• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2008 Maserati Quattroporte Collezione Cento Preview

Did you watch the hit series 24 last year? Yes, the one starring Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer, up to his no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners lawmaking for a sixth season.

Maserati's Quattroporte sells well, as far as ultra-exclusive super sedans go. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Well, if you did, during the first six hours of the “day” you would have seen an antagonist “businessman” driving a Maserati Quattroporte around LA, the only redeeming quality of the character, and that might have been the only time you would have seen one of these cars last year, unless you happen to live in Beverly Hills.

Rare? Well, your neighborhood might have fewer Volkswagen Phaetons or Infiniti Q45s, but compared to Mercedes-Benz S550 or BMW 7-Series deliveries Maserati's sport-luxury sedan is ultimately exclusive, and that's the way the Italian manufacturer likes it. Still, sales of the full-size four-door and the brand in general are stronger than ever before, with more than 15,000 Quattroportes having been sold since its launch and 1,326 of the beautiful new GranTurismo coupes down the road as of a week ago, with additional orders totaling 2,333.

With

New model looks just as good from behind... (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

much attention already directed at the new two-door, Maserati decided to highlight its Quattroporte for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this year, showing the elegant ivory-coated Quattroporte Collezione Cento, or Collection 100. And yes, the new special-edition is limited to 100 cars validated by a special numbered plate set into the dash, ensuring even greater exclusivity than Maserati's full-size sedan enjoys normally.

Where the metallic black Quattroporte Sport GT S, introduced last year, has been designed to appeal to sport-oriented enthusiasts, the new Collezione Cento targets luxury-focused buyers. Certainly its 400-horsepower Ferrari-derived V8, active suspension and 19- or optional 20-inch polished aluminum rims make certain it will run away from many “sports” cars that dare take it on (it sprints to 60 mph in only 5.2 seconds, after all, and tops out at 171 mph,

And like all good things, it's what's inside that counts. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the brake calipers are painted silver and there's a little more chrome on this rarified ride, the honeycomb front and side grilles now coated in the bright shiny stuff.

And while the exterior glitters a little more than usual, the Collezione Cento truly shines on the inside. Maserati swathed the seats in Poltrona Frau 'Cuoio'-colored leather (tan), featuring diamond-pattern stitching and matching buttons. Exotic Wengé wood inserts are polished to a gleaming luster and applied to the steering wheel, center console and dash-mounted storage compartment, while a mother-of-pearl inlaid Trident adorns the gear knob. And in case this isn't enough, the roofliner is leather too and features a special grain and contrasting beige border, while the trunk gets tan-colored leather pockets and aluminum piping. OK, now that's nice.

Some

Full load of goodies set this model apart. (Photo: Maserati)

owners will no doubt find themselves being driven more often than driving, and to this end Maserati has equipped the Quattroporte Collezione Cento's rear quarters with all the gadgets a modern-day business person (or teenager) needs to keep abreast of the markets while staying in touch with the outside world. The Italian company has stuffed the rear center armrest with its Maserati Multimedia Entertainment system, comprising an auxiliary plug for external audio devices, an iPod docking station, a SIM card port and a USB connection. According to Maserati, rear occupants can “view photographs, videos or listen to MP3/WMA tracks on their own external MP3 players”. The car's sound system can be accessed from the rear seats too, or Bluetooth headsets can shut out the V8's glorious growl ... if you really must.

That rear armrest also boasts a built-in wireless keypad for accessing the internet, plus email functionality, all visible via twin 10.4-inch touch screens integrated

Maserati packs a lot into the rear armrest. (Photo: Maserati)

into the front seatbacks. And yes, a DVD player with CD capability is included in the package.

I took a moment to sit inside during its Detroit introduction, and it truly is a cut above the regular Quattroporte, a vehicle that has won 40 international awards since it went on sale in 2004 as a 2005 model, most of which came when its paddle-shift sequential manual was the only transmission choice. Now that a new six-speed automatic is available, with manual mode and optional paddle-shifters, sales have been stronger than ever with 74-percent of buyers choosing the new ZF built, cooperatively developed conventional automatic model.

I drove the new Automatica at its launch in Monaco last year, and it truly is an amazingly advanced transmission, perfectly suited to the sporting nature of the Quattroporte. While I find any Maserati luxurious beyond most rivals, the new Collezione Cento model will only add to the car's appeal, doing for luxury fans what the aggressively detailed Sport GT S model does for performance-oriented drivers.

The new Quattroporte Collezione Cento retails for $147,350, which, while expensive, seems reasonable for such an exclusive car. Still, I'd have a tough time trying to make my mind between this car and the more athletic Sport GT S. Decisions, decisions.

Page:  1

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo