The Maserati Quattroporte luxury sports sedan captured our hearts when it came out, thanks to its slinky looks, gorgeous V8 power, and strong, Italianate personality. It is, frankly, starting to date slightly – no thanks to its stunning new
GranTurismo progeny – so the new Sport GT S – one hardcore notch up above the Sport GT model – is a timely reminder of what the Fourdoor is capable of. To be launched at Frankfurt, the S spec brings with it new black chrome trim on the exterior, stronger brakes, and the remarkable deletion of the adaptive Skyhook dampers in favor of fixed springs and dampers, lowered and stiffened all round. The only dubious inclusion is the standard ZF 6-speed automatic box, because in our experience, though responsive and smooth, it is not quite as fun to drive hard as the jerkier Cambiocorsa ‘box, and is a somewhat unexpected choice for what is supposedly the sportiest Italian luxury saloon. Hopefully prospective owners will be able to request the F1-style shifter instead.
