As requested by Hythe, article from this months EVO magazine.
John
John
johnsh39
I still can't believe that the Italians managed to make a big luxury saloon like that look so achingly beautiful. Its simply gorgeous! Probably the best looking saloon on sale today! And just look at that interior - Maserati has managed to out-jaguar Jaguar. Who says the British do the wood and leather treatment best 
Millie
Millie
Yes, but will it start every morning, and how many millions does it cost to service?Millie Miglia said:I still can't believe that the Italians managed to make a big luxury saloon like that look so achingly beautiful. Its simply gorgeous! Probably the best looking saloon on sale today! And just look at that interior - Maserati has managed to out-jaguar Jaguar. Who says the British do the wood and leather treatment best
Millie
I have driven in a mates Quatroportte and I must say that is a very nice car, I would love to own one wasn't it for just one huge obstacle. Maintenance. It's expensive and parts are very hard to come by.
Infact he traded his Maserati in for a Porsche Chayene because of all the speedbumps and because it's much easier and cheaper to maintenance.
he had a very hard time selling his Maserati, finally he just traded it in at the dealer for a very very low price.
Infact he traded his Maserati in for a Porsche Chayene because of all the speedbumps and because it's much easier and cheaper to maintenance.
he had a very hard time selling his Maserati, finally he just traded it in at the dealer for a very very low price.
The biggest joke is that the guy writing the article was brazen enough to include the Cadillac! He has completely discredited himself by including a Cadillac.
I may be wrong, but the B5, while an impressive car, is NOT the M5. It is a variant of the standard 5 series sedan.
I have seen a few QPs on the road. They are 10X more impressive on the road driving next to Toyotas and Buicks than they are sitting in a showroom next to Ferraris.
Given the low resale value of the QP, maybe I should cancel my M5 and buy a used QP instead. They are **** nice cars, just unaffordable to maintain.
I may be wrong, but the B5, while an impressive car, is NOT the M5. It is a variant of the standard 5 series sedan.
I have seen a few QPs on the road. They are 10X more impressive on the road driving next to Toyotas and Buicks than they are sitting in a showroom next to Ferraris.
Given the low resale value of the QP, maybe I should cancel my M5 and buy a used QP instead. They are **** nice cars, just unaffordable to maintain.
i'll take the caddy. please.
drove one- loved it. stock needs suspension work (springs/shocks) and maybe headers/exhaust and some headporting to compete with the alpina in the hp department, but other than that- it is more of what i like compared to the poorly build (and ugly imo) maser and tuned 5 series...
great review though- loosely- "hardcore push... especially with a flat battery".. thats some funny stuff
alex
few cars
drove one- loved it. stock needs suspension work (springs/shocks) and maybe headers/exhaust and some headporting to compete with the alpina in the hp department, but other than that- it is more of what i like compared to the poorly build (and ugly imo) maser and tuned 5 series...
great review though- loosely- "hardcore push... especially with a flat battery".. thats some funny stuff
alex
few cars
And I may be biased, but you ARE wrong...SWP said:
It's not an M5, no - it's an Alpina. Perhaps not quite as uniquely so as some of the Alpinas of the past, but far from being just another BMW model. And no, it doesn't have the toys and gizmos of an M5, but nor did the E39 M5, and THAT was an M5, was it not???
In any case, the whole point of the B5 is that it IS different than the M5 - less edgy, more comfortable over a distance, more efficient, but even more brutal, under the skin. Not as quick around a track, but who honestly cares, when we're talking about 2 ton sedans here?
My only complaints with the B5 are that it could probably do with an LSD, slightly wider tyres (for some reason it runs 235/275 where the less torquey M5 gets 245/285) and quad-exhausts. Roll on the LSD option, allegedly coming soon!
And the best thing about the Alpina? You can get EXTENDED perforated merino leather - bargain! hiha
That was a pretty good review; I was expecting a lot of Caddy bashing but they kept that to a minimum. I drove a CTS-V a few months back, and I was honestly impressed. I dont think it belongs in the same group as the B5 and the QP, but throwing it in the comparo kept the other two honest in a sense, as it is good to see a cheaper car that does many of the same things for a lot less money.
I dont know why the B5 isnt currently offered with an LSD though. That is about as foolish as the E55's etc being open diff. Too much power for one tire to handle.
I do agree with hythe on the track time numbers. So many people freak out that such and such car was faster than this or that car, when in the end its the car that suits your driving best that gets your money, not the time it was flogged around a track in.
:cheers:
I dont know why the B5 isnt currently offered with an LSD though. That is about as foolish as the E55's etc being open diff. Too much power for one tire to handle.
I do agree with hythe on the track time numbers. So many people freak out that such and such car was faster than this or that car, when in the end its the car that suits your driving best that gets your money, not the time it was flogged around a track in.
:cheers:
Frankly, even though its got 4 doors and a decent boot, the Quattroporte is a car you buy with your heart rather than your head. It appeals to your senses rather than your common sense. Yes It MAY not start when you want it to (I'm not sure about the reliability - i dont own one...yet...but from what I've heard they've improved tremendously since Ferrari took control.) yes it may cost a lot to service yes it'll definately loose a bucketload when it comes to selling it....but just look at it...listen to it....you'll understand why people fall in love with this automotive art piece. If Michaelangelo were to paint a car, it'll definately be a Quattroporte. Its easy to make a sports car or a supercar a piece of art but making a 2 ton, 5 metre long limo look so desirable is something else. I take my hat off to Pininfarina.hythe said:
Millie
Actually, looking at this article more closely, there's some interesting things to note about the dyno test results, relative to the quoted power outputs.
I assume the dyno results are at the wheels, rather than extrapolated for an estimate of power at the flywheel:
1. The Alpina clearly puts out much more than 500bhp - 530bhp looks about right - however, the official torque figure (700Nm) seems about right
2. Either Cadillac is seriously sandbagging about the CTS-V's power and torque outputs, or this car had been "breathed upon" in the classic Detroit press corps tradition...
3. The Maser's engine may sound lovely, but in relative terms it's a little bit, well, puny...
I assume the dyno results are at the wheels, rather than extrapolated for an estimate of power at the flywheel:
1. The Alpina clearly puts out much more than 500bhp - 530bhp looks about right - however, the official torque figure (700Nm) seems about right
2. Either Cadillac is seriously sandbagging about the CTS-V's power and torque outputs, or this car had been "breathed upon" in the classic Detroit press corps tradition...
3. The Maser's engine may sound lovely, but in relative terms it's a little bit, well, puny...
The good thing with the new hp rating system, sending "breathed upon" cars will be difficult if not impossible and very counter-productive. I think it is a case of sandbagging, there have been several rumors going around the GM is going to certify all of their HO engines under the new system and that the feel that quoted power levels will go up on all of them.hythe said:
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