As we flicked the Quattroporte through the S-bends, the car’s bulk didn’t seem to exist at all. The steering is sublime and telepathic—shaming most sports cars. The forged aluminum double wishbones keep the car pointed in the right direction, while the rear-biased (47/53) weight distribution provides some good oversteering naughty bits. Even so, we felt safe thanks to the excellent driving aids the Quattroporte has installed. Bundled under the banner of Maserati Stability Program (MSP), it combines anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, skid reduction and traction control functions. For those who feel more confident in their driving skills, the driving aids may be set to ‘Sport’ or even turned off. In any case, you can still count on the large Brembo vented and cross-drilled brakes to grind you to a halt in an emergency. Like any other ultra-luxury sedan, the Quattroporte is also armed with a cocoon of airbags (six in total) as well as seat belt pre-tensioners and load limiters.
After all smiles in the Quattroporte, Marc waved us over to the Coupe Cambiocorsa next. For those who are avid followers of the trident badge, the Coupe Cambiocorsa (a mouthful, we know) is actually a revamped version of the best-selling 3200GT first sold in 1998. Revamped at almost the same time as the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa sports some minor changes like the rear lamp clusters and so forth. Overall though, the Giugiaro styling (the Quattroporte is penned by Pininfarina) remains fresh and modern.
Inside, the Coupe Cambiocorsa has a more hand-built feel to it than the Quattroporte especially because of the padded and piped tan leather, thick carpeting and exquisite detailing (gold-plated analogue clock, anyone?). Although the Coupe Cambiocorsa is probably closer in overall workmanship to a Ferrari, I personally prefer the Quattroporte’s much more modern and ergonomic interior. The Coupe Cambiocorsa’s center console is rather messy and the plastics showing their age, although the driving position is spot on perfect. The roofline of the Coupe Cambiocorsa is more formal than most other sports car too, so the rear occupants actually have livable head and knee room especially if the front passengers stand no more than 170 cm in height.
On the track or the open road, the Coupe Cambiocorsa feels very rewarding to drive. With a 4.2-liter V8 shared with the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa has a freer breathing exhaust making all 400 horses more audible to us. A 6-speed semi-automatic transmission (hence the Cambiocorsa name), makes the Coupe Cambiocorsa the more track-inclined of the two. Through the bends, the steering is much more transparent and more direct. It’s fun when you know the correct lines, but if you’re green like us, the Coupe Cambiocorsa can be quite unforgiving. A quick/left twich can send the car in a slide if all the driver’s aids are switched off. In more than one occasion, the car was veering close to the limit of its adhesion (blame our overzealous right foot for that), so we were lucky that the Coupe Cambiocorsa is also fitted with MSP.
One thing where the Coupe Cambiocorsa still feels young is on the road. With a 4.2-liter V8 shared with the Quattroporte, the Coupe Cambiocorsa features a free breathing exhaust—making all 400 horses more audible to the occupants. With a 6-speed automatic transmission (hence the Cambiocorsa name), the Coupe Cambiocorsa is definitely the track car of the two. The steering is much more transparent, more direct and in turn, more unforgiving. A quick left/right twitch can send the car in opposite lock slide if all the driver’s aids are turned off. Luckily, like the Quattroporte the Coupe Cambiocorsa has MSP.
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| The Maserati Coupe Cambiocorsa is more traditional inside with a hand-made feel. Although there's no wood or aluminum here, the entire cabin's lined in piped leather. |
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| Despite being a couple of years old already, the Coupe Cambiocorsa remains attractive and timeless. |
