Although Maserati has claimed its Nettuno V6 is “100% Maserati”, it’s quite clearly related to Alfa Romeo’s V6. They certainly look quite similar in the engine bay, sharing the exact same plastic cover. Part of the reason for the Nettuno’s existence is likely to be that Maserati wanted a higher-powered, dry-sumped engine for the MC20.
At 523bhp in the Trofeo, it has just 20bhp more than in the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it uses this to very good effect, as the Grecale shaves 0.4sec off the hot Alfa’s 0-60mph time; and, because it’s not limited to 155mph like some rivals, the Grecale keeps pulling hard at those autobahn speeds.
There were a few damp patches on the day of our testing, so although the Trofeo matched its claimed 0-62mph time of 3.8sec, it might go slightly quicker still in perfect conditions.
Then again, it might not, because the way the Trofeo leaps off the line isn’t the most graceful we have experienced. Unlike the Stelvio, it has launch control, which lets the revs build to about 3000rpm before unleashing 457lb ft of violence onto the axles. When that happens, you feel the car rear up due to the fairly soft, underdamped suspension.
‘Leaping off the line’ can at this point be taken literally, since it feels like the unloaded front wheels struggle for traction, conspiring with the suspension to cause a few disconcerting hops.
Thereafter, it rifles through its closely stacked ratios (exactly the same ones as the Stelvio). The short gearing does wonders for making the Trofeo an engaging car on the road. In refreshing contrast to many Porsches, where reaching the top of second gear involves breaking every speed limit in the UK, you can redline the Trofeo in second and get a good way through third before breaching 60mph.
That in turn creates a reason to use those lovely metal paddles. A good dual-clutch gearbox may have marginally faster and crisper shifts but, like in BMW M cars, this ZF eight-speed is plenty quick and has the edge in smoothness and drivability, which are surely more important in what is going to be an everyday car.
You also notice the family resemblance with the Alfa V6 in the Nettuno’s character. Being very turbocharged, it needs a few revs to fill its lungs before really surging forwards – hence the slightly slower first increment for the in-gear times.
That turbocharging means the not-very-silenced exhaust is what you hear, rather than any intake noise. It’s gravelly and hoarse, smoothing out at higher revs. It’s exciting and free-revving, but hardly tuneful, as is the typical high-performance V6 way.
The new Modena V6 uses the same non-electrified Nettuno engine as the Trofeo but downtuned from a heady 523bhp to a more manageable 385bhp, with 369lb ft of torque.
That gives it a 0-62mph time of 4.9sec and a top speed of 160mph – lining it up neatly against six-cylinder alternatives like the BMW X3 M50 and Audi SQ5, even if each of those rivals cost around £10,000 less.
The power deficit looks big on paper but doesn’t translate to a comparatively sluggish experience. The Modena V6 is still an amusingly quick car, with a brilliantly responsive and charismatic engine driving through a snappy eight-speed gearbox operated by incongruously (but pleasingly) massive metal paddles.
It is slightly lamentable that the Nettuno’s operatic soundtrack is so heavily exaggerated via the in-car synthesisers here – which you can tell because tunnels and canyons have little impact on the exhaust note. If you can overlook a bit of contrivance, it’s still a lovely noise and doesn’t sound especially fake, but it would be nice if it were a bit quieter in Normal mode.
Track Notes (Hill Route, Millbrook Proving Ground)
The Trofeo is obviously no track car, and that’s confirmed by the fairly soft suspension, but once you get used to managing the body roll, it acquits itself fairly well.
There’s plenty of grip from the Maserati-specific Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres and the steering has enough feedback to let you settle the car into the corners.
The four-wheel drive system is naturally rear-biased and the eLSD is happy to send plenty of power to the outside rear wheel and rotate the car through corners.