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Text and Photos by Francis G. Mandarano or courtesy of the MIE Collection.

After taking over Maserati, Fiat's first task was to perfect the new Quattroporte begun by De Tomaso. Contributing to the sense that you wouldn't know it was a Maserati unless it ran you over, marque identification is confined to tridents on the outside and one piece of script on the dash. A full 287 eyebrow-raising horses come from the midget 2-liter Six in Italy; export cars carry a calmer 2.8.

The heart of the Quattroporte remains Maserati's small-displacement V6 rather than the bigger, more powerful and perhaps more expected 3.2-liter V8 currently seen in the Shamal. As usual there's the tax-beating 2-liter version for the Italian market and a torquey 2.8 for export. The smaller unit produces a stomping 287 bhp @ 6500 rpm (though this was rudely interrupted by a programming bug at 6200 revs on the pre-production prototype we tested) and 262 pounds of torque @ 4250 rpm. The bigger engine offers slightly less top-end power -- 284 bhp @ 6000 rpm -- but makes up with a more generous slathering of twist, 312 pounds @ 3500 rpm.

The hand-stitched interior and lovingly fussy assembly are intended to give Maserati's flagship the sort of cachet that its stern Teutonic competitors steadfastly deny.

Its aerodynamics are good enough for an outstanding 0.31 Cd and the high-bustle tail means a lot of Samsonites can follow you down the autostrada at a high rate of speed.

The Quattroporte is certainly a viable and welcome alternative to the few more traditional sports sedans in its class. It's a nicely-cut Armani suit of a car that combines traditional Maserati virtues like lively, enjoyable handling and an engaging, powerful driveline with a well-honed and dignified package for the occupants. This Q-porte achieves an admirable balance between sporting poise and luxury-car comfort.

Specifications of the Quattroporte IV