Capelli tests the Quattroporte

Ivan Capelli

is running through the advantages of the new Maserati Quattroporte compared to its executive rivals when he pauses for breath, conscious that he might be going too quickly...

"It's a bit like my driving - very fast," jokes the former F1 star to journalists.

And Capelli, veteran of nearly 100 Grand Prix between 1987 and 1993, remains no slouch behind the wheel.

He offered to take me out to show off the capabilities of Italy's grandest saloon on the track at Elvington, the Yorkshire venue where Top Gear's Richard Hammond so nearly came to grief. It's pouring with rain but that doesn't worry him.

"It's a lot of fun when it's dry - even better in the wet," he says. Unlike some top drivers in the wet he chooses to keep traction control off - despite the monsoon-like conditions.

"I have enough experience to know what I am doing," says the man whose race career began in karts at the tender age of 14.

An outrageous drift round a sharp right follows as Capelli stuggles to deal not only with the rain but a treacherous track offering varying levels of grip.

He is demonstrating that the Quattroporte will turn faster into corners than its rivals. It certainly does with someone like Capelli at the wheel.

Another lap follows, this time with the Maserati Stability Programme on. The rear end still pops out but the braking applied by the system means he loses momentum through the bends.

Even so, Capelli has given an effective demonstration of the car's power, handling, and safety capabilities - all within the space of a couple of minutes.

And there are plenty of other things going for the 2007 Quattroporte too, which is priced between £77,102 and £83,302 for the range-topping Sport GT, putting it firmly in the premium executive sector of the market.

It is by far the most aggressively styled vehicle in its class, contriving to look both exotic and gangsterish, with its fifties racer nose and gaping side vents. And with a rumbling 4.2 litre V8 under the bonnet putting out 400bhp it wants to be driven too.

Now Maserati has introduced a ZF-built full automatic transmission which offers superbly smooth shifts across the range.

Where you might have to feather the throttle with the DuoSelect, you just keep the right foot planted with the ZF and it does all the work for you. It even assesses what kind of a driver you are: if you're aggressive, you'll find it ready to kick down when you put your foot on the accelerator.

The ZF-equipped car is not as quick as the DuoSelect but there's not much in it. The top speed is reduced from 171mph to 167mph - as if that matters on British roads. It is worth pointing out, however, that the Quattroporte was exceptionally stable at 140mph on the straight at Elvington.

The interiors are as luxurious as one might expect with plenty of top notch leather and wood veneer on show. Some of the timber apparently comes from the same source as that used by Stradivarius - but the woods are all given so much lacquer it's difficult to tell their quality. Titanium or piano black trim arguably suits the car's sporting character better anyway.

The driving position is good, though there's a fair stretch from throttle to brake. Visibility is not bad given the car's coupe styling. The steering is light but precise and weights up the faster you go.

The Quattroporte rides quite firmly and can gets caught out by the sort of lumps and bumps that other executive cars would take in their stride - but that's the price you pay for its sporty handling.

None of this should worry those who are in a position to afford £80,000 for a car, of course. Those wanting an executive express with a dash of Italian style need look no further.

And Maserati reckons its new automatic transmission will help it make inroads into the premium car sector, with an estimated three quarters of all Quattroporte customers expected to plump for the ZF 'box.

By Peter Carroll

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