While the Maserati Quattroporte nameplate has a forty-year history, it has been out of production since 2001. The 2005 Quattroporte marks Maserati's revival under its parent company, Ferrari. With the involvement of Pininfarina (the Michelangelo of automotive sheet metal) another Italian classic arrives - almost.

The engineering team followed Ferrari's existing rear-weight bias formula. By mounting the all-aluminum, 4.2-liter, dual-overhead-cam V8 engine behind the front wheel centerline and integrating the transmission and rear axle, 53% of the Quatroporte's weight rests over the rear. To further handling quickness, aluminum suspension wishbones and hub centers reduce unsprung weight. The rear weight bias also improves steering control and feel. Some reviewers rated the Maserati sedan's steering sensitivity and feedback on par with the best; not surprising, since it shares the same rack with the new Ferrari 612S.

The suspension system also mirrors the car's parentage. The Skyhook active suspension system continuously (within 25 milliseconds) adjusts the shock absorbers to real-time road conditions and throttle and steering inputs. The driver has a sport mode option. One reviewer described the handling as "a mobile suction cup."

Open the hood, and you'll find no plastic coffee-cup covers here. Fire-red crackle-finish cam covers with a sculpted matte-black intake plenum make a visual statement: Italian spoken here. The sensuous V8 has been tuned by Ferrari/Maserati's GT team to produce 394 hp at 7,000 rpm - 500 rpm below the redline - pushing the 4,253-pound sedan from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and to a 170-mph top speed; that top speed is limited to 129 mph in the U.S.

The interior displays Italian tailoring at its finest: It's quiet, comfortable, and swathed in luxurious, soft leathers in a wide range of colors. Real mahogany, briarwood, rosewood, or titanium trim complete the appointments. The rear seats are like the front seats: sculpted, supportive, and roomy; they slide fore/aft with tilt adjustment.

As a six-speed sequential manual gearbox, the DuoSelect transmission comes with an automatic mode. The steering-column-mounted paddle shifters allow for Formula 1 play. The problem seems to be the "automatic" mode - shifting gets clunky as each upshift accompanies a pause between gears. Reviewers found this behavior intrusive. There was concern that high-end luxury car buyers would pass up the Maserati for automobiles with traditional automatic transmissions.