Bruce

Wow, agreed on every comment The Quattroporte really does an impressive lap time on the Bedford Autodrome. I also agree, the gearbox is the main concern, many of the magazine tests i rea,d they are quite frustated by the gearbox. However from what i hear the Sport GT version has made the gearbox more responsive and easier to use.

Mr. M

Despite its responsiveness and ease of usage, it's still a flappy paddle gearbox and constant maintenance is required in replacing the clutch more often than usual. It is still more heavy on the pocket than the good ol' manual in the RS4. I don't know about SMG though, but I reckon it's still a good deal more practical than DuoSelect.

To show an example: my dad doesn't feel like driving the Quattroporte as a daily driver because of two main reasons: fuel consumption and maintenance. DuoSelect does not like start-stop traffic nor does it like starting up on an incline. It also requires you to be gentle when reversing. Tyres also need to be replaced pretty often as far as I know, especially the low-profile rubber on the Sport GT which will cost more. And as for FC we're talking about above 20L/100km for city driving.

Start-stop traffic in Singapore is just terrible for this car (gearbox & FC), so he's driving in only on off-peak hours or on weekends. And also on track days and get-together events for long-distance driving.

Bruce

From what i hear SMG is more practical and easier to operate than the Maserati's system, which if you think about it is a little sad. Especially considering the postive comments made to Ferrari's F1 gearbox system, Maserati's sister company. Of course the Quattroporte is still an amazing vehicle.

Personally that why i like to stick to the normal automatic gearbox or the normal manual operated gearbox, but of course the Quattroporte isn't avaliable with either as far as i'm aware.

And i can understand your dads feelings about not using it everyday. When is he expecting delivery?

CAR-NNOSSEUR

Who would of thought, a Quattroporte running a better lap time then a M5. That seems suspect !

Bruce

Well, that's what EVO achieved. If you'd like to use the Hockenheim and Sport Auto the M5 does out shine the Quattroporte (1:16.3 vs 1:18.9)

However if you want to compare it against an Alpina B5, the Quattroporte does a really good job at fighting one off, especially considering it lacks 100bhp and has an extra 188kg of weight (1835 for the B5, 2023kg for the QP, both fully loaded and weighed by Sport Auto) The Sport GT out shines the B5 by setting a lap time of 1:18.9 on the Hockenheim, only 1 tenth faster, but it's still faster

Mr. M

Yeah, I wondered what happened during the transition from Ferrari's F1 gearbox to Maserati's Cambiocorsa/DuoSelect,

The normal automatic Quattroporte will be out next year, I actually have a thread here about it, though it's a little quiet:

http://www.germancarzone.com/showthread.php?t=6949

He is expecting to receive the car in mid January 2007.

Mr. M

Why would it be suspicious? As 7.3 AMG has pointed out, the Quattroporte has already proven itself with the B5... It's no major surprise here that it has outrunned the M5. This just further confirms the QP's position right up there with the big boys.

Bruce

Nice thread I can't wait for the automatic Quattroporte, it would easily be my choice for this vehicle.

Pictures and videos !!!

Mr. M

Definitely.

CAR-NNOSSEUR

My apologies, bad chose of words.What I was trying to say was with the extra horse power & lighter weight I was surprised that the Quattroporte was able to post a better time then the M5.