Maserati's Sporty Saloon

The Ghibli S Q4 wins over Damien Reid on the Mediterranean coast

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The hills above Monaco are home to some of the world’s best driving roads. Narrow and not without their pitfalls, you need to be at your alert best, but they are incredibly rewarding when you get it right.

Behind the wheel of a twin-turbocharged, 430bhp V6 Maserati Ghibli on a crisp, cold, yet sunny winter’s morning, hunting down a warm espresso, I had settled into a nice stride with the car.

Cornering, apexing nicely, keeping the turbos on the boil, it was a rapid climb through the hills that, thanks to the lack of shrubbery from the trees awaiting their spring foliage, gave me a clear line of sight through most corners that wound their way around the mountains like strands of liquorice.

The Ghibli chassis was composed through the dips and troughs of the often uneven surface, and with the suspension set to sport mode – plus the fact we were punting the all-wheel drive S Q4 version – it reaffirmed my stance that this is the best handling car to currently bear the Maserati name.