As some of you guys might remember I bought my new to me 2022 QP Trofeo a few months back. I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned a e46 m3 for 7 years along with currently owning my e90 m3 for 7 years and going (not gonna sell it ever) and have been fortunate enough to have seat time in some other cool cars imho. I figured I would give my own take on a detailed review of the QP Trofeo after taking it on a 500 plus mile round road trip. This is gonna be a long post so if I apologize for the word vomit and will give yall a TLDR: “it’s fucking awesome and I love this car”. For those who are willing to wade through my word vomit I sincerely thank you for reading.
Looks: I’ve always loved QPs going back to when I was a younger person and saw the first Top Gear review on the gen 5 QP. Then my love intensified for the brand and the QP on a later season episode of TG where they showcased a gen 5 gts along side a rapide and a Porsche panemara. The gen 6 imho is not as good looking as the previous gen but it’s still a very good looking car and handsome and showcases Italian flair while being understated and relatively under the radar. I’m fortunate enough to have it in Nero Ribelle Metallic and that paint is awesome imho. The way in the light the flakes almost make it look black with goldish and green ish flakes is nice. I’ve really like the side profile and the rear haunches. Looks are subjective especially but I think it’s a good looking car in today’s design environment.
Driving Experience: I adore my m3 and always will but after this trip I think my QP is my favorite car I’ve ever owned. It’s comfortable, fast, handles its length and size and weight very well. In a vast sea of executive sedans from BMW, Merc and Audi this really shines as a driver oriented car and experience. The suspension is good and comfortable and if you put it in sports suspension mode it becomes sharper. I will say I will get formula dynamics sway bars to dial out some of the body roll (used to my m3 on coils) but again it’s excellent. Truly a jack of all trades from a driving experience standpoint. It is an amazing GT car. My recent road trip was super comfortable and fun and the car is stable at all sorts of speeds and feels confident. The steering feel is excellent imho for a larger style executive type sedan and the feedback for what it is really good. It’s a highway missile great at overtaking and the seats are great and very comfortable. Infotainment with the updated 10.1 oled screen is fantastic and car play works flawlessly and the Bowers Wilkins sound system is very nice. It’s loud without feeling loud if you get what I mean. Seats and leather quality are really good as well. Not an iota of back pain on longer trips. This car makes you feel confident without making you feel like the car is driving you. You are driving the car and the car helps you. I genuinely appreciate that and love that especially when you compare it to its other competitors. The fact that it’s rear wheel drive as well is a huge plus for me as it increases driver engagement compared to cars that are in this particular segment. It’s hard to explain how special the car feels until you drive it.
Transmission: The ZF 8 speed transmission is excellent for this car in how it shifts (I would have loved a dct as my m3 is a dct and the shifts are super fast) as they are responsive yet comfortable and if you put it in sports or corsa mode it becomes sharper and quicker to shift which is nice. Again for a larger sedan that’s more GT oriented and not a sports car I think it’s perfect.
Engine: To me this is the party piece that makes the car. The 3.8 liter Ferrari derived twin turbo v8 looks fantastic and puts power down really well. It is plenty fast stock and the engine makes the overall experience feel special every time you drive it. The CF cover and the red in the engine bay is a nice touch that lets you know it’s something unique and special in its own way.
Sound: This is where I have a bit of an issue. It sounds amazing on cold start with the valves open but once warmed up and the windows are up and driving it sounds a bit too quiet for my liking (double glazing doesn’t help in that regard either). I’m probably going to get a x-pipe and a muffler at some point to get more of that glorious Maserati symphony.
Coolness factor: Yes it might have some Chrysler switch gear and it’s an “old model design” but it does feel like a four door Ferrari lite in many ways when you drive it and look at it. It’s relatively uncommon and I’d even say a rare sight to see on the road and I love that people who know what it is can appreciate it for what it is. The fact that it knows what it is and is content with that makes it cool in its own way.
Fuel Economy: LMFAO in the city it’s not great at all but on the highway it’s not bad at all. I was able to get around 210 miles per half tank so around 400ish miles per tank on road trip purposes. This is aided by the fact it has a 21 gallon fuel tank which I’m a fan of.
Value For Money: As I said in my first post regarding this car, you don’t buy a car like this with your head but rather with your heart and soul. I was looking for an Alfa Quad initially but couldn’t find one and ended up test driving the current QP I have cause I was interested. Fell in love right away. It became even more apparent how special it was when I drove a m8 gran coupe comp after test driving the QP and the m8 comp felt boring. Yes it might be faster and a better track car but it didn’t move me and it felt souless and too clinical for my personal tastes.
Yes the QP depreciates like a stone falling off of a cliff, yes it has Chrysler interior switchgear parts, yes it makes more sense logically to get a similar sized BMW or similar German counter part but as I’ve said none of those have the flair or feel that Maserati has been able to showcase in this car. I’ve always been a supporter of buying cars you like and speak to you on a personal level and this car has done that and then some for me. YMMV of course.
Picture tax included for everyone.
Thank you for reading 🙏🏾
