Top Marques

The fun factor’s high as Chris Nixon reviews the latest from legendary marques Maserati and Ferrari.

If you’ve ordered a croissant and got a bread roll, you’ll understand how I feel about diesel powered performance cars. They do the job, but without the excitement promised by the badge on the nose.

Such cars are more common in Europe, where fuel prices are higher and driving conditions often different to Australia’s, and I’ll admit there can be a practical case for them. But when I drive a Maserati, I’m out for thrills. A lack of engine character was the only thing I could really find to dislike about the Maserati Levante SUV when it debuted in Australia with diesel power early last year. The 202 kilowatt V6 was relatively economical and powerful and came in a package that was undeniably stylish outside and sumptuous inside.

Truthfully, it walked the talk that SUVs are supposed to even when no-one uses it for that, the diesel’s low-down pulling power combining with electronic traction aids to haul this unlikely piece of Italian luxury over some testing bush tracks.

And the price of $139,990 was a very sharp entry point for the prestige of Maserati ownership.

But now I’ve driven the Levante with a petrolfuelled 3.0 litre V6 that makes a local road feel like the Brenner Pass.

The model has ‘S’ added to the name to distinguish it from the diesel and there are three versions – S ($169,990 list) and S GranSport or S GranLusso (both $179,990).

The S has a 321kW engine built by Maserati’s Fiat group stablemate Ferrari. Aided also by 590 Newtonmetres of torque, it will catapult this big wagon from rest to 100 kmh in a sportscar-like 5.2 seconds and on to a 264 kmh top speed. That’s more like it.

It’s not the speed that’s important as much as the responsiveness and character. With the electronic drive mode set to Sport and the Skyhooks automatic shock absorbers doing their work, the Levante shrugs off its bulk and becomes truly enjoyable to punt along winding roads at rapid pace.

With a perfect 50:50 weight balance, it corners flat and neatly and then the V6 slings it off the exit with an invigorating growl.

The Levante has a German ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

Fingertip-paddle shift levers behind the steering wheel make it easy to flick up and down the gears whenever the driver chooses.

While many makers are adopting the newer, efficient double-clutch gearboxes, there’s still a strong case for the Maserati’s conventional torqueconvertor type and its smoother operation.

Power distribution with the all-wheel drive system is biased toward the rear in normal driving but responds in just 150 milliseconds if the road grip changes. The system can vary from 100 per cent rear bias to 50:50 without the driver even noticing.

The Skyhooks adjusting dampers combine with air springs and Normal, Sport, Off-Road and ICE (winter) driving modes to soften or stiffen the suspension for different road conditions – soft for the highway, tighter for the winding stuff.

The Levante’s off-road ability is impressive and surprising, even if it’s never going to be a rugged adventure machine.

The suspension also can be adjusted to six heights for better ground clearance, reduced wind resistance or easier passenger exit/entry.

The arrival of the S petrol model was accompanied by upgrades across the Levante range and the addition of the GranSport and GranLusso (luxury) variants.

Cars now feature a comprehsive range of safety features – highway assist (centres the car in the middle of the driving lane), land-keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, radar cruise control, forward collision alert and full-surround cameras.

The Sport/Lusso differences are mostly cosmetic, except the Sport has slightly bigger wheels than the softer Lusso.

The Lusso’s Unique Selling Point is its seat upholstery, which exclusively combines superb Italian leather with a special silk fabric developed by suit-maker Zegna.

No-one could be disappointed with a Levante interior of any grade, though if a buyer insists on being different there are further choices of wheel styles, cabin trim, steering wheels and even the colour of the high-performance Brembo brake calipers.

Outside, it’s surely the best-looking luxury SUV. Purists bemoan the fact that even sports and luxury car makers have been forced to join the SUV bandwagon, but this 103-year-old brand has most successfully adapted its distinctive visual style to the new order.

Don’t let me discourage you from buying a Levante diesel, but the petrol-powered S is just more Maserati. >>

The new Ferrari Portofino is car for what its evocative name suggests – la dolce vita.

It’s a classic convertible-hardtop roadster with a front-mounted V8 engine, svelte lines and supreme comfort suited perfectly to touring the Italian Riveria around the ‘fishing village’ of Portofino, where moguls come ashore from massive super-yachts to dine beside the harbour. Or, equally, to the Gold Coast lifestyle where at least the traffic would be easier.

Priced from $399,888, the Portofino replaces the California as the least expensive car in Ferrari’s line-up.

The $10,000 saving over the superseded car’s price should be just enough to purchase something modest from the options list.

The Portofino is a considerable 80 kilograms lighter than the Cali, structurally stiffer for better road handling and its 441 kiloWatt, twin-turbo V8 is more powerful.

Driving through a seven-speed, double-clutch gearbox, the car will hit 100 kmh from rest in 3.5 seconds, according to Ferrari.

That is seriously fast (as one expects of a $400,000 Ferrari), yet the Portofino is aimed at perhaps the less serious driver than other models

in the Modenese stable of the prancing horse. First-time Ferrari buyers should love it.

It has a spacious cabin, a fast-folding solid roof and will be easy to enter or exit. The boot will take a couple of cabin trolleys for a weekend away.

The new body has a lower, sleeker style than the slightly lumpy California, much closer to what enthusiasts had wanted from this model all along.

Ferrari Australia matched the Portofino’s resort style with an elegant launch at Byron Bay. It will go on sale soon from the current Ferrari Brisbane dealership and from a new outlet expected to open on the Gold Coast in coming months.