The One Car for the Twin Cities
Quattroporte Lake Effect

Along with the Rocky Mountains, the mighty Mississippi river is one of the defining features of American geography. From its headwaters in Minnesota, near the Canadian border, to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans, it bisects the United States; for hundreds of years it has provided an important means of navigation and transportation. It is no coincidence that the ‘Twin Cities’ of Minneapolis and Saint Paul grew around Saint Anthony Falls, the only major waterfall in the Upper Mississippi.

Last summer we paid the area a visit; touring the region in a Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT, we began to realize why this really is the ‘Land O’ Lakes’. Besides the Mississippi river, there is water everywhere – there are more than a dozen lakes within the city of Minneapolis, and even more across the river in Saint Paul. Head west for around ten miles to Wayzata, and you will find Lake Minnetonka – stretching over ten miles, it is a complex of bays, inlets and creeks. The entire area is incredibly scenic, a great place to take a drive just for the pleasure of driving, with no specific destination in mind.

So we set out from Maserati of Minneapolis, which had loaned us the beautiful silver Quattroporte, and took a drive. Now, in the depths of winter the average high temperature is below freezing, for two solid months, so it would be no surprise if the roads were cratered and pockmarked from the effects of weather; but that isn’t what we found. Firstly the roads were generally in great condition – and secondly the Quattroporte does ‘luxury sedan’ so well that road harshness doesn’t really make it into the cabin. And the smooth ride is not achieved by using suspension so compliant that it smothers everything; the Maserati communicates effectively with the driver, enabling maximum use to be made of the available grip.

It didn’t take long for us to get out of the city, cruising tree-lined country roads which criss-cross the fertile land. Farming is big business here – a quarter of the workforce works in agriculture or related industries such as food processing.  The good news for us is that farming means wide-open spaces with few people – and hence little or no traffic. Well-surfaced roads with little or no traffic, plus a Maserati Quattroporte – the perfect combination! Press the Sport button, tap the Down shifter paddle a couple of times, press the throttle pedal: the ZF six-speed automatic transmission changes down immediately, the tach needle swings high, and the car leaps forward eagerly as the 4.2-liter V8 engine howls gloriously.

Given the opportunity to put the Quattroporte through its paces on a challenging road, just about the only reminder that this is indeed a luxury sedan rather than a two-seat sports car is the sight of the rear seats, glimpsed in the rear view mirror. The way the car responds to the throttle, the lack of body roll when pushing hard through a curve, the remarkable neutrality of the handling: you might be forgiven for the feeling that you were driving a car with the engine behind the driver, rather than in front. This is no accident – the engineers in Modena spend countless hours working on chassis, drivetrain and suspension to maximize grip, agility and handling without sacrificing the smooth ride which is demanded of a luxury sedan.  The fact that the Quattroporte has more of its weight on the rear wheels than the front – a unique layout within its class – is no mere academic fact; it is by design, and has much to do with the handling prowess of the Maserati.

Push the Maserati hard and it responds in a way which both builds confidence and encourages further exploration of its capabilities. Allied to the transmission and suspension, the Brembo brakes can haul the car down from serious speeds incredibly quickly – just one more advantage of the rearward weight bias. More often than not, it is usually our own limits which intervene, the realization that driver error at high speed could have major consequences. So we back off, and switch to a pace more suited to admiring the Minnesota countryside.

Heading back towards the city, we look for a scenic spot to shoot some photos. We didn’t have far to look; many of the lakes have roads encircling them, with abundant parking. The lakes also act as a magnet to walkers, joggers and cyclists, especially on a pleasant summer afternoon. Lake Calhoun, less than four miles from the main commercial center of Minneapolis, was ideal for us – we spent a very pleasant couple of hours there, as the afternoon merged into a wonderful sunset. The Quattroporte attracted a lot of admiring looks from passing walkers and joggers, not to mention a few questions. The Pininfarina-designed exterior is elegant, classic, timeless – it is plainly a luxury sedan, yet its sporting heritage is also clear to see.

The next morning, we took a tour of the Twin Cities – and were surprised to find an Italian connection. As one of the few places where it was possible to cross the Mississippi river with a bridge span, Minneapolis-Saint Paul became a hub for the expanding rail network, and thousands of foreign laborers were brought in to work on construction. The Italians clustered together and formed their own community – dubbed ‘Little Italy’ on the Upper Levee in Saint Paul. A statue commemorating this and naming the ‘Families of the Levee’ has been erected near the waterfront. And while researching this article, we came across an even more remarkable fact. The Italians brought with them their love of wine, and so dispatched buyers to California to seek grapes; one of the people sent out there was Cesare Mondavi, who settled in Lodi, California. Robert Mondavi had been born in Minnesota, persuaded his father to buy a winery in the Napa Valley, and founded the company which still bears his name.

Bridges criss-cross the river, linking the two cities; we parked under one bridge for a while to consider where else we might go. It also gave us the opportunity to consider the luxurious interior of the Executive GT. Every Maserati has an interior which is welcoming, created from the highest quality materials and broad artistic inspiration – Poltrona Frau leather covers the seats, dashboard and door panels, fine wood veneers offer a luxurious touch, the switchgear all comes readily to hand. The Executive GT adds a wonderfully soft Alcantara headlining, wood highlights to the multi-function steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and separate climate controls for rear-seat passengers. As you would expect, exterior touches are distinctive yet understated – chrome front and side grilles, ball-polished 19” wheels and exclusive ‘Executive GT’ badge on the central pillars.

After consulting the map in the onboard satellite navigation system we headed into Minneapolis – or rather, we set off in that direction. When the route took us over a railroad crossing close to a river bridge, our photographer insisted it was an excellent photo opportunity. Fortunately the trains stayed away while the impromptu photo shoot took place! From there, we drove into the city – specifically, to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. While the Institute was founded over 120 years ago the imposing building was completed in 1915; it made an ideal backdrop for the Maserati, as the styling of the quintessentially Italian sedan makes it more a beautiful work of art than merely an automobile.

With a little time to kill, we cruised around the city. Minneapolis has a lot to offer – good restaurants, numerous hotels, shopping, and cultural attractions such as the Institute of Art. It is easy to see why it was chosen to host the Republican National Convention in 2008. While driving around, we came across the Walker Art Center – time constraints prevented us from venturing inside, but the exterior was visually striking. An irregular glass cube, it serves as a great reminder that this mid-West city (or pair of cities) has much to offer besides open countryside and countless lakes.

We were genuinely sorry when our time in Minneapolis-Saint Paul drew to a close – and not just because it meant we had to return the Maserati Quattroporte. We had discovered a new destination, with friendly people and great sights to see; somewhere to be added to our ‘must return to’ list. Our thanks to Maserati of Minneapolis for the loan of the Maserati Quattroporte and kind assistance with photography.