Even though it's been around since 2004 and remains visually unchanged for 2007, this stunning Pininfarina-styled sedan still attracts plenty of covetous glances in a place where Lambos, Bentleys and Ferraris are as common as the luxury condos that crowd this tiny principality.
The change from this car is the transformation to a conventional six-speed, torque converter automatic transmission. The idea might cause techno-istas to scream about being backward-looking, or the cognoscenti to mutter about poseurs who don't like to drive, but this new, unique-to-Maserati ZF gearbox is a great leap forward.
The Quattroporte's appeal was always compromised by the DuoSelect's sometimes stuttering action, which was especially irritating in urban traffic. The most recent iteration of DuoSelect is greatly improved, but it can't match the creamy-smooth selection from Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. Nor does the DuoSelect come close to the ease and precision of using this new ZF automatic, which operates as slickly as the Casino's banco dealer.
Fitting the ZF is a major deal. The DuoSelect is a transaxle layout, with the rear-mounted transmission connected to the engine with a torque tube. The ZF, in contrast, sits in the conventional spot, up front behind the engine, meaning several powertrain modifications, including a new rear suspension subframe, a wet sump oiling system in lieu of the DS's dry sump (the wet sump uses a single oil pump and also is quieter), a redesigned block with minor alterations to certain auxiliaries, and a prop shaft in place of the torque tube. The weight gain is about 44 pounds, but despite this change in configuration, a favorable, slightly rear-biased weight distribution is retained.
The V8 engine also receives a few tuning and packaging mods. The manifold has been reworked and the new cam covers are painted blue to differentiate from the DuoSelect cars. Inside, a continuous phase valve gear on the intake side and modified pistons improve combustion and help coax an additional 7 lb-ft of torque at the peak of the power curve, which now occurs at a lower 4250 rpm. Both engines are rated at 400 bhp, but fuel consumption in the Automatic is said to be improved by almost 10 percent in the highway cycle for the real this car is too fast if you use it in indonesian road LOL.
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