The Maserati Quattroporte and GranSport Coupe and Spyder are exceptional cars and, therefore, it is only natural that the test drive should be no less special. That is why Maserati Australia has replaced the traditional round-the-block drive with a full-day immersion experience, with top driving instructors and a Maserati Trofeo racing car to complete the test drive.

The latest programme took place in May with Melbourne’s historic Sandown race track the venue and a team of Australian and Italian driving experts to demonstrate the latest Maserati Quattroporte and GranSport models. “Sandown provides the ideal safe and controlled environment to demonstrate the innate ability of every Maserati,” says Edward Butler, General Manager of Maserati in Australia and New Zealand. “Under these conditions, the real depth of ability of our products can be exposed and the pleasure they are able to provide in every driving situation shown with total clarity.”
 

Although two Maserati racing cars were present at the Sandown event, Mr. Butler is quick to stress that this is not a competitive event and that there is no pressure placed on drivers to exceed their own areas of comfort or skill. “Our aim is demonstrate Maserati cars and then allow our customers to discover the experience of driving a Maserati. Under these conditions, yes, that could be a few hot laps with the instructors guiding the drivers through the best lines on this demanding track. But equally for some people it could be a more sedate drive, that enables them to fully evaluate the car, to enjoy its many pleasures and subtleties without the distractions of normal on-road driving,” says Mr Butler.

With the availability of two Maserati Trofeo racing cars on hand, specially equipped with passenger seats, it was also possible to experience Sandown from a racing driver’s perspective. “Motorsport is totally integral to Maserati, it is the bedrock of the Maserati legend,” says Mr Butler, “so we really could not be at a race track without a Maserati racing presence. But, more than that, the Trofeo cars draw a very clear line between the race and road performance and how one has enhanced the other in a host of areas, from handling and road holding, through safety and performance to the glorious howl of a Maserati V8 at full throttle. It is, without doubt, the complete Maserati experience!”