Headphones in, volume up. Maseratis have always sung a wonderful tune, and they have prided their much of their badge and prestige on that alone. The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 here in the Quattroporte S Q4 creates quite an exotic ruckus, and though it never quite reaches the flat-plane crank stratosphere, it’s distinctive and unique enough to spot one blind.
The exhaust hits that ear-wrenching and explosive boom on each upshift or when letting off the throttle just past the 3,000 rpm mark when the vales open for that richer, more melodic noise, like someone’s having a go at a baritone. It’s absolutely addicting, and you can clearly hear when the valves open and when they’re closed, as it’s a night and day difference in octaves. It’s not as loud as the V8 in the GTS or Trofeo models but it is slightly higher in pitch, and distinguishes itself better than the straight-six engines from AMG and BMW. Have a listen, and let us know what you think in the comments below. Full review up on CAR!