We’ll call it how we see it: the Maserati Quattroporte is a bit (too) long in the tooth. And while the exterior might tend to disagree, the more eloquent clues can be found inside the cabin, which has a strong, dated vibe.

However, Maserati won’t let the Quattroporte fade into oblivion just yet and has prepared a Trofeo version for its larger sedan, as it did for the Levante SUV, hoping it will do better battle against the likes of Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and BMW 7 Series.

Old dog, new tricks

Besides the heart transplant, the Quattroporte Trofeo gets a limited-slip diff as standard and a Corsa driving mode that unlocks the vee-eight’s full rage - Corsa means race in Italian, so you get the gist. But that’s not all: your ego benefits from a launch control feature - also taken from the Levante Trofeo. Obviously, and you can have the Quattroporte Trofeo in RWD guise only, so if your desires include AWD, then it’s best to head to the Quattroporte S Q4.

Also worth mentioning is that the Ghibli Trofeo, which features the same engine, in an identical state of tune, needs 4.3 seconds to conquer the same interval and can reach the same top speed.

Other engine options, provided the Trofeo is not your cup of tea, include a 424-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 and the same 3.8-liter V-8 but detuned to produce 523 horsepower inside the Quattroporte GTS.

Dressed to impress, inside and out

The Trofeo stands out through more than a tweaked engine. On the outside, it flaunts twin vertical bars in the front grille (Piano Black’s the color) and extra carbon fiber details on the front air intakes and rear extractor. 21-inch Orione aluminum wheels are also part of the bundle.

The taillights are redesigned, too, made to look like those of the 3200 GT and Alfieri concept car. Then there’s red body paint, and, of course, the Maserati-specific roaring sound of the exhaust which is bound to reach new heights in the Trofeo.

Maserati did spice things up inside, too, and by that we mean a redesigned dashboard, Trofeo-badged seat headrests, and full-grain Pieno Fiore natural leather. Gone is the 8.4-inch display which makes room for a more contemporary 10.1-inch screen with better resolution and graphics.

2021 Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo - Essential Specs