I recently drove the Porsche Panamera Turbo, the Maserati Quattroporte S, and the Bentley Flying Spur.
The Panamera Turbo (4.8 litre V8, 500 hp, 0-60 in 4.0, AWD, 4,343 lbs, 195.6") definitely out-performs any other sedan on the market - it has the speed, quickness, and handling of a sports car, and it would probably give the 911 Carrera S a run for its money on the track. The main problem with this car is that it is UGLY. Also, the back seat is small - this car would work better as a coupe to compete with the Bentley Continental GT and the BMW M6. The front seat is a bit cramped, but you expect that from a sporty car, and overall the luxury factor lags behind the Maserati and (of course) the Bentley. For people who want extra stupid fast, the Turbo S will give you fifty more horses and set you back another 35k (but it drops your 0-60 time to a ridiculous 3.6 seconds, if you're into that sort of thing).
The Quattroporte S (4.7 litre V8, 433 hp, 0-60 in 5.2, RWD, 4,387 lbs, 200.7") is a true luxury sedan that also drives like a sports car. While it is a bit under-powered for its class, it is very responsive and handles almost as well as the Panamera. In my opinion, the QP is the best looking sedan on the market, and it definitely has the best sound (thanks to the Ferrari engine and the "sport" exhaust system). The interior is very luxurious and Maserati offers many customization options that Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar do not. The front seat has plenty of room, but it's not too roomy, so you still feel like you're driving a sporty car. The rear seat is adequate.
The Flying Spur (6.0 litre W12, 552 hp, 0-60 in 4.9, AWD, 5,567 lbs, 208.3") is clearly the biggest of the three sedans that I drove, and despite its impressive performance, it does not feel or drive like a sports car (although it is super smooth cruising at 100 mph). Even with an extra 1,200 pounds, the Spur still is quicker 0 to 60 than the Maserati, thanks to its monster twelve-cylinder powerhouse, but it's still not even in the same league as the Panamera Turbo; I strongly suspect that both cars would put the Spur to shame on a track. Bentley is luxury with a capital L, and the car is simply decked out with wood and leather, and the interior is fully customizable. Very roomy, very comfortable, very luxurious, very nice car for long road trips - but also very expensive and not real fun to drive. The Speed version adds about fifty horsepower and 35k.
I saw a Bugatti Veyron, but did not drive it. Ugly car, way too expensive - for the man who has everything except a 3-digit IQ.
The Panamera Turbo (4.8 litre V8, 500 hp, 0-60 in 4.0, AWD, 4,343 lbs, 195.6") definitely out-performs any other sedan on the market - it has the speed, quickness, and handling of a sports car, and it would probably give the 911 Carrera S a run for its money on the track. The main problem with this car is that it is UGLY. Also, the back seat is small - this car would work better as a coupe to compete with the Bentley Continental GT and the BMW M6. The front seat is a bit cramped, but you expect that from a sporty car, and overall the luxury factor lags behind the Maserati and (of course) the Bentley. For people who want extra stupid fast, the Turbo S will give you fifty more horses and set you back another 35k (but it drops your 0-60 time to a ridiculous 3.6 seconds, if you're into that sort of thing).
The Quattroporte S (4.7 litre V8, 433 hp, 0-60 in 5.2, RWD, 4,387 lbs, 200.7") is a true luxury sedan that also drives like a sports car. While it is a bit under-powered for its class, it is very responsive and handles almost as well as the Panamera. In my opinion, the QP is the best looking sedan on the market, and it definitely has the best sound (thanks to the Ferrari engine and the "sport" exhaust system). The interior is very luxurious and Maserati offers many customization options that Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar do not. The front seat has plenty of room, but it's not too roomy, so you still feel like you're driving a sporty car. The rear seat is adequate.
The Flying Spur (6.0 litre W12, 552 hp, 0-60 in 4.9, AWD, 5,567 lbs, 208.3") is clearly the biggest of the three sedans that I drove, and despite its impressive performance, it does not feel or drive like a sports car (although it is super smooth cruising at 100 mph). Even with an extra 1,200 pounds, the Spur still is quicker 0 to 60 than the Maserati, thanks to its monster twelve-cylinder powerhouse, but it's still not even in the same league as the Panamera Turbo; I strongly suspect that both cars would put the Spur to shame on a track. Bentley is luxury with a capital L, and the car is simply decked out with wood and leather, and the interior is fully customizable. Very roomy, very comfortable, very luxurious, very nice car for long road trips - but also very expensive and not real fun to drive. The Speed version adds about fifty horsepower and 35k.
I saw a Bugatti Veyron, but did not drive it. Ugly car, way too expensive - for the man who has everything except a 3-digit IQ.
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$132,000 will get you behind the wheel.
