Maserati Quattroporte facelift spied sans camo
by Noah Joseph on May 27th 2008 at 9:29AM 
You've got about $130,000 to buy a luxury sedan. We know, it's a terrible situation to put yourself in, but bear with us. You could get the same Audi A8, BMW 760i or Mercedes S-Class as everyone else at the country club. The Jaguar XJ doesn't do it for you and the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is outside your range, so where do you look? The Maserati Quattroporte would be our choice over any of the above, holding down territory as the only four-door exotic on the market. But with newcomers like the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera – both from sportscar-makers as reputed as Maserati – the Italians will be keen to hold down their territory. So with an all-new Quattroporte expected around 2012, Ferrari's kid brother is preparing a mid-cycle facelift for its four-door masterpiece.
We've brought you spy shots of camouflaged test mules accumulating development miles, but photos of the revised Maser have now surfaced in cyberspace. From the images – reportedly obtained right from the factory headquarters in Modena – we can see that the physical changes will be kept minimal, but side by side with the outgoing version we're expecting to see new headlights, bumper and grille up front, all subtly reshaped, along with similar revisions to the caboose. What we don't know at this point is whether this facelifted Quattroporte will stick with the same rev-happy engine or swap it out for either the GranTurismo S/Alfa 8C version or the direct-injected variant developed for the upcoming Ferrari California, or if the Trident marque will keep that card up its sleeve for the all-new version to follow. One way or another, the Italians aren't likely to give up to the Germans or the English without putting up a good fight.
[Source: Autospots.nl via World Car Fans]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eddie 9:39AM (5/27/2008)
I like it, but I'd rather have an S63 or S8.
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Nick 9:48AM (5/27/2008)
I never liked the current Quattroporte's grille. And the door mirrors that came from Lancia Thesis.
This facelifted grille is way better. At least the front lights won't look small.
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User 7:55PM (5/27/2008)
I agree! Wayyy better. I see these things all the time and the front definitely is the car's Archilles heel. Not like it really matters with the Quattroporte... The best part of the car is the inside.
rsfourever 9:52AM (5/27/2008)
it's funny - the change to the front is very limited, but i think it makes it look significantly better.
i must agree with Eddie though - i'd take the S8 over this (but i just LOVE the S8 so maybe i'm biased)...
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Mike Lee 10:17AM (5/27/2008)
I don't like the looks of Maseratis, either this car or the coupe. The overall shapes are not exciting in my opinion and no change in the front design of the car is going to help. Maserati is such a hallowed brand - steeped in tradition - that it deserves a truly exotic look. The parent company (Fiat?) should let another design house have a shot at coming up with a new look for the brand.
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Khalid 3:33PM (5/27/2008)
Have you seen the granturismo in real life? It is breathtaking to say the least. Its figure demands attention and looks absolutely beautiful. The interior is equally outstanding.
Mike Lee 3:49PM (5/27/2008)
Yes, I've seen the car in person and I still don't think it's exciting looking. It's nice, I'll admit that. But it's not a 'must have' car. For the money, there are other choices that really ARE exciting machines.
dwightB 10:42AM (5/27/2008)
And it is STILL dog ugly... good job, lol.
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mk 12:23PM (5/27/2008)
After seeing a black one in person, and knowing it has a ferrari-sourced engine and transaxle... Some BBS Challenge wheels, and a bit of tint, maybe blackout of the headlights to be more seamless with the bodywork...
Oooh, yeah......
The only better performance-oriented 4-door might be the Aston Rapide. Porsche Panamera might have the guts inside, but so far, I am not convinced by the veiled examples we've seen so far, style wise.
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Torrent 1:42PM (5/27/2008)
The headlights don't look smallish anymore. But I still like it.
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Shiftright 6:57PM (5/27/2008)
I loooove this car. It would be my automatic choice over any of the aforementioned excellent but "me-too" S Class/7 series/S8. Not everyone likes it, but that's how individualistic cars are. The tail lights always bothered me though.
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Mobius_1 10:37PM (5/27/2008)
No other four door saloon on the market comes close to this for the sense of occasion and style and taste this thing has.
Hey Aston, where's my Rapide?
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Bozo Clown 7:43PM (5/28/2008)
The QP is too small inside, the S-Series is too ostentatious, the 7-Series too much like a yacht (really, sit in one) so I ended up with an A8 which I like a lot. It's not the roomiest, even in the stretched version (the Bimmer feels the biggest), but compared to the Maserati it's palatial.
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