Quattroporte Alive in Miami

Were it not such a head-turner, the Maserati Quattroporte could be the ultimate Q-ship. Sleek, curvaceous, and beautiful, its astounding performance is still not expected by most people who see one on the road. A recent day in Miami demonstrated the degree to which a Quattroporte can gain sudden attention and slip away from it at speed, in a city where beauty and fast cars are the norm.

In the grand estates around Old Cutler Road, where luxury cars are common but a Maserati remains very special, a soothing drive in sultry weather is one of Miami's best offerings. The Quattroporte's superb climate control system, its supple ride, and the pampering Poltrona Frau leather make it the place to relax and get out of the heat. If you like people-watching, this part of Miami is pretty good; if you like architecture and house hunting, it's heaven. Miami is home to some of the world's most innovative and exciting domestic design. Despite occasional flashes of extreme color and wild, over the top features, understatement and functional form reign supreme in this world of beauty. What could better describe the sublime QP?

Heading towards Biscayne Bay, the gleaming black Quattroporte seems to surprise other drivers with its presence. Torn between the desire to remain unnoticed, and the temptation to give the 400bhp V8 its "head of steam" and show off the sports-car road holding, the easy choice is to drop down a couple of gears with the DuoSelect shift paddles and bathe in the sound of Italian power without actually zipping away.

The Quattroporte allows that rare driving dichotomy: if desired one can revel in the atmosphere of sporting delight without needing to burn rubber, while the sumptuous Gran Turismo interior bridges the apparent chasm between sports car pizzazz and luxury car boredom. It provides a bit of everything, mastering every facet. If another car makes this claim, five minutes in a Quattroporte will convince any driver that the Maserati is the uniquely authentic jack of many trades and master of all. In this sense it is a perfect Miami car, for Miami provides a bit of everything, and does so very well.

Across Miami's causeways lie fantasy islands, glistening paradises of light, style and beauty. All around are vistas of considered design and organic exquisiteness - the cityscape, the shoreline, the sunrise, the sunset, and the people showing joie de vive? The Quattroporte enters this world with ease, rivaling even the human �bodies beautiful' on shopping concourses and sandy beaches. Its sculpted Pininfarina form is intrinsically well balanced, its Ferrari-derived engine is soulful in a way that merely powerful motors often are not. This is a power plant with character, not simply moving the car but animating it and holding a genuine conversation with the driver as it propels her down the road. On Star Island or Key Biscayne or around South Beach, where great cars are a part of the good life, Maserati's passion and excellence are understood in the same way that Latin jazz and Salsa Cubana are understood, as harbingers of real joy.

It is clear to the Quattroporte's occupants, luxuriating in the optional cooling and massaging comfort pack seats, Maserati's sedan has no true competitors. There is no more exotic a four-door car, although there are a number that are more expensive. Certainly no other sedan provides the broad value of a Quattroporte with sports car handling to go with its power and a degree of dynamic and corporeal comfort. In Miami, what is even more apparent is the reaction to the car's design, it's physical appearance. The Quattroporte is singular, and its design universally loved. At a stop light in tony Coral Gables a BMW driver confirms our impression of other people's impressions: "That's a Quattroporte, right? I've seen pictures but it's more gorgeous in real life. Great car."

South Beach is a magnet for the gorgeous, a graveyard for those who would merely pretend to it but a natural habitat for the Quattroporte. Its incredible dynamic capabilities - embodied by such things as the Skyhook suspension, the Maserati Stability Program, and the Brembo brake system - are of less importance here than its jaw dropping chic. In South Beach the traffic moves slowly; even the most enthusiastic driver may put the DuoSelect into Auto mode and adopt a cruising attitude. But the pace of life is fast, for this is a center of life, day and night. Amidst the soft lights, pastel shades, art deco architecture and dazzling forms, the Quattroporte fits in, but stands above the rest. Similarly, while the crashing of surf and the beat of club music should dominate, the Quattroporte's engine note cuts through clearly. It is a center of attention, but without ever screaming.

That is the nature of beauty: it has no need to shout, it is subtle but pervasive. From every angle, from inside and out, the Maserati Quattroporte is intensely stylish and lovely. Ever-fresh, it is also rare due to limited production and the singularity of a bespoke automobile tailored exactly to its owner. It is the paradoxically ageless novelty, a veritable fountain of youth in the very place where Ponce de Leon sought it. There is no need today, for Miami itself keeps people youthful, in touch with their happiness. The Quattroporte, driving away into the night but burned into memories, does the same.

Visit your authorized Maserati Dealer today to experience the authentic sports sedan, born of passion: Quattroporte.

With thanks to Ken Gorin, George Jaille, and all at The Collection in Coral Gables, FL.