In 1987 all five cars built were sold to an Austrian collector, with the one here being the best of the five examples due mostly to it last being used in 1989. Since then it's been in dry storage. If you feel like paying the shipping charges, or you just happen to be in Austria yourself, they say he's looking to sell. (Hat Tip to Maxichamp!) [maserati-alfieri]

[WorldCarFans]

You don't see too many Lamborghini Jaramas around, and for good reason: only 327 were built. Yes, 327... so it stands to reason that you could never hope to own one. You can give that pessimism a big negatory, good buddy, because BZR has found this 1974 Lamborghini Jarama 400GT for us. It's been stored since 1986, so that means it's really only 13 years old! Skeptics might ask why it was stored for so long. It seems that there's some crankshaft damage; the seller states only "All parts with the vehicle. Engine rebuild required! Crank scored!" Probable translation: every engine component, down to the smallest fastener, will need rebuilding and/or replacement. You could always drop in a good ol' Chevy engine, but you might as well build a Fieroborghini as do that!

When you think "cheap Maserati," you're probably assuming the next thing you'll see will be the Maserati Biturbo, or maybe the Chrysler TC, and you'll groan "that's not a real Maserati!" Not this time, you pack of Gloomy Giuseppes, because A_Benz_Apart has found us a 1981 Maserati Quattroporte with the Geo Metro-like price tag of just 1,500 bucks! Unlike the Metro, however, this car isn't known for its gas mileage (the mean ol' EPA claimed 8 MPG), but that won't be an issue until you manage to get it to run... which might take some effort. The seller, a master of Hell Project understatement, says only "Sitting for 6 years. Was running. Needs work." What else is there to say? It was running! That means it should be possible for it to run again, right? How hard can it be?

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For Ray Wert, too much is never enough.
[via CarDomain]

Maserati Quattroporte: A "Second" Masterpiece

The Maserati Quattroporte, a name that defined the category for the "Luxury Sports Sedan", in its current version can be considered something of a Maserati masterpiece. Five years of sales growth, 46 international awards and more than 15 000 cars delivered speak to its success as the flagship of Modena. A balanced blend of sporting capability and acclaimed design has defined the timeless attributes of cars bearing the Trident. For 2009 the Maserati Quattroporte is now being presented with a new look and new technical solutions.

The history of art is characterized by audacious artists who challenged pre-existing conventions and contributed seminal works. Some artists even challenged themselves by remodeling their own works and taking them to the next level. Leonardo Da Vinci produced a second version of his masterpiece known as "The Virgin of the Rocks". 400 years later, Matisse reinterpreted his original version of "Le Luxe". The results of both are essentially new works; although they are identical in size and very similar in composition to the originals; it is the new style that makes the second versions the most influential.

With some degree of similarity, Maserati is now realizing it's second "painting": the new Maserati Quattroporte.

Thanks to Pininfarina's unrivalled and skilful hand, the Maserati Quattroporte is being refined in a modern way, yet always mindful of the standards of purposeful line, elegance and exclusivity which characterize the style of the Maserati Quattroporte.

The personality and glamour of the Maserati flagship are now represented by two products: the Quattroporte and the Quattroporte S.

The former is fitted with the familiar 4.2 liter V8 engine, while the latter adopts the new 4.7 liter 425 Hp V8 recently introduced on the GranTurismo S, with a different tuning specification.

Both cars have the 6-speed automatic transmission developed in association with ZF.

Exterior styling changes include:

A newly design front fascia which adopts the traditional Maserati vertical slats, a design cue seen most recently on the Maserati GranTurismo.

The front and rear light units are also updated, featuring LEDs.

The under-door molding is defined with a line that runs into that of the new bumpers, which have a wider protective band and more pronounced rear styling.

Side-view mirrors are also new, with a dynamic shape and a more streamlined mounting.

The Interior of the Quattroporte, renown for a design clarity and sense of occasion has also seen many updates including an all new, state of the art Entertainment and Navigation system. Primary and secondary controls for both the passenger and driver have been refined in order to enhance ease of operation.

Two new shades of leather, Marrone Corniola and Sabbia, will replace the beige which was previously in the range, and debut on the Quattroporte S and Quattroporte respectively.

The new Quattroporte and Quattroporte S will be presented to potential prospects, customers and Maserati loyalists at events the world over beginning July, 2008. Deliveries are anticipated beginning in the fourth quarter of this year.

[Source: Maserati]

That mill is expected to be the same unit found in the fresh new Ferrari California. The extra punch will be plenty for showing off the new rear lights to lesser sport sedans, but we'll have to wait and see how it stacks up to existing rivals at BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Jaguar as well as the new boys from Porsche and Aston Martin. That is of course, until the completely new Quattroporte comes out for 2012.
[Autocar]

Personally, I've never been a huge fan of the standard Quattroporte's styling. Yes, the car has a cool demeanor. My problem was I always saw the portholes as gaudy, the C-pillars as awkwardly chunky, and the entire front end as particularly unflattering in anything but dark colors. So for me, the Bellagio doesn't just have the inherent awesome-ness of being a wagon, it also addresses all my quibbles. The portholes have been replaced by a singe vent on each side, the C-pillars have been swept into graceful shapes, and the whole thing is covered in slick deep charcoal paint. Do want.
[Car Body Design, autoblog.nl]

The work was done by StudioM, which no doubt charged more for this conversation than most of us will make in five years. [AutoExpress, AutoBlog]

The interior is clothed in something Maserati lushly identifies as "Poltrona Frau Cuoio" leather. We're not sure if the direct English translation is "1970s Bordello," but it might as well be. And yes, it gets better: The vehicle's nameplate and the trident in the gear knob both get mother-of-pearl inlays.

So now that there's a howling, torch-and-pitchfork-wielding mob of worshipers of German and Italian machinery clamoring to nail our hides to the wall, let's keep up the pressure, shall we? Please to give Signor Lieberman credit for dreaming up this matchup of a couple of his all-time favorites; this could have been a QOTD but I cruelly snatched the cars from his grasp and hurled them into the abyss that is Project Car Hell.

Feel like bombing around some dirt roads in a screaming, get-sideways, turbocharged, classic all-wheel-drive rallying Audi, in fact the very Audi that started it all? Quick, drop a thermonuclear bid on this here 1983 Audi Quattro, available for... well, we have no idea what the reserve price on this rare beast really is. It's allegedly in pretty good shape, but the seller alludes to having "modified the turbo" so you figure there will be some surprises in store. Oh, and there's some rust, perhaps a bit more severe than the seller's description of "a few spots" might suggest. In any case, the real hell will come in when you modify the engine, suspension, etc. to insane near-race specs... because that's what the car wants you to do. Listen to the car.

A five-banger engine is nice, especially when huffing compressed air, but how can you resist the song of a four-valve-per-cylinder V8? And when you see the car it's powering... well, you'd better start scraping up the 22 Gs you'll need to hit the Buy It Now target on this lovely 1979 Maserati Quattroporte, because how can you possibly live without it? The seller claims it's in great shape and that everything works, but pay no mind to such statements- this car was a Hell Project the moment it rolled off the assembly line! Just keeping it running and 90% of its features functional is going to be more work than restoring a GTO that got crushed between two cement mixers and then dropped into the Mariana Trench. And you'll be obsessed with keeping it running, because the two days per year it can be driven will be worth it!

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Some say the Italian-car tweakers at Novitec are masters of overkill. Eyeballing a typical Novitec job, they'll remark, "If Ferrari wanted the F430 to have twin superchargers they'd have have had God install them when he came to visit the Pope." But Novitec is undaunted by such purism. Nonetheless, their latest is a tasteful semi-mod of the Maserati Quattroporte. No breathing apparatus has been bolted on, just an ECU hack that raises the rev-limiter ceiling to 7,800 rpm, which — through the miracle of chaos theory — affects a power boost from 400 hp at 7,000 rpm to 413 hp at 7,100 rpm. Torque is effectively raised to 345 lb-ft at 4,650 rpm, from 332 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm stock. An application of twin adjustable shock absorbers — in stainless steel, natch — comprises the extent of handling tweakage. At the ground, stainless-steel exhaust tips and 20-inch multispoke rims under 245/35 Pirelli P-Zero rubber at the front and 285/30 make up the entirety of added cosmetics. Notwithstanding a lack of performance figures, the net effect is something between country club in Westport and hip-hop club on the far west side. We approve. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Novitec's Latest: Ferrari F430 Bi-Compressor Evoluzione [internal]

The always fun at parties Eve was arrested for suspicion of a DUI after she crashed her gold Maserati on Hollywood Boulevard early this morning. According to the always on the scene TMZ, "she hit the center divider, totaling the front of her car." Right after the accident, cops arrived to drop handcuffs onto her wrists and hauled her off to the local clink as you can see in the video from the always-celeb-gawkin' site. The best part is when Eve was sprung early this morning she was picked up by — yup, you guessed it — another Maserati. What — did she get some sort of a "buy a Quattroporte, get a free coupe" deal? – Ray Wert

Rapper Eve Busted for DUI after Maserati Mash-Up [TMZ.com]

Related:
Vivica Fox Popped for DUI: "I Got Drunk And Drove, I Wish To God That I Hadn't, But I Did."; Al Unser Jr Charged With DUI After Las Vegas Crash [internal]

Now that we have an everyday supercar nestled in our fantasy garage, I suggest we add a Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT (MSRP: $115,900) to our collection, for those times when we're forced to schlep people who don't want to have their internal organs thrown violently around the calcified walls of their skeletal prison. Yes, we could have added another bulletproof bi-polar express — and I'm not saying an AMG product won't find its way into our virtual automotive sanctuary — but at the risk of quadrupling a negative, we shouldn't fail to consider something a bit more lyrical.

While that word opens the door to all manner of vintage cruisers, I recommend we stick with a modern motorcar for the time being — at least until we have enough of them around that we don't have to worry about our limited collection experiencing simultaneous parts' shortages. OK, Maserati isn't exactly the first car you'd think of when seeking mechanical reliability (it could, in fact, be the last). But foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small-minded collectors. Anyway, even with the brand's fearsome rep for building cars that fail and fall apart, I'm betting that a latter day Maser can survive the seven days between now and our third choice, even with some of you hoons behind the wheel.

The main reason for adding the Maserati QP to our collection: beauty. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I reckon the QP is the most beautiful modern motor car made. Its perfectly judged proportions, forceful stance and subtle yet alluring details create an irresistible blend of male aggression and female voluptuousness — a combination that hasn't been this fully realized in an Italian car since the Dino. At the same time, the QP's an extremely subtle design; it projects class without flash, presence without pomp. It is, in short, a modern classic.

There's only thing more entrancing than the QP's sheetmetal: its cabin. The sedan offers its occupants a seamless mix of old world sumptuousness (deeply fragrant leather, soft touch plastics, sensual wood) and modern technology (sat nav, climate control, BOSE blaster). Even better, you can tweak the gizmos without an iDrive, MMI or COMAND wart to ruin the Armani aesthetics or disturb the driver's carma. If you want to know what pistonheads mean when they prattle on about a car having a "sense of occasion," grok a QP.

As for driving dynamics, now that we can order a QP with an automatic transmission — instead of that paddle-shifting abomination previously installed — we're good to waft. The 4.2-liter 400hp Ferrari-sourced V8 makes all the right noises, from none at all to the hardened wail of an expensive car exercising its royal prerogative. Those of you who fancy a bit of rough are free to thrash the old girl, while the rest of us will simply glide to our destination to collect the cred we deserve for staring down the demons of depreciation to subsidize one of the world's most sensually satisfying automobiles.

But hey, it's your call. – Robert Farago

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[Robert Farago's Jalopnik Fantasy Garage runs every Tuesday. Submit proposals for future acquisitions to robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com.]

Related:
Jalopnik Fantasy Garage: RUF RT12 [internal]

Want to save $15,000 on a Maserati Quattroporte? Just finance one of the $103,700 Italinate boulevardiers for 60 months at just — hang on to your fruit leather — just 1.9%. That's correct, the company is offering tremendous savings on the sedan, though inventory is tight, likely because, well just because. Of course, you'll have to wait a few months for the new automatic, but if you don't mind paddle shifting in sport mode (or skulking around in autobox mode), it's probably time to make the deal. – Mike Spinelli

Year-End Maserati Incentives [Kicking Tires]

Related:
Four Square: Maserati to Offer Quattroporte in Automatic [internal]

There's a lot to love about Maserati's Quattroporte, the snarly V8, the sumo-lizard body shape, the King Henry the XXX interior. But its DuoSelect robotic gearbox, the only one offered up to now, is neither sporty enough nor supple enough to satisfy either end of its range of upper-crust buyers. But, as the company announced this week at the Bologna show, it will soon come with a ZF automatic option. In addition to providing smoother, faster shifts — according to a press release — the new box nearly evens up the sedan's weight distribution (49 percent front / 51 percent rear vs, 47 percent front / 53 percent rear for the DuoSelect). We'll know more at the Detroit show, where the autobox will make its debut. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 1 [internal]

Maserati's been busy using some of its newfound luxo-bux to develop a new line of coupes that will replace its current range. These days, the company (and new Alfa Romeo mentor) is running road tests on its upcoming models, which are cryptically disguised to resemble a splice on a dormroom lamp cord we once performed, using an entire roll of electrical tape due to chemically induced temporary OCD (don't ask). Spies from Automedia believe they've solved the mystery. Three new cars are reportedly in development: a Quattroporte-based 2+2 to replace the GT coupe, a cloth-top Spyder to compete with the Mercedes SL-Class and a four-seater CC with retractable hardtop. No word on when the first of these will arrive, but we've heard the 2008 model year will see the 2+2, and that's our bet. Any takers? – Mike Spinelli

SPY PHOTOS: New Coupes from Maserati [World Car Fans]

Related:
Spy Photos: 2007 Maserati GT [internal]

Feel the Need for Speed [hotelchatter.com]

Related:
Stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Drive a Mercedes [internal]

Maserati will build a slightly down-market, mainstream executive car based on the Alfa Romeo 159, according to the UK's Autocar. The middle-market mini Quattroporte would be a first product of the new corporate closeness, within Fiat Group, of Alfa and Maserati, which was recently dislodged from under Ferrari's aegis. It'll get an all-wheel-drive layout and, according to rumor, a modified 4.6-liter Northstar V8, sourced from GM, that will produce around 300hp. Expected for 2008, the A6-sized entry will replace Alfa's 166, and likely cause some Maserati fanatics to cry blasphemy. We'll be singing a few verses of "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" in honor of the matchup.

Quattroporte to spawn a sporty exec's car [PistonHeads]

Related:
It s Official: Alfa Romeo Coming Back to US; Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 1; Maserati Station Wagon Planned; Spy Photos: Maserati CC Coupe-Cabrio [internal]

Maserati is introducing two new versions of its Quattroporte flagship — specifically for the 2005 Frankfurt motor show — that include several tweaks designed to sharpen the car's perfomance and enhance its looks. As if the company's four-door was a lily that needed gilding.

Maserati dubbed the new models Executive GT and Sport GT — automotive augmentatives that somewhat overstate the cars' improvements. The Executive GT appears to have recieved a mild shower from a fast-moving cloud of car-cosmetics artisans, with updated grillework, Alcantara roof section, a set of 19" nine-spoke rims, a wood and leather steering wheel and other interior upgrades, the company notes, to improve passengers' comfort.

The Sport GT gets some new cosmetics, including 20" wheels, an interior appointed with carbon fiber, sport steering wheel and handbrake grip and aluminium pedal covers, as well as a performance package the includes software upgrades for tranny (for 35% faster shifting) and Skyhook electronic suspension (for even tighter handling) and a new exhaust system that provides an even sweeter exhaust note (jeez, just tie us down and stuff a cheesecake in our pie hole already).

[More at Dubspeed Racing]

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 1 [internal]

Why you shouldn't buy this car: What the hell does a corporate lion like you need with a car that has to be driven? Mercedes-Benz's new 7G-TRONIC promises to shift circles around the Quattroporte's DuoSelect robotic manual — making the new S-Class much more palatable for sitting in Los Angeles traffic and yelling, "Make it happen, or I'll carve your ass into sashimi," into a cellphone headset. Plus, for the average CEO, the Quattroporte is far, far too stylish — just imagine him arriving at the club with a silk Gucci scarf tucked into his Bill Blass Premium golf shirt. And, dare we say it, the new Maseratis' reliability is still unproven.

Why you should buy this car: You don't need to work (anymore), your wife looks like Benedetta Massola, you hate golf, you'd have no problem ordering Campari at a South Texas roadhouse, you love to drive, and you hear the music of the spheres in the roar of a high-compression V8.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: Yes
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: Yes
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: Yes
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: No

Vitals:
Manufacturer: Maserati
Model tested: Maserati Quattroporte
Model year: 2005
Base price: $95,500
Engine type: 4.3-liter V8, aluminum block/heads, 16-valves
Horsepower (Sae Net): 395 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque (Sae Net): 333 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Redline: 7500 rpm
Wheels: f: 19 x 8.5, r: 19 x 10.5 cast alum
Tires: f: 245/40ZR19 98Y, r: 285/35ZR19 99Y Pirelli P Zero Rosso
Drive type: RWD
0 - 60: 5.1 secs.
Top speed: 165 mph
Fuel economy city/highway: 12 / 15 mpg
NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: na

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 1, Part 2 [internal]

Exterior Design: *****
If anything, the Quattroporte has completely re-introduced the field of luxury sedans to sex. Designer Pininfarina apparently micro-scanned the canon of Maserati forms it created back in the 1950s, and issued a voluptuous figure that s both nostalgic and progressive. All those slithery shapes converging in all the right places strike a tuning fork on our species-perpetuation parts.

Ergonomics: ****
As long as we were able to reach the gearshift paddles while putting significant pressure on the go-pedal, Maserati could have used the interior out of an early-70s Fiat 124 and we'd likely not have noticed. But there s more to driving than driving. Controls for the dual, electronically adjustable bucket seats, tilt/telescoping steering wheel and ride/transmission buttons are placed intuitively enough. Gauges are clear and well considered, and a central digital info screen (with gear-selection indicator) is easy to read on the fly. Seats are supportive enough and offer lots of posterior grip while taking hard corners. Leggy RAI spokesmodels will find plenty of stretch space, front and back.

(Hey! Who set the steering-wheel askew? Heads will roll!)

Acceleration: *****
Barring an AMG-tuned Mercedes S-Class, there's nothing in its category that can touch the Quattroporte. Its 4.2-liter V8 eats revs for breakfast, and while max torque comes on at 4,500 rpm, there's plenty to go around right from the get-go. Plus, the company's reported zero-to-60 time of five seconds feels conservative, even if it's not.

Braking: ***
Big car, big brakes. The four vented discs plus ABS brings the 4300 lbs of fun to a halt on demand. They feel a shade imposing — like the reverse-thrusters on a 767 — in town.

Ride: ***
Not as kingly-feeling as a Bentley, and without the magic-carpet slickness of a Mercedes, the Quattroporte is designed such that the driver gets lots of road information — whether he wants it or not. That means forgoing plushness for feedback. Every mode feels somewhat like sport mode. Still, sensory deprevation can be achieved — cruising along in sixth, we were actually startled by the ticking of our Swatch.

Handling: ****
With a front/rear weight distribution of 47%/53%, and a good dose of proven suspension mechanicals (e.g., unequal-length control-arms), the Quattroporte handles the curvy bits better than sports coupes half its size. It s taut and fun, and but for a bit of heaviness in the rear, it s easy to forget there's nearly the equivalent of an extra Alfa Romeo hatchback s worth of leather, glass and sheetmetal behind the driver s head.

Gearbox: ***
Paddle shifting the Maserati s electrohydraulic six-speed Maserati DuoSelect (MDS) transmission is the only way to fly. Sure, the system s software will approximate a slushbox if so solicited, but upshifts feel awkward and clunky compared to rivals with true automatics. Considering most luxury sedan buyers believe transmissions should be neither seen nor heard, this kind of conspicuity could be somewhat of a liability. In other words, don t be shy, Minister, grab the paddles and go.

Audio/Video: ***
To be honest, we were so entranced by the sound of the engine, we didn t spend much time playing around with the purpose-built Bose stereo, which is designed to cancel out outside noise. Company literature says the music system was designed simultaneously with the car. And that it has some speakers made from something called neodymium iron boron and features the debut of the PowerND woofer. Yeah, the radio works just fine.

Toys: ***
We didn't do much playing with the nav system, and our model wasn't decked out with what's available. Read 'em off the a la carte menu: Bosch/Blaupunkt multimedia system including satellite phone, rear-seat TV and DVD player, plus rear-seat recline and massage. A small fridge in the front armrest, separate front and rear climate control, light and rain sensors, etc.

Trunk: **
A smallish trunk can mean the death-knell of a sedan. While style-conscious Quattroporte buyers may not care, we're estimating it's about a golf-bag-and-a-half smaller than the Lincoln Town Car's cargo cave.

Overall rating: ****

Tommorrow: the wrap.

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 1, Part 3 [internal]

As six-figure executive cars go, Maserati s latest-generation Quattroporte is a viscount among the workaday rich. It s a sedan of lovers; of beautifully tailored suits and perfectly prepared filets; of round Barolos and operatic tenors; of sights, sounds and interactions and flourishes. Put another way, it s a lush, thoroughly Italian conveyance in a field of sternly efficient, luxury people movers. Plus, it corners like a Ferrari.

It s a special kind of sedanista who ll welcome the Quattroporte s most un-sedanlike of traits — that is, its peerless road manners and chilling, race-day growl under hard acceleration. Maserati's literally named four-door demands the attention of one who will massage its six-speed Maserati DuoSelect (MDS) electrohydraulic transmission manually, using its F1-style paddles. It rewards those who keep the sport-mode button plunged incessantly, and who ply the torquey, high-revving V8 for all it's worth — single-digit miles-per-gallon be dammed to limousine hell.

That s because the Quattroporte is happiest and most satisfying when asked to supply the kind of hands-on control and road feedback most buyers of luxury sedans would rather leave to the automotive help. Sure, those for whom luxury is a state of leisure can switch the DuoSelect into auto-shift mode, soften the electronically controlled suspension (aka Skyhook), and slink along, nearly on par with the cushiest in class. But here, performance is less polished than that of some of its counterparts.

As such, the Quattroporte not a car for generalissimo types whose idea of control is doling out marching orders. Like other cars bearing the Maserati trident, the Quattroporte is made for those who thrive in the execution phase, for whom the value of a beautifully rendered sedan of fine s and premium cowhide is measured by mile after twisty mile. Next: the ratings.

Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, Part 2, Part 3 [internal]