In the Walker list of ‘World’s Most Beautiful Cars’, Maserati’s divine Quattroporte sedan always sits close to the top.
But there’s a new Quattroporte on its way to the States. It’ll make its global debut at the Detroit auto show in January and land in showrooms in the second quarter of 2013.
Will this newcomer still stay on my ‘Most Beautiful’ list? Judging from the few photos Maserati has mailed out, the answer is an enthusiastic ‘yes’. It may just be even more gorgeous than the current car.
Seems there are even more sweeps, swoops and curves, plus the most stunning body crease that runs below the window line and takes this dramatic upward sweep over the rear wheels. Magical.
The trademark Maserati grille is thankfully largely unchanged along with the trio of side vents on the front fender, plus the triangular-shaped rear pillar. But the rest is fresh and new. The redesigned front end, with its cats-eyes headlights and sculpted hood, is just jaw-dropping.
It also helps that the new car has been stretched in length, which heightens the elegance and stance. As most of the extra inches have been added to the wheelbase, it also means more welcome legroom in the rear.
Maserati is keeping most of the key technical details for the Detroit Show reveal, but we’ve heard the new Quattroporte will be significantly lighter than the outgoing car, thanks to its aluminum construction.
Under that sculptured hood there’s a new Ferrari-built V-8, reckoned to be a modified version of the 453-horsepower 4.7-liter V-8 that powers the latest Gran Turismo coupe and convertible. The new motor is expected to be even more powerful, yet more fuel efficient, thanks to fuel-saving stop-start technology and a new 8-speed ZF automatic.
We also know Maserati is developing an all-wheel drive version for the car, expected some time in 2014, to increase its appeal especially in the snowy North East. Expect a more sporty S and GTS models around the same time.
This new Quattroporte is part of Maserati’s bold – but frankly rather ambitious – plan to boost annual global sales to around 50,000 units by 2015. To help them achieve this, in the works are a smaller, BMW 5-series-rivaling sedan called the Ghibli, together with a new Jeep Grand Cherokee-based SUV called Levante.
Me? I just can’t wait to see the new Quattroporte in the metal and re-positioning it even higher on my beauty list.
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