2014 Maserati Quattroporte V-8 First Drive

Half a century ago, in 1963, Maserati concocted its most enduring model by stuffing a race-bred engine under the hood of a four-door luxury sedan. The deliciously decadent Quattroporte, at the time the fastest car of its kind, was born. Through five generations, this flying wedge of la dolce vita grew to become one of our favorite sport sedans. (In our December 2007 issue, the Q'Porte spanked the bigs from Jaguar, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz to win a hard-fought comparo.) Now, as a 2014 model, comes a radically new, sixth-generation Quattroporte--a considerably bigger machine brewed with hardware from sources as far-ranging as Chrysler and Ferrari. On our way to Nice, France, to drive it, we couldn't help but wonder: Has the illustrious Quattroporte lost its mojo?

As noted, the new Q is a far larger car than the fifth-gen model it replaces. Wheelbase has grown more than 4 inches, while overall length is up more than 8. Width is increased, too. Whereas the outgoing, Pininfarina-designed car exuded a nimble, almost poetic presence, the new Quattroporte, designed in-house, is decidedly grandiose, a true land yacht compared with its sport-fisher predecessor. There's no question the size boost is a boon to passengers. Even with the driver's seat pushed way back for a tall pilot, the rear seat offers sumptuous legroom, with more than 4 additional inches over the old car. Better still, the newfound size is all lean muscle. Thanks to extensive use of aluminum for the body panels--and even such super-light materials as magnesium in the structure -- the new car has shed roughly 200 pounds of weight over the fifth-gen car. Drag is down some 12 percent (to 0.31), while lift has been cut by 24 percent. Perhaps most important -- given the essential ingredient of Italian style -- the new Q remains a stunning piece of auto architecture. The aggressive, LED-laced face is particularly striking. While obviously far more subdued than, say, a Ferrari 458, the Quattroporte nonetheless drew tons of approving "ooohs!" and thumbs-up from passing French pedestrians.

Things are complicated over at Maserati these days. Fiat owns the company, and since 2009 the Italian giant has been partnered with Chrysler. Thus, it's said by many that the new Quattroporte is "built on a Chrysler 300 platform." Asked to comment, Maserati CEO Harald Wester (a German national) winces. "Naturally," he says, "there are commonalities to reduce costs. But less than 10 percent of the Quattroporte's parts are carried over from other models." The new, lightweight, all-aluminum suspension consists of high-mounted control arms up front and a multilink setup at the rear. New versions of Maserati's trademark adaptive Skyhook dampers are utilized at each corner, with beefy Brembos on tap for braking.

The big, bold bod makes a sensational first impression, but it's what's under the hood that's designed to leave the senses reeling. The prime engine is a new 3.8-liter V-8 with dual twin-scroll turbos and direct injection. Designed by Maserati and built by Ferrari, the new mill -- though nearly a full liter down in displacement over the previous naturally aspirated unit -- makes a staggering 523 horsepower (compared with 400 hp for the old car) and 479 lb-ft of torque at just 2000 rpm (versus 339 lb-ft). Mated with a new ZF eight-speed paddle-shift automatic, and aided by the new car's weight-reduction regimen, the new V-8 makes this the fastest Maserati four-door in history. The company claims a 0-to-62-mph time of just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 191 mph. (Only Maserati's Enzo-based MC12 sports car is faster.) At the same time, Maserati trumpets a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption. By late 2013 in the U.S., Maserati will unveil a second Quattroporte powertrain choice: a new, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6. Based on Chrysler's Pentastar block and sharing its combustion chambers, turbos, and direct-injection system with the V-8, the new six will deliver 404 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 406 lb-ft at 1750. Performance, of course, takes a hit compared to the V-8, but this will be a quick car nonetheless. Maserati claims 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and a 177-mph top end. Also coming, and optional only with the V-6 engine, is Maserati's first-ever all-wheel-drive system, co-developed with Ontario, Canada-based Magna International.