15 Jan 07
Start the engine, select D (instantly override-able by the paddles, although D returns after a period of paddle inactivity) and move off. Just to remind you that you're in a Maserati and that the autobox is here only under sufferance, there's a modest jerk as the drive is taken up.
Thereafter, the shifts are typically ZF-smooth, even in the keener Sport mode. And if you switch to manual operation, either with the central lever or with the paddles, it's much easier than with the DuoSelect to get a smooth upshift. That's true even in Sport mode: here the shift is less speedy than the DuoSelect's but still quick enough for focused driving fun. You can always trigger an automatic downshift by flooring the throttle past the kickdown switch, incidentally, whether in auto or manual modes.
The only downside is that in manual mode the downshifts aren't quite as slick as the DuoSelect's. That's because the engine revs aren't always automatically speeded-up quite enough to suit the lower gear, even though they are in an Aston or a Jaguar.
One criticism of Maserati's 4244cc, 396bhp V8 has been a lack of low-end pulling energy, so you've just had to work it hard, enjoy the soundtrack and live with the thirst. For the QPA there has been some recalibration to suit the ZF transmission, resulting in an extra 7lb-ft of peak torque (making 340) reached at 4,250rpm (previously 4,500). Extra-urban fuel consumption is better, too, by 9%, but no figures were forthcoming for any overall improvement. And it really does need to improve from the DuoSelect's 15mpg and 440g/km CO2.
