Maserati pats its own back while coddling those of its passengers in custom Alcantara.
BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER BURN, INGO BARENSCHEE AND THE MANUFACTURER
February 2010
February 2010
The Geneva auto show is traditionally a hotbed of automotive erotica, a showcase of all the great—and terrible—boutique brands of which America is systematically deprived year after year. But even established marques tend to save something fabulous for rollout at the Swiss show, and Maserati’s entry this year will be the Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition. (We propose amending the name to QuattroSporte GT S Awards Edition—still not short, but 12.5 percent less long.)
Maserati tells us this is a special edition meant to honor the many laurels bestowed upon its sedan—56 awards by the company’s count, in 14 countries on four continents. We have only one question: What happens if the Awards Edition wins an award? A spiral into nomenclature hell is our best guess.
Maserati started with the Quattroporte Sport GT S, which teams a screaming, 433-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 with a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission. It then paints the car a new color it calls “Quarzo fuso,” a pale metallic gold.
The paint is set off by matte finish on the chrome exterior trim and charcoal-gray 20-inch wheels. Polished calipers are tucked inside the wheels. The paint is matched by the interior, where tan leather seats with perforated Alcantara inserts promise the utmost in pampering. The headliner is likewise rendered in the soft faux suede, as are door-panel inserts. Satin-finish wood moldings and brushed-aluminum door moldings are included as well. And, of course, an “Awards Edition” plaque serves to remind friends that your Q-porte cost more than theirs.
The Quattroporte Sport GT S Awards Edition goes on sale in the second half of 2010 as a 2011 model. Pricing has not yet been announced, but figure on at least a $10,000 premium, which would push this Maser’s price into the low-to-mid-$140,000 range.
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