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"Modena, Italy \u2014 There&amp;#039;s a new in town, the Sport GT S. Cutting to the chase, we really like this hottest new version of Maserati&amp;#039;s Pinifarina-penned sports sedan. You&amp;#039;ll understand why in a moment.   To begin, the Sport GT S is fitted with the latest version of the -built 4.7-liter V-8, a front mid-mounted 4-cam powerplant that puts out 433 bhp at 7000 rpm, up from 425 in a standard Quattroporte S. With its red crinkle-coated cam covers this engine is a work of art, and it revs like it has a light flywheel en route to its 7200-rpm redline. According to , the Sport GT S is quicker than the S to 100 km/h (62 mph), reaching that speed in 5.1 seconds versus 5.4. Top speed has also increased a bit, to 177 mph from the S&amp;#039;s peak velocity of 174 mph.   A minor re-tuning of the ECU \u2014 plus a freer-flowing exhaust with a revised catalyst and special flaps that open in Sport mode for an even throatier engine sound \u2014 are responsible for the power gains, but what makes the Sport GT S feel much better from the driver&amp;#039;s seat is its paddle-shift ZF automatic transmission, which is so much more refined than the clunky paddle-shift DuoSelect transaxle of old. This latest ZF upshifts automatically at 7200 rpm in the Sport GT S (it does so at 7000 in the standard S), and it beautifully blip-downshifts at speeds and rpm much higher than the driver might expect.   Indeed, the Sport GT S really has a ferocious powertrain, and it&amp;#039;s complemented by firmer suspension that lowers the car 15 mm in front and 11 mm in back, giving the car a more aggressive stance that&amp;#039;s enhanced by standard 20-in. wheels shod with 245/35 front rubber and wider 295/30 rears. The springs are firmer by 28 percent in front and by 7 in back, and single-rate Bilsteins replace the active-damping Skyhook suspension of the standard Quattroporte. Former Ferrari F1 driver Ivan Capelli, now working for Maserati, says the Sport GT S is noticeably quicker than the S around the Fiorano test circuit, with significantly improved roll stiffness.   Skyhook adaptive suspension remains an option on the Sport GT S, but it means you&amp;#039;ll have to stick with the standard (but still very composed) tuning of the standard Quattroporte S. If you really like driving, stick with the standard Sport GT S suspension, which is firm but not so much as to be a bother, as its slightly revised suspension geometry makes the car react a bit more immediately to steering inputs. And at triple-digit speeds, the stability of the Sport GT S is most impressive, thanks largely to lots of time in the wind tunnel.   What most people will notice about the new Sport GT S are its the cosmetic changes, which include the aforementioned 20-in. wheels (with a multi-trident design) and a new front bumper whose black grille has black vertical slats that curve inward, like those of the GranTurismo. That, together with a blackened-chrome headlamp treatment and twin oval exhaust outlets, gives the $138,100 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S the more aggressive look it deserves. After all, it&amp;#039;s the closest thing available to a 4-door Ferrari. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a14582/2009-maserati-quattroporte-sport-gt-s-1/>