Road Test: Maserati Quattroporte V6 S 4dr Auto

Our first test of the new Quattroporte on British roads reveals much to commend the vast, grand Italian. It's sharp, sounds - even with this base V6 engine - tasty, and, when you wind it out, returns an improbably focused steer. Jolly good.

Ooh, is that the time? Must be getting on. Probably best end it there.

No? Ach, OK. Thing is, we want, with every fibre of our tiny beings, to recommend the Quattroporte as a modish, Mediterranean alternative to the smart-suited, carefully ironed German limo elite, a dash of colour in a sensible, grey gene pool. But, damn, the QP makes it tough.

If you want a growling engine and peppy handling, you're probably not in the market for an £80k limo. Those in the market for an £80k limo want peerless refinement, A-list tech and a cabin clad in the finest timber the former colonies have to offer. On those scores, the QP simply isn't in the same league as the new S-Class, while it can't float over bad British roads with the same aplomb as the Jaguar XJ. If you were to buy a QP, we should applaud you most generously. If you asked us if you ought to buy one, we couldn't, hand on heart, say yes.