentiPorts, too.

From the rear (besides sharing taillight design with the kia rios), the car is totally generic with the exception of a chrome script across the decklid so large it's only proportionally correct on a motorhome - purposely large enough so you might know it's 'something special'.

The front is yet another descent into the generic except for a single feature- the low ovaloid grille, which is nice. Everything else could have come off of 22 other cars- not the sort of thing one expects when dropping this much coin.

Quite underwhelming, IMO.

Do you like the Gran Turismo?

[turbo200]

i'm surprised at the reaction to this car. it's classical, elegant, and uninterrupted in form. Gran Turismo is awesome, Maserati is awesome.

[Intrepidation]

This car simply is not one of those "timeless" designs that ages well.

[balthazar]

>>"Do you like the Gran Turismo? "<<

What's that- the 2-dr sedan? The same comments largely apply to the 2-dr also.

>>"it's classical, elegant, and uninterrupted in form. "<<

It's clean, but unremarkable and generic. It's form is no more 'uninterrupted' than the LaCrosse's.

For this class of car, it should be unique and non-derivative.

I yearn for truely inspired & distinctive design in the '00s... still waiting.

Edited December 23, 2008 by balthazar

[Blake Noble]

It's clean, but unremarkable and generic. It's form is no more 'uninterrupted' than the LaCrosse's.

For this class of car, it should be unique and non-derivative.

I have to agree with Balthazar here. The Quattroporte has always looked like an Italian version of a Buick Park Avenue to me.

Now, the Lamborghini Estoque on the other hand, that's an Italian super-sedan designed correctly.

[Bimmer325]

balthazar, you amaze me.

[HarleyEarl]

i'm surprised at the reaction to this car. it's classical, elegant, and uninterrupted in form. Gran Turismo is awesome, Maserati is awesome.

I agree. I love these Maseratis....absolutely beautiful...even more so in the flesh, I see several around this area and I just love how the appear on the street in motion. They are very elegant.

[Blake Noble]

This is an elegant, stately Maserati:

This is a fat, dumpy Maserati:

The old girl needs to lose a few pounds. She's just a few more pounds away from having more rolls than a country-style buffet.

[balthazar]

>>"balthazar, you amaze me."<<

Thank you, sir. :wink:

Seriously, under a more pedestrian nameplate... and a great many people would just shrug at it. Although I do think it invalid to consider price in the opinion, I cannot help it when said tag gets extreme. For the tag, a car of this supposed caliber should be unique, fresh, different. It isn't. It's nice, it's sleek, but it's just not that different from a great many other modern designs. Fiat knows this, and the sheer grotesque size of the name on the rear proves it.

Like I said- I see these masers occasionally- they do NOT stand out in a sea of injection-molded plastic cars. I'm not joking; lower a LaCrosse and put it on more aggressive rims/tires and you get the same impact.

>>"Now, the Lamborghini Estoque on the other hand..."<<

I'd have to see one in person, but from pics, YJ is right on. This car smacks you in the face from a distance- you KNOW it's NOTHING in least bit ordinary. And it looks frickin' fast. Needs a bit of line refinement, but very interesting...

Scroll back & forth from this to YJ's black maserati sedan above to see the fatness & dumpiness clearly.

Edited December 24, 2008 by balthazar

[Camino LS6]

>>"balthazar, you amaze me."<<

Thank you, sir. :wink:

Seriously, under a more pedestrian nameplate... and a great many people would just shrug at it. Although I do think it invalid to consider price in the opinion, I cannot help it when said tag gets extreme. For the tag, a car of this supposed caliber should be unique, fresh, different. It isn't. It's nice, it's sleek, but it's just not that different from a great many other modern designs. Fiat knows this, and the sheer grotesque size of the name on the rear proves it.

Like I said- I see these masers occasionally- they do NOT stand out in a sea of injection-molded plastic cars. I'm not joking; lower a LaCrosse and put it on more aggressive rims/tires and you get the same impact.

>>"Now, the Lamborghini Estoque on the other hand..."<<

I'd have to see one in person, but from pics, YJ is right on. This car smacks you in the face from a distance- you KNOW it's NOTHING in least bit ordinary. And it looks frickin' fast. Needs a bit of line refinement, but very interesting...

Scroll back & forth from this to YJ's black maserati sedan above to see the fatness & dumpiness clearly.

Other than the gaping air inlets, the Lambo is a sweet design with great lines.

[Robert Hall]

I've always liked this generation Quattroporte...I'd never confuse one with a FWD Buick..has great RWD proportions, long hood, nice rear quarter curves..they look much better in person than in pics, IMHO..

[HarleyEarl]

I've always liked this generation Quattroporte...I'd never confuse one with a FWD Buick..has great RWD proportions, long hood, nice rear quarter curves..they look much better in person than in pics, IMHO..

Same for me. When I see these in person, they always turn my head. Buick could only wish to look this good. It's what a Park Avenue could have been. RWD and great proportions.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I still have eyes for it. I don't see anything dumpy, fat, or outdated about it.

[balthazar]

I will clarify: I do not really think it's dumpy or fat. It's a nice design, but absolutely generic except in 1 detail- the 'fish mouth' grille is relatively unique. Take that away, and what am I supposed to be wowed over ?? :

Frankly, the Buick has a far more fluid character line thru the body & a more fluid rear fender radius.

I don't think either the Buick's rear quarter windows, nor maserati's abruptly truncated side glass are the best solution. Most all of the other details (greenhouse, bumper integration, body hardware, etc) are interchangable in execution. Same fisher Price door handles, same body-colored blob mirrors, same chrome-encircled side glass, same 'add-on' rocker trim, even the same multi-spoke 5-lug rims.

And the maserati looks like what it unquestionably is: a stretched 2-dr. Nice, but generic, as is the Buick. I don't confuse the two on the road, but nor do I make distinctions between them design quality-wise.

Edited December 24, 2008 by balthazar

[regfootball]

fat and ugly = porsche panamera

[Intrepidation]

I never did get what the fuss about this car was about. It's not Porsche Panorama bad, but I don't like the proportions, especially in profile. It has a huge front overhang, and while it works well enough for the other Lamborghinis, it doesn't work for me on this. Plus the back looks like it was hacked off. From this angle it's ok, from the side, not so much.

Edited December 24, 2008 by Dodgefan

[Cory Wolfe]

I never did get what the fuss about this car was about. It's not Porsche Panorama bad, but I don't like the proportions, especially in profile. It has a huge front overhang, and while it works well enough for the other Lamborghinis, it doesn't work for me on this. Plus the back looks like it was hacked off. From this angle it's ok, from the side, not so much.

You're just crazy.

[HarleyEarl]

[scharmer05]

Other than the gaping air inlets, the Lambo is a sweet design with great lines.

They had the concept on Top Gear last week. It looks better than this picture gives it credit.