Sunday, May 18, 2014

The Leader of Maserati Tribe (Part2)

As soon as I reached the testing track, I started my “experiment” with an acceleration test. The 4.2L 400hp V8 engine supported by the 6-speed automatic ZF, according to manufacturer’s data, can accelerate the 2365-kg car up to 275 km/h; the speed of 100km/h is reachable within 5.5 seconds. In my test, the car did 100km/h in 7.1 seconds, which was slower by 1.6 seconds. However, there were some objective grounds for such a result: there were three passengers in the car during the test, the poor quality of the track surface, and the most important, the car had been used for 8 years! It's true that nowadays some executive sedans have a better acceleration performance, but the concept of a supercar implies not only mind-bubbling acceleration, but also "supermaneuverability".

In the latter aspect, I really doubt that the Quattroporte has any serious rivals. You only need to open the hood to realize the super potential of the car-the front part was half empty, the mighty V8 was placed in the deepest section, behind the front axle. The transmission was placed closer to the rear axle, which makes the balance of the car closer to some super cars with central-located engines.
It's worth noting how easily this heavy car took the turns and bravely resisted all my crazy tricks. During the moose test ( at 60km/h and 90km/h) the car was good and displayed stable dynamics. I was slightly disappointed at the braking characteristics of the Quattroporte- after accelerating the car to 200km/h, I jammed on the brakes, and before stopping completely, it travelled a braking distance of 30 meters. I think, for this car, the result of 25 meters would have been more appropriate. But, let's not forget about the above mentioned objective grounds!
The car is unique, mesmerizingly beautiful and at the same time aggressive. It's no coincidence that the Quattroporte aroused the interest of such people as Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, and Gianni Agnelli, an Italian magnate and principal shareholder of Fiat, and found its level among their cars. This proves that this Maserati can be perfectly used both as a sportscar and an executive sedan.


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