To say that this sixth Quattroporte has fallen into line would be unfair. To the eye, its predecessor’s sense of style is almost intact. All the Maserati hallmarks are there, from the oval grille to the trident on the C-pillar and the side vents. At 5.26 metres long, the Italian is now more imposing than the long versions of the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series! The stern has been given a more classic treatment. From ¾ rear, the Maserati identity is less obvious… Behind this facade, everything is new. Presentation has definitely moved up a notch. Gone is the monolithic block that served as the centre console on the previous generation. The design of the furniture has become more refined but… remains just as flashy. Our GTS version, the top of the range (the Quattroporte family starts with a 410bhp V6), gets an all-new downsized engine. Like its predecessor, it too was (partly) bred at Ferrari. A good omen, despite the presence of two turbos… The move upmarket is accompanied by an additional 90 bhp, giving a total of 530 bhp extracted from the new ‘small’ 3.8-litre engine.