The Maserati nameplate conveys both luxury and sporting characteristics. Its trident emblem is evocative of the brand's time-honoured racing traditions, and the company's heritage is synonymous with grand touring elegance. There is no better example of this than the Quattroporte saloon, now available with a fully automatic transmission for the first time.

| When Maserati launched the current, fifth generation Quattroporte in 2003, it garnered widespread praise and won 28 major international awards for its power, handling, and opulence. But until now the sole transmission offering in the saloon was an electronically actuated 'DuoSelect' semi-automatic, with steering wheel mounted shift paddles. Some complained the transmission was a tad erratic and a more conventional automatic was summoned to cater to the needs of these buyers.

| This year the Quattroporte's Ferrari-developed 32-valve 4.2-litre aluminium alloy V8 engine becomes available with a new hydraulic six-speed transmission, a result of the collaboration between Maserati and German transmission builder ZF. The new automatic transmission is said to emphasise smooth shifts at low engine speed, propelling the1990kg car to 0-62 mph in a scant 5.6 seconds and a claimed top speed of 167mph.

| In 'Automatica' trim, the Quattroporte's V8 - developing 400bhp at 7000rpm and a prodigious 339lb.ft of torque at 4250rpm - is adorned with blue cylinder head covers and employs a wet sump. The transmission is equipped with a torque converter to ensure full use of the engine's power, while sixth gear is said to act similarly to an overdrive feature; reducing revs, improving fuel consumption and decreasing interior noise on motorway journeys. Cogs can also be convened manually via a sequential lever on the central tunnel if desired.

| The DuoSelect model is mated to the same V8 powerplant in dry sump derivative, for the enthusiast that is more likely to corner harder. Its cylinder head covers are painted red to denote the sporting slant.

| Fitting the new transmission required Maserati to make certain adjustments to maintain the Quattroporte's rear-biased weight balance. While the rear-mounted gearbox and differential enables DuoSelect models to achieve a 47 per cent front and 53 per cent rear weight distribution, the Automatica's front-mounted gearbox meant the engine had to be moved a further 9mm towards the rear. The result is a 49 per cent front and 51 per cent rear weight distribution, a figure which shouldn't negatively affect the vehicle's renowned driving dynamics.

| The Maserati Quattroporte Automatica went on sale in the UK on 14 February, with prices starting at £77,000. Like the DuoSelect variation, it is available in Quattroporte, Quattroporte Sport GT, and Quattroporte Executive GT trim levels. We're getting our eager hands on one soon, so watch out for our review on the main Road Tests page.

Eric Gallina - 20 Feb 2007