Quattroporte wears a distinctly Italian design, showing off huge road presence along with elegance. Dominated by a grille with the traditional Trident logo in its centre, the handsome front end is matched by equally dramatic and muscular side and rear styling. Unlike anything else on the roads, Quattroporte's Pininfarina styling is sure to stand out against German rivals. Intended as a sporty luxury sedan, Quattroporte is delightful over twisty roads, serving up massive grip, exemplary body control, and sharp, responsive steering. The steering can do with more feel, but in this large luxury sedan segment, we can not think of a car more fun to drive than Quattroporte. The sportiness comes at the price of ride comfort. The ride is firmer than rivals', and can be fidgety at times. Wind and road noise are well kept out, just not as well as in Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The modern cabin has a fine driving position with a good range of steering and seating adjustments. The many buttons on the dashboard will need familiarising, and the seats are less comfortable than rivals' for longer journeys. The cabin uses plenty of wood, leather and generally upmarket materials, but some switchgear quality and plastics are disappointing given Quattroporte's very serious price tag. Rivals, especially Audi A8, have classier cabins that pay more attention to the finer details. Mechanical reliability should be improved along with the rest of the car. The 4.2-litre V8 churns out 400 bhp and 460 Nm, giving Quattroporte a superb performance along with a wonderful engine soundtrack. The sheer pace can be seen from the 5.6 seconds taken to reach 100 km/h from rest. A conventional six-speed automatic transmission is used in place of the jerky CambioCorsa automated manual, thereby allowing smoother shifting, although accelerating from rest can still be a jerky affair. Despite having a length rivalling Mercedes-Benz S-Class, rear legroom is relatively stingy. But of course, there is more than adequate room for front and rear occupants to get comfortable. The rear bench has only two seats, making Quattroporte a four-seater. The boot capacity may be able to swallow a couple of suitcases, but is still too small to compete in this segment. Fuel consumption of 6.8 km/litre is frankly abysmal. Servicing costs are very expensive, and although the famed Maserati badge will help Quattroporte preserve its value decently well, the depreciation in absolute amount will be substantial given the high starting price. Quattroporte is priced at a premium over comparable Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series models, but is far less complete as a luxury sedan. What Quattroporte loses out in comfort, quality and room, it leads in style, handling and exclusivity. Most would opt for the luxury norms, but for those who would like a piece of Italian art, the characterful Quattroporte will not disappoint. As expected of a prestigious car, there is a multitude of exterior colours, interior finishes, woods and leathers to choose from. The standard equipment list is decent if not generous, with many goodies in the option list. Safety kit includes six airbags, and traction and stability control. Carbon dioxide emissions of 345 g/km and fuel economy of 6.8 km/litre are about as bad as it gets with regards to the environment. The only consolation for Greenpeace activists and the like? Quattroporte is so expensive and rare that few ever make it onto roads.