Maserati
will add a fully automatic transmission into its Quattroporte lineup after complaints from potential and current
customers about the semiautomatic gearbox. The Ferrari-developed manumatic presently in production is
electrohydraulic and basically functions like a manual gearbox sans clutch, albeit shifted via steering wheel paddles.
Owners of such vehicles can switch into an available automatic mode, but drivers and journalists alike
have long complained that the present system is about as smooth as a Lotus Elise tackling
the Rubicon.
The smoother, more traditional automatic should round out the Quattroporte nicely, making it more competitive
against the likes of BMW’s 7-Series and the Mercedes’ new S-Class, both of which boast advanced
automatic transmissions.