NOVITEC TRIDENTE unveils its 605hp Maserati Quattroporte
[Not a valid template]Nobody’s sure how to break the news to Davison. Our resident Maserati man has enjoyed spins in both the Ghibli and Quattorporte, and even shared a coffee with a personal legend – Head of Global Design Lorenzo Ramaciotti – at the 2013 Dubai Motor Show. His opinion on the Trident then is pretty reticent. Indeed, having driven the Quattroporte S late last year, he explained that ‘no Quattroporte has a badge or ‘special bodykit’ on it denoting its testosterone quotient’ and that ‘focus on design, luxury and dynamic performance should be uncompromised’.
And then came the new 605hp Novitec Tridente Quattroporte. Ah…
Fortunately the Trident subtleties remain largely intact, despite some new sportily styled clear-coated carbon-fibre body components, and some rather natty 22-inch wheels. A NOVITEC TRIDENTE front spoiler has been bolted on while new rocker panels along the side create a newer, lower stance for the luxury saloon. And yes, there’s also Novitec’s traditional tail lip rear spoiler: would you have expected anything less for a $4000 ‘aerodynamic-enhancement kit’?
It’s under the bonnet and about the suspension however where the real work has been done. Power from Maserati’s 3.8-litre twin turbo V8 jumps from 530hp in the Quattroporte GTS (on which the new Tridente model is based) to 605hp, and a handy 605lb ft of torque (up from 479lb ft). Top speed consequently increases to 318kph, and the 0-100kph time takes a dive from 4.7sec to 4.4sec. Sprightly the newboy clearly is, and we’re hoping the soundtrack ‘that can render any audio system superfluous’ hasn’t taken a hit. Excess power being sent to the rear wheels is countered by specially calibrated sports suspension, revised shock absorbers, and Pirelli P Zero performance tyres, designed to keep the Maserati on the road.
Sounds promising. We’re still not sure how to break the news though…
