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I just got back from taking a quick first drive in the new Automatic Quattroporte, and I have to say I am pretty impressed.
I expected to experience basically a Quattroporte with a Mercedes transmission, but this was not the case.
//This is a very partial review. I'm going to take the car home this week and get a real feel for it and I'll post that plus more pictures later.//
Starting the car I noticed a new exhaust note. A little bit deeper, but very slightly subdued vs. the DuoSelect. The new center console is shaped differently than the impression I had from the pictures released thus far. Its definitely a little bit higher, putting both the shifter and cup holder positions at a comfortable spot. After putting the car in Reverse, I realized the electronic parking brake had to be released to go. I'm not sure if this is a user-changable option yet or not, or if its even necessary with a real Park now, but the electronic operation was nice. I'd actually like to see it put into the DS cars.
Having the car start to back up as soon as I took some pressure off the brake for the first time was a bit strange, but you get the impression right away that the transmission is different. Not AT vs. DS different, but a different sort of automatic.
I left the dealership driving around on an inch of semi-packed snow that dropped over the weekend. Ice mode is improved over the DS, and traction felt more assured in the snow with summer tires.
Pretty quickly you appreciate just how different this car is, yet how much of the car's character is retained. The exhaust note is definitely deeper, less rasp, more guttural, but somewhat subdued in the cabin. I'm not sure if its simply the new drivetrain layout, or if its more soundproofing.
The programming of the new gearbox is superb, with a definite sporting character even in standard mode. The shifts are fast, precise, and at a slightly higher rpm than most under partial throttle acceleration. Get on the throttle a bit harder and the shift points match nicely. The new torque curve is apparent, and matches with this gearbox beautifully.
Hitting the sport mode button on the console (where M/A used to be) makes an instant difference. The ride changes feel the same, but I haven't had a chance to push the car with MSP in Sport or Off yet to see how the AT affects it.
Overall the transmission feels more directly connected to the engine than most. Its especially apparent under partial throttle and when slowing to a stop or downshifting. (although it is now missing the much loved throttle blips)
You can either flip the gear lever into manual mode, or grabbing a paddle at any time also puts the box into manual shifting mode. If you just grab the paddle it switches to manual mode and holds whatever you've done for about 10 seconds. I didn't drive the car much in Manual mode yet so that review will have to wait for now.
Overall, I am really impressed with this new car. (it really is more than just a transmission difference) It is definitely an automatic, but it is also definitely a *different* automatic.
It's much smoother than the DS in automatic, but its also not a boring ass Mercedes either. Maserati is going to have a hard time keeping up with demand on this one.
- Mark
I expected to experience basically a Quattroporte with a Mercedes transmission, but this was not the case.
//This is a very partial review. I'm going to take the car home this week and get a real feel for it and I'll post that plus more pictures later.//
Starting the car I noticed a new exhaust note. A little bit deeper, but very slightly subdued vs. the DuoSelect. The new center console is shaped differently than the impression I had from the pictures released thus far. Its definitely a little bit higher, putting both the shifter and cup holder positions at a comfortable spot. After putting the car in Reverse, I realized the electronic parking brake had to be released to go. I'm not sure if this is a user-changable option yet or not, or if its even necessary with a real Park now, but the electronic operation was nice. I'd actually like to see it put into the DS cars.
Having the car start to back up as soon as I took some pressure off the brake for the first time was a bit strange, but you get the impression right away that the transmission is different. Not AT vs. DS different, but a different sort of automatic.
I left the dealership driving around on an inch of semi-packed snow that dropped over the weekend. Ice mode is improved over the DS, and traction felt more assured in the snow with summer tires.
Pretty quickly you appreciate just how different this car is, yet how much of the car's character is retained. The exhaust note is definitely deeper, less rasp, more guttural, but somewhat subdued in the cabin. I'm not sure if its simply the new drivetrain layout, or if its more soundproofing.
The programming of the new gearbox is superb, with a definite sporting character even in standard mode. The shifts are fast, precise, and at a slightly higher rpm than most under partial throttle acceleration. Get on the throttle a bit harder and the shift points match nicely. The new torque curve is apparent, and matches with this gearbox beautifully.
Hitting the sport mode button on the console (where M/A used to be) makes an instant difference. The ride changes feel the same, but I haven't had a chance to push the car with MSP in Sport or Off yet to see how the AT affects it.
Overall the transmission feels more directly connected to the engine than most. Its especially apparent under partial throttle and when slowing to a stop or downshifting. (although it is now missing the much loved throttle blips)
You can either flip the gear lever into manual mode, or grabbing a paddle at any time also puts the box into manual shifting mode. If you just grab the paddle it switches to manual mode and holds whatever you've done for about 10 seconds. I didn't drive the car much in Manual mode yet so that review will have to wait for now.
Overall, I am really impressed with this new car. (it really is more than just a transmission difference) It is definitely an automatic, but it is also definitely a *different* automatic.
It's much smoother than the DS in automatic, but its also not a boring ass Mercedes either. Maserati is going to have a hard time keeping up with demand on this one.
- Mark