2007 Maserati Quattroporte Automatic

Maserati's dazzling four-door is a Motor Trend favorite. Who doesn't love those Pininfarina lines, and its autostrada-bred performance makes you want to take the long way to where you're going. To quote editor MacKenzie: "It has more charisma in its front fender than a new S-Class and 7 Series put together. And a V-8 under the hood that at 6800 rpm sounds as spine-tingling as a Pavarotti aria." But like a junkie supermodel with bad breath, its flaws were all too obvious.

In the Quattroporte's case, that meant a herky-jerky auto-clutch manual trans-which was never right for most American buyers' tastes-and fit/finish/assembly quality not up to standards set by the competition. We weren't the only ones to gripe, as auto journalists around the world complained about the same issues. Maserati, Italy's oldest carmaker has addressed both issues with vigor, and the result is what the QP should've been from the start.

While the DuoSelect transmission will still be offered, the newest Quattroporte models supplant it with the same conventional ZF six-speed automatic that does such great work in the aforementioned 7 Series as well as in several Jaguar sedans and the XK. It offers normal Drive, Sport Drive, and Winter modes, along with a manual mode, orchestrated by those lovely aluminum shifter paddles (standard on the Sport GT, optional on the base and Executive GT variants). The trans is managed by a conventional shifter quadrant, and the center console has been redesigned to accommodate it, with revised cupholders and an electronic parking brake.

Contrary to early reports, there was no rework required to the transmission tunnel to get the ZF to fit, but a few frame members needed fettling to accommodate trans mounts. Overall weight increases by about 80 pounds, and since the new trans sits below the console, instead of being mounted at the rear of the car as on DuoSelect Quattroportes, weight distribution shifts two percent to the front. That means a 49-percent fore/51-percent aft spread for the automatics, as opposed to 47/53 for the current DuoSelect range.

The existing powerplant wears red cam covers and has a dry-sump oiling system. New for the automatic version is a wet-sump setup, and the cam covers and engine trim are blue. Horsepower remains unchanged at 395, but engine-management revisions brought about by the new tranny result in a slightly different torque curve. Torque increases by seven pound-feet (from 332 to 339) and peaks at 4250 rpm instead of 4500.

The DuoSelect Quattroporte was a finicky dance partner: There was great performance to be enjoyed, but it took some work, and it occasionally fought back. The automatic-equipped Maser lets you lead and does exactly as you wish. No more hesitation on upshifts. No wiggling a toggle for reverse. No more hassle. Select drive and pedal easy, and the ZF melts from gear to gear. Select Sport or Manual and drive with authority, and it snaps off quick, crisp, confident shifts. It even blips the throttle on downshifts to avoid a forward lurch when you select a lower gear. If there's any performance loss due to this being a torque-converter-style automatic, versus a manual trans with a robotically operated clutch, we'll need our test gear to determine it.

It's taken a few years for Maserati to straighten out some of the quality niggles exhibited by early Quattroportes, but we're impressed with the samples we examined during this test drive. No more wavy plastics: straight, tight body gaps, no wind noise, squeaks, or rattles. The car now looks and feels its price, which, by the way, is no more or less than an equivalent DuoSelect QP.

A former Maserati product development exec admitted that a conventional automatic trans "was the solution we should've pursued in the first place." The problem's been solved in fine style. This evolution will widen the Quattroporte's market appeal. It's still an enthusiast's car, yet those who just want a megawatt-styled lux sedan can now love it, too. A visit to the dentist and time in rehab made it the supermodel we all knew it could be, and it now deserves a top spot on your luxo four-door shopping list. Its rarity and exclusivity remain a bonus.