Normally, it would be considered automotive blasphemy to mention a four-door sedan and a sports car in the same breath. But since we’re here at the Batangas Racing Circuit at seven in the morning, this definitely won’t fall under the ‘normal’ category. Formula Sports, Inc., the Philippines’ sole authorized distributor of Ferrari and Maserati automobiles has chosen this locale as the launch venue for its new Maserati Quattroporte and revamped Coupe Cambiocorsa. From a glance, these two cars don’t share anything in common: one is a five-meter long luxury sedan, the other a long-slung two-seater. But before we could declare such a back-to-back drive mad, Formula Sports Marketing Director Marc Soong simply handed us the keys and said, “Have a blast.” And from that point on, it was pure magnificence.
First up, we strapped ourselves in the Quattroporte—Maserati’s global flagship model (MC12 super car notwithstanding); and the moment we whiffed up the fine Italian leather, we found ourselves smitten. At 5052 mm long, the Quattroporte is in the same league as the ultra-luxury German sedans. However, their similarities end there. Whereas the Germans offer luxury in the form of endless acronyms and electronic doodads, the Maserati is a straight-forward leather and wood affair. Of course, it doesn’t mean the Quattroporte lacks in creature features. In fact, it’s got almost everything as standard: four-zone climate control, a Bose sound system, a hands-free phone kit and motorized everything (including the rear sun shade). In addition, all of these gadgets are more integrated and easier to operate.
The short learning curve with the Quattroporte’s controls suggests an appetizing concept: a roomy, ultra-luxury saloon that can be driven like a sports car. And the moment we hit the main straight, this message was hammered in our heads courtesy of 400 horsepower 4.2-liter V8 engine. Co-developed with Ferrari, this engine is smooth, full-bodied and an aural delight. Maserati never meant this engine to be buried in sound insulation, but they did strike the perfect balance of having interior sound muffling and maintaining a tinge of race car vibes. The Quattroporte rockets from 0-100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds aided by a 6-speed semi-automatic transmission dubbed Maserati DuoSelect (MDS). Without having to resort to a power-robbing torque converter, the Quattroporte delivers instantaneous up- and downshifts either automatically or through steering wheel mounted paddles. As we were initially unaccustomed to the system, there was some initial jerkiness which disappeared after we did a couple of laps. After a while, the shifting became smooth and transparent even in full automatic mode.
As we flicked the Quattroporte through the S-bends, the car’s bulk didn’t seem to exist at all. The steering is sublime and telepathic—shaming most sports cars. The forged aluminum double wishbones keep the car pointed in the right direction, while the rear-biased (47/53) weight distribution provides some good oversteering naughty bits. Even so, we felt safe thanks to the excellent driving aids the Quattroporte has installed. Bundled under the banner of Maserati Stability Program (MSP), it combines anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, skid reduction and traction control functions. For those who feel more confident in their driving skills, the driving aids may be set to ‘Sport’ or even turned off. In any case, you can still count on the large Brembo vented and cross-drilled brakes to grind you to a halt in an emergency. Like any other ultra-luxury sedan, the Quattroporte is also armed with a cocoon of airbags (six in total) as well as seat belt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
After all smiles in the Quattroporte, Marc waved us over to the Coupe Cambiocorsa next. For those who are avid followers of the trident badge, the Coupe Cambiocorsa (a mouthful, we know) is actually a revamped version of the best-selling 3200GT first sold in 1998. Revamped at almost the same time as the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa sports some minor changes like the rear lamp clusters and so forth. Overall though, the Giugiaro styling (the Quattroporte is penned by Pininfarina) remains fresh and modern.
Inside, the Coupe Cambiocorsa has a more hand-built feel to it than the Quattroporte especially because of the padded and piped tan leather, thick carpeting and exquisite detailing (gold-plated analogue clock, anyone?). Although the Coupe Cambiocorsa is probably closer in overall workmanship to a Ferrari, I personally prefer the Quattroporte’s much more modern and ergonomic interior. The Coupe Cambiocorsa’s center console is rather messy and the plastics showing their age, although the driving position is spot on perfect. The roofline of the Coupe Cambiocorsa is more formal than most other sports car too, so the rear occupants actually have livable head and knee room especially if the front passengers stand no more than 170 cm in height.
On the track or the open road, the Coupe Cambiocorsa feels very rewarding to drive. With a 4.2-liter V8 shared with the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa has a freer breathing exhaust making all 400 horses more audible to us. A 6-speed semi-automatic transmission (hence the Cambiocorsa name), makes the Coupe Cambiocorsa the more track-inclined of the two. Through the bends, the steering is much more transparent and more direct. It’s fun when you know the correct lines, but if you’re green like us, the Coupe Cambiocorsa can be quite unforgiving. A quick/left twich can send the car in a slide if all the driver’s aids are switched off. In more than one occasion, the car was veering close to the limit of its adhesion (blame our overzealous right foot for that), so we were lucky that the Coupe Cambiocorsa is also fitted with MSP.
One thing where the Coupe Cambiocorsa still feels young is on the road. With a 4.2-liter V8 shared with the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa features a free breathing exhaust—making all 400 horses more audible to the occupants. With a 6-speed automatic transmission (hence the Cambiocorsa name), the Coupe Cambiocorsa is definitely the track car of the two. The steering is much more transparent, more direct and in turn, more unforgiving. A quick left/right twitch can send the car in opposite lock slide if all the driver’s aids are turned off. Luckily, like the Quattroporte the Coupe Cambiocorsa has MSP.
Despite the Coupe Cambiocorsa’s sports car like qualities on the track, it’s quite suited to being a long-distance grand touring car. It can easily gobble up the miles with its extensive list of standard equipment almost as long as the Quattroporte’s. Not to mention, the extra-supportive seats and roomy cabin also help in making each trip into a life-changing journey.
At this point, you’re probably expecting a price sticker shocker for both the Quattroporte and Coupe Cambiocorsa. Well, unfortunately, it’s not as black and white as buying an off-the-shelf Japanese compact. Each Maserati is tailor-made for its owner’s individual taste and as such, the company offers an extensive palette of available colors and materials. This service, called Officine Alfieri Maserati Personalization Program adds that exclusivity touch so lacking in other luxury brands. For the Quattroporte alone, there are 15 exterior colors, 10 interior leather shades, 10 dashboard and steering wheel colors, 13 stitching highlights, 3 roof lining and 5 interior accents! And we’re not counting the addition of an entertainment system, moon roof or the Skyhook automatic suspension damping control. After some prodding through, Marc Soong did say that both the Quattroporte and Coupe Cambiocorsa are priced competitively versus its perennial rivals.
In any case, at this level of performance, luxury and personalization, it’s never about the price tag. In both the Quattroporte and Coupe Cambiocorsa, Maserati has shown that be it a four-door sedan with room for five or a compact two-door coupe, it has successfully maintained its mantra of creating a truly avant-garde machine with technical sophistication guaranteeing performance, luxury and style.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang
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