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"         When it appeared in 2004, we liked this exoti-luxury sedan giving the well-heeled enthusiast a decidedly Italian alternative to top-line German sedans. Think Filet all&amp;#039;Aceto Balsamico, beef steak sauced with vinegar di Modena (get the Tradizionale!), in lieu of Schweinhaxe, that succulent rotisserized pork from Bavaria.   But (see our , May 2004) we also sensed some less-than-successful execution in this car&amp;#039;s first iteration.   And so apparently did Maserati. The Quattroporte Sport GT I recently drove in and around Modena combined its inherent brio with significant improvements in several areas.   The fit and finish of the cars I drove and examined were first-rate. Panel gaps are now uniform. The paintwork is superb, profiting from major investment in the Ferrari paint facility where Maseratis are also invited. (True, the two marques went through a recent divorce, but it seems to have been a reasonably amicable one.)   A walk down the assembly line showed a real challenge in improving something like panel gaps: Maseratis continue to be built by artisans, with nary a robot in the place. Artisans have never been known for discipline, but Maserati has achieved a neat blend of organizational structure and manufacturing technology that resolves this.   Mechanical changes are primarily embodied in the DuoSelect sequential gearbox. Unlike its Germanic counterparts&amp;#039; hardware, DuoSelect has a 6-speed manual underlying its electro-hydraulic controller. The system offers modes that are purely automatic, purely paddle, or a blend of the two, with improvements in all three.   The original DuoSelect behaved perfectly well, whether paddled or left to its own choices \u2014 but only in aggressive driving. In light- or moderate-load conditions, its shifts could be drawn out or clunky or both.   Revisions to the software take care of light-load driving very well indeed, whether you&amp;#039;ve chosen Normal or Sport setting. (Damping as well as shift schedules are affected.)   By its very definition, though, moderate load is something of a catchall, and hence it&amp;#039;s more challenging to optimize effectively. DuoSelect holds its lower gears longer than I&amp;#039;d like in auto\u00ADmatic mode, even with a liftoff of its drive-by-wire accelerator pedal. I can take an active role by tapping the right-hand paddle to force the upshift. However, at moderate load, there&amp;#039;s a delayed reaction to the tap.   Some people, I suspect, would have a philosophical objection to this mixed-mode &amp;quot;automatic&amp;quot; operation. With this in mind, you can bet Maserati is looking hard at a planetary-based alternative for those set-and-forget types who aren&amp;#039;t into paddling. Of course, set-and-forget isn&amp;#039;t brio. And the Quattroporte has the latter in gobs, with road behavior that sets the Maserati distinctly apart from German counterparts (even from the we usually blather on about).   The GT comes with a 20-in. wheel/tire package, about which I have mixed feelings. Pimp though they are, the 20&amp;#039;s sidewalls look a bit dwarfed in the Quattroporte wheel wells (though I confess &amp;quot;pimp&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;dwarf&amp;quot; hardly belong in the same sentence). More to the point, once or twice in cornering exuberance, I thought I sensed those fat rear tires at less than an optimally perpendicular orientation with the road surface (reminding me that the lowest profile doesn&amp;#039;t always offer the best handling).   Comfort issues, though, are nonexistent. Despite these ultra-low-profile tires (245/35ZR-20s front, 285/30ZR-20s rear), the GT&amp;#039;s ride is well nigh ideal. It is superbly controlled, utterly without float yet never harsh or jiggly, even on indifferent surfaces of Italian snow-country roads.   The Quattroporte Sport GT&amp;#039;s poise, style \u2014 and warmth of execution \u2014 make it a most desirable automobile, even at its $112,200 list price. In fact, it&amp;#039;s this warmth that sets the Maserati quite apart from equally lofty Germans. In fact, these may not even be competitors: If you want a Maserati, you&amp;#039;re likely to find these others a bit too cold, too analytical in their mechanical and stylistic solutions.   I&amp;#039;m quite happy (and lucky!) to celebrate both. Truth is, I like Filet all&amp;#039;Aceto Balsamico and Schweinhaxe. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a12230/2007-maserati-quattroporte-sport-gt/>