Through its five generations since the 1960s, the Maserati Quattroporte has always offered a more charismatic alternative to the often staid German limos.
The sixth-generation that you see here continues that tradition in elaborate Italian style and it couldn't come too soon considering the current model has been on the block since 2004.
While we certainly appreciate being able to see the first official pictures of the new Quattroporte in undisguised form, Maserati's press release unfortunately reads like a
politician's speech. There's lots of promises about how wonderful the car is going to be, but no technical data to back it all up.
However, that's where the political comparisons end because we have little doubt that Maserati is going to deliver on its flowery wording - they simply want to stretch the media coverage a bit further by releasing all the facts and figures a little later.
What they do reveal about the engine is that it's been designed in conjunction with Ferrari and that it'll be built in Ferrari's Maranello plant. The engine cover in the picture also reveals that it's a V8 so no 'downsizing' trends to worry about here.
Also promised is that the new limo reaches "new heights" in terms of performance, handling and driving enjoyment while maintaining the marque's "trademark best-in-class driving comfort."