This is the Maserati Quattroporte Awards Edition. It's based on the flagship Sport GT S four-door in recognition of the fact that the Quattroporte has won lots of awards. Sometimes a box of Quality Street just won't do.

Over the last six years the car has won 56 awards from magazines in 14 countries. If Maserati fancies a 57th, the Sport GT S would probably win the Eurovision Song Contest if it took to the stage with a brick on the accelerator pedal.

Apart from the 4.7-litre V8 and sport exhaust combo that blew our mind when we drove the Sport GT S last year, the Awards Edition features special paint and some different trim. The colour is grey with gold mixed in, and there's some chrome spattered around the outside. Rims of 20-inch diameter are standard and they house hand-polished brake callipers. 'Awards Edition' badges let the world know... something or other.

Inside there's special leather upholstery, brushed aluminium trim and gloss black for the dashboard. The floor mats are thicker, and there's a leather pouch in the black-lined boot.

Prices are available 'on application' and the car will be available from the end of the year - all that extra work takes time.

Mark Nichol - 23 Feb 2010