Maserati gets fast and looks furious with ‘very black’ GTS

MASERATI is bringing to Australia the fastest accelerating four-door car the company’s ever produced in the Maserati Quattroporte GTS GranSport Nerissimo Edition. There just won’t be many of them. 

‘’Nerissimo’ is Italian for ‘very black’, and this car is certainly that, featuring a menacing-looking black-on-black exterior and plenty of carbon fibre trim inside and out.’

Maserati has produced only 50 of the low-slung and sleek vehicle and, of those, only five will make their way down here. One suspects they’re going to get snapped up quickly, if they haven’t already been sold.

“Nerissimo” is Italian for “very black”, and this car is certainly that, featuring a menacing-looking black-on-black exterior and plenty of carbon fibre trim inside and out. 

In its endless quest for individuality, the Italian brand has sought to encapsulate the excitement of a night in the city in the Quattroporte GTS Nerissimo Edition, using Nero Ribelle paint and black piano finishing on the front grille, inserts, bumpers and rear extractor. The overall effect is one of devilish fiend.

With the window surrounds, exhaust pipes, vertical grille bars, bumpers and side skirts also clothed in black, the only pop of colour is within the low-profile 21-inch glossy black Titano wheels in the anodised red painted brake callipers.

There’s a bit more going on inside the car, with the black leather 12-way power sport seats detailed with red stitching and red embroidered trident on the headrests. It sports a carbon steering wheel along with carbon trim, all finished with an Alcantara headliner.

As you’d expect, the ventilation system is set up to service four people, with controls in place for the rear passengers.

The Quattroporte GTS Nerissimo Edition’s twin-turbo V8 engine manages the 0-100 sprint in 4.7 seconds. That may be a record for the company, but it still falls behind the likes of the Mercedes E63, BMW M5 and Madam Wheels’ own Audi RS6. 

Once the Quattroporte is moving, though, it would blow off that competition in a silky black blur with a claimed top speed of 310km/h – second only to the limited-edition two-seater Maserati MC12, which packs a V12 engine.

If all that doesn’t make you feel like a superhero – or villain – the unique nature of the Nerissimo Edition might. Its rarity is certified by the plaque on the carbon fibre centre console that states “Nerissimo Edition One of 50”.

If standing out is important to you, this car will get you there – assuming you can get one and are happy to stump up the not-insubstantial list price – the recommended retail ask is $371,990 topped with statutory charges, dealer costs and delivery.

But there will be some comfort knowing there’s unlikely to be anything else quite like it.

Maserati’s doing a good job of competing with its high-end competitors and attracting new buyers to the brand.

According to European Automotive Imports, which distributes Maserati in Australia, the company has seen a six-fold increase in sales in the six years since the new generation of Maserati models were launched, capped by a 54 per cent increase in sales last year over 2016.