2006 Quattroporte

compare to the Vanquish S you will find that these automobile manufacturer took different routes to making a car quick and luxurious.
on a V.S you will find the massive torque and direct (and weighted) steering commanding the V12 onto the wheels and just launches the car. very different driving experience to the QP. the QP's V8 wants to be revved and played with, and the steering is direct but surprisingly light. it will sound very soft compare to the V.S

for most people who went and test drove the QP they might be left with disappointment on the Duoselect gearbox. a large portion of this is because they are not familar on how to use it well. i would suggest going into Manual and Sport on your entire test drive. (do not test drive it in Auto, as most of the time you will never drive in auto anyways).

try pushing the QP as hard as you would on a V.S and let us know your comments.

 

Never tried a vanquish, but the QP has a very funny roadholding for such a big car. It really corners flat !

Big fun, but as quoted previously, forget the Auto mode, and drive it in sports manual.

The auto is way too flawed.

 

I test drove a QP several times over the last several months and loved up. However, with a wife and three children I need a bigger back seat so I opted for a new BMW e60 M5 instead...

 

Surprised to hear that.
Owned E60 M5 for 6 months and drove QP for a week and found the latter much roomier in the back,even with my 6'4" frame.

 

it's funnier that he drooled over a QP for the past several (15) months and now with an M5, but he still checks messages on the Maserati forum.

 

He misses you.

 

I believe the QP is the only luxury car on the market with a real soul. The engine sounds amazing. Would consider it leagues ahead of any bmw, mb or audi.

Don't beieve what you hear or read. Just go test drive one to be amazed.

 

or he knows we miss him.

 

Your memory must be failing you. I had my former e39 M5 at Maserati of Atlanta on several occasions right next to a QP so my wife and kids could compare the size of the back seat. The QP back seat is smaller than even the e39 M5 and the e60 M5 back seat is bigger than the e39 M5. The QP back seat is fine for two, but that middle seat has very little head, hip and leg room . That is the main reason I opted for the e60 M5 instead of the QP...I acknowedge that the QP looks and sounds better, but with a wife and three kids I needed a daily driver that could transport us all in comfort...

 

I do, took delivery in December of 2004, have 36K miles now. How can I help you?
I suggest you search this other Maserati boards. I have written quite a lot, as have others, about the ownership experience.

Ken

 

i already answered you.

 

very smart going for a 2006 Vanquish S.
wait til the DBS comes out. you will be even smarter.

 

bought one for my wife xmas just gone, she had it delivered in Jan 06. Nice car in fact lovely car, sh!ts all over the M5 in that it has a soul, the M5 is reliable and kraut but the wog qp is a car with a ferrari engine, not many cars can say that other than...............early minardi F1's

seriously though, there have been some issues.
The maser has been good, except for:

brakes squeal at 1000km, replaced with new ones
rattle in dash, this took lots of screaming to the dealer to get it fixed, they had 3 go’s at it.
1st service well documented, didn’t wash car, left trails of grease on the drivers door trim and a spanner in the boot.
one night Chris went out and I get a phone call at 10.00pm to say “I cant get in the car, it wont unlock” so I tear up and find her on a main road in pitch black standing there. I was so pissed off that I said “fook it leave it here” she convinced me not to leave and after using the key to get in (other than the electric crap) there was no power in the car at all, so then I thought have a look at the battery, so when I saw that in the boot I saw the positive terminal hanging off and put it back on and bingo everything was fine, when they did the pre delivery they forgot to tighten the battery terminals (dumb)


other than that all ok with 3000 km on the clock. Just don’t trust the dealer.

 

The Q-Porte, quite simply, is the sportiest luxury car on the planet. It is a 4-door Ferrari. You can drive it day-in and day-out, and do track events in it as well. It is even adequate in the winter with the proper tires installed.

I have driven most of the competitors cars, including;
MB S55, S600, S500
Audi A8
Jag XK-R
BMW 745i
There are cars in the above listed group that can match the Q-Porte's acceleration, but when it comes to the twisties, the Q-Porte simply walks away from them all. The key here is that the Q-Porte is the only sedan with a rearward weight bias, ideal for handling. Very entertaining! By the way, all of the cars listed above were driven on a racetrack in back-to-back comparisons with the Q-Porte, so I know what I am talking about.

Also, it's nice to have a car that stands apart from the croud. You will rarely see another one.

Having said all of this, the car is not for everybody. If you like a plush, pillowy ride, one that isolates you from the road, then don't even bother looking at a Q-Porte. If you want the sportiest of all sedans, then drive one, you'll be amazed.

 

I haven't driven a CGT but from what I hear and have read it is just about the ultimate, most demanding and most rewarding race-car for the street.

It's a very different car from everything else you've mentioned, unless you own an Enzo or a Zonda F. According to one owner, it's very different from the Diablo in just about every way except for power and mid-engine layout.

The CGT is extremely sensitive and responsive and will do exactly what you tell it to do with steering wheel and throttle, the very second you tell it to do it. One owner felt the reason there seem to be so many CGT crashes is because people aren't accustomed to the instantaneous responses and reflexes of the car and before they know what they're doing it's done.

The main drawback is it's extremely low height. Apparently, it scrapes often and easily.

The engine note is also the most special. It sounds exactly like an F1 V10.

It's mentioned in a few threads in the 360/430 forum, of all places. Search for CGT there and you'll see them.


Keep us posted, especially if you pick one in black, which will be the color of mine.



Forza,



Cavallini

 

Try Chambers Porsche in Boston Ma. they have a 05 CGT silver with delivery miles (21 MILES TO BE EXACT). Was told it can be bought for 30k under sticker. about $400,000.