Maserati Quattroporte GTS | Spotted
New V8 Maseratis are no more - so how about an old turbo one for £30k?
If you can picture the final Maserati to have a V8 engine, then bravo - very impressive memory. After decades of eight-cylinder Masers, from mid-engined supercars to front-engined SUVs, the final one was made in 2024. And while understated cool was very in keeping with the Maserati image, a Blu Nobile Quattroporte - the Grand Finale, appropriately enough - just seemed a bit tame. Even with the engine signed.
Handily, the Nettuno V6 that’s now the most powerful ICE in the Maserati lineup is a gem, so it’s hardly like the brand is without a brilliant engine. That being said, a go in the Ferrari 849 Testarossa, albeit with significantly more power, was a fantastic reminder of just what a motor the F154 V8 is. Shared between Ferraris and Maseratis from 2013 in various configurations - 3.8-litre, 3.9-litre and 4.0-litre, dry- and wet-sumped, flat- and cross-plane crank - it has always provided everything you’d hope for from a Maranello turbo engine: great response, loads of power and, in the Maserati installations, a lovely sound as well.
Certainly it meant a very different feel to the old nat-asp 4.7, with a big step up in performance. When the F154 reached Trofeo spec - 580hp for the QP, Ghibli and Levante - there were 200mph claims for the smaller saloon. The introduction of all three certainly brought them back into the limelight, even if nobody would have called them the best cars in their respective classes. Nothing if not entertaining with that V8, of course, and pretty stylish as well.
But with all the Trofeos officially costing more than £100,000, they were always going to be a tough sell. Even now, you won’t find one at less than £50,000. There is hope, though, for those after an F154 engine at not quite so much money: the Quattroporte GTS. At the time of its launch in 2013, many seemed more focused on how it didn’t look as pretty as its predecessor to appreciate what was on offer: 530hp at a heady 6,800rpm, and up to 524lb ft as well, with an eight-speed auto and rear-wheel drive.
Still, you don’t see many of these 3.8-litre GTSes. There were a plethora of alternatives at the time, from Jaguar XJR to Aston Martin Rapide, and the Maserati was never quite the best of the bunch. But that was when they cost almost £120,000; at a quarter of that, it’s a lot easier to overlook any objective qualms and focus on the good stuff. When you think about it, this really isn’t very much different to that final V8 Maserati.
This 2014 GTS has been driven just 24,000 miles with three owners, so its mean and moody spec - black outside, black inside, the only real colour being in the engine bay - has been almost perfectly preserved. Maybe the sixth-generation Quattroporte is still no saloon stunner, but given some recent four-door flagship efforts - looking at you, BMW - it’s not ageing too badly. It’ll be a smart-looking thing wherever you’re pulling up to, and with a Ferrari V8 to brighten every journey. This one needs a new MOT, and you’ll want to know about the service history given the nature of the engine, but what an intriguing alternative to the usual supersaloons suspects. As it always was with the Quattroporte, of course - only now at almost £100,000 less…
SPECIFICATION | MASERATI QUATTROPORTE GTS
Engine: 3,799cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 530@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 524@2,000-4,000rpm (overboost)
MPG: 23.9
CO2: 274g/km
First registered: 2014
Recorded mileage: 24,200
Price new: £115,980 (before options)
Yours for: £29,950
Watch M539 Maserati playlist if you want to know more
Watch this used buying guide (all info sourced from owners’ feedback and forums):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl321rJ6of8&pp=y...
This one went in a different direction design-wise, but there's no doubt it will be better both mechanically and dynamically. The 8 speed auto will be seamless in operation, compared to the older model F1 or ZF 'box.
530 bhp is still a lot even by today's standards and they are a very quick car. The interiors don't seem as special as the earlier models, but they do the job.
There was a GTS at Autoficcina when I was picking my QP up after some work, and it sounded lovely on cold start. The guys there said they are very quick and overall decent cars.
Ended up buying a C43 instead.
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