2004 Maserati Quattroporte in Tempe

We're caught in the morning rush hour with a flock of aggressive Vespas, Fiat Puntos, and Fiat Ducato vans swarming around us. Even in this mess, the new Maserati Quattroporte is the undisputed center of attention. Maserati enters the luxury-car field against the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Lexus with the Quattroporte, a cocoon on wheels that features the usual blend of soft leather and rich wood inside with taut Pininfarina styling. The technical package is stunning, too, with a 4.2-liter, dual-overhead-cam V-8 engine that's good for 394 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque. Mounted far enough back in the engine bay for an equitable 47/53 percent front/rear weight distribution, it's mated to a six-speed sequential manual gearbox that has an automatic mode.

On a good day, the 199-inch-long five-seater will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds and top 170 mph. But despite a cosseting interior, the first six or seven stop-and-go miles in the city of the Medici are a huge disappointment. The choppy ride around town borders on unacceptable, the Brembo brakes are heavy and lifeless, and, in automatic mode, the Duo-Select transmission is about as well mannered as a Fiorentino soccer hooligan after a lost home game. It makes you wonder if the new supersedan from Modena will be able to chase down its illustrious competition. To find out, there's an Audi A8L 4.2 driven by photographer Richard Newton about three car lengths ahead of us.... Read full article