For $22,000 you can get a really nice Ford Focus SE. Or maybe a Cruze LS or even a Corolla LE. You get the point, there are any number of compact economy cars for that price. They'll have AC, an automatic, cloth seats, a decent radio, and lots of really nice features. They're also reliable, have lots of warranty, and, if we're being honest, they're all kinda boring. Don't get me wrong, those are all great compact cars, if that’s what you’re looking for. But that's not what you want, is it? You want something exciting. You want a car with some style. You want some presence. You want to talk by gesturing wildly with your hands! You don't want a 2.0L four making 160 hp, what you want is a Ferrari designed 4.2L V8 with a dry-sump oiling system that makes 395 hp, revs to 7,500 rpm and sounds like an Italian exotic. You want a sedan that looks amazing, sounds better than it looks, and that people will think cost you far more than the price of a Focus SE.
Well I think I might have just what you're looking for. Our autoTRADER.ca find of the week, a 2006 Maserati Quattroporte. It's available now at Pfaff Audi in Vaughn, Ontario. It's shocking that you can find Pininfarina styling and a Ferrari designed engine for new compact car money, but depreciation is a cruel mistress. This car was well over $120,000 new, but today is under $22,000. And this car isn't even a high mileage worn out example, having under 116,000 km on the clock.
The Quattroporte is intended to be a four-door Ferrari, and it delivers on the promise. Crisp handling thanks to the electronically controlled Skyhook suspension, loads of grip from 18-inch wheels wearing steamroller width 285 rear tires, quick shifts from a Duoshift six-speed sequential shift automated manual transmission, gorgeous curves from the Pininfarina designed body, and an interior that has style matched by few others. The V8 has four cams and it’s actually mounted behind the front axle, making it a front-mid engined car. When new, this car could hit 100 km/h in five seconds and had a top speed of nearly 280 km/h. It has the suspension and brakes to match.
The Quattroporte is a quirky car, even the name is just Italian for “four door”. Each of those doors has an exterior handle with two buttons. One opens the door electrically, the other opens it manually. Maybe they didn’t expect the electric system to fare well? There's a 12v plug in the back seat, but not in the center console. It’s also bigger than you’d think. It’s the size of a Mercedes S-class, even though it looks smaller. That means there’s lots of room for four inside. The V8 is thirsty as well, being rated at 20.8 L/100 km in the city, but so what? Every single drop of that 91 octane is being turned into either horsepower or that sublime combination of induction and exhaust noise.
This car we’ve found this week is stunning, in deep blue on the outside and has extensive tan leather with blue carpets and interior trim. The wood trim is real mahogany. It's a stunning combination. There are 14-way power adjustable seats with contrasting blue piping, and blue stitching on the seats and dash. There is four-zone climate control, navigation, Bose stereo, and bi-xenon headlights. There is a power rear sunshade, and power adjustable rear seats. Even the steering column has power tilt and telescope adjustment. All things that a $22,000 hatch could only dream of. If you want this to be the new chariot of your commute, better hurry.
