Maserati’s venerable Quattroporte perfectly embodies the Italian spirit of la dolce vita – an effortlessly stylish and sumptuously equipped luxury saloon; half-limo, half-sports car, dripping in style and ever-so aspirational.

The first-generation Quattroporte launched way back in 1963, fusing mafioso flair with a quad-cam V8, and the desirable formula has endured across the generations.

The car we have here is a Quattroporte V, the M139 model built from 2003-2012; using an all-new platform, power came from an evolution of the V8 in the Maserati Coupe – a dry-sumped 4.2-litre unit sourced from Ferrari.

In cavallino rampante spec you’ll find close relatives of this engine in the F430 and the 458; in the Quattroporte it serves up a muscular 395bhp.

With a thoroughly impressive spec, it’s something that’s become a truly sought-after modern classic today; representing tremendous value for money, this is the most affordable way to acquire a usable car with a Ferrari engine – and you can bring the family along for the ride!

The interior of any Quattroporte is a special place to be.

Tastefully upholstered in leather, the seats are fully electrically adjustable – and not just in the front, but the rear too. The leather on the driver’s seat is showing its age, although with no actual rips or tears it could well be saveable with a good feed.

The passenger seat and rear bench are tidy, the door cards are all complete, and so is the headlining. The electric windows all work, as do the lights inside the sun visors.

There are some scratches and scuffs on the centre console, as well as on the stereo surround and air vent surrounds on the dash, plus some minor wear to the steering wheel and a number of the control buttons – anyone who knows Quattroportes will know that this is all par for the course with these interiors, and the key point is that all the buttons seem to be working.

The car is fitted with premium Bose and Blaupunkt audio. It’s worth noting a couple of warning lights on the dash: one for a bulb, and one that displays the message ‘go to dealer’ – we can’t vouch for what this refers to, but it doesn’t appear to affect the way the car drives.

Inside the boot it’s all dry and tidy, with the correct removable panels in place for the dual-layer hidden storage beneath the boot floor.

This deep shade of blue suits the Quattroporte’s lines so well, and it really comes alive in the sunlight with various other shades dancing through the metallic lustre.

It’s evident that the car has had some paint repairs here and there, with some ‘orange peel’ apparent on the offside rear door, and there are areas of lacquer peeling on the rear bumper; the front bumper may have had a minor knock as the fitment isn’t perfect around the nearside headlight and there’s a scuff there along with some paint cracks around the badge area.

On the whole, however, it’s a presentable and impressive machine that drew many positive comments from passers-by as we carried out our photoshoot.

The 18” alloy wheels are an attractive design that suit the car extremely well. There’s a little kerbing to each of them, although it’s nothing an easy refurb wouldn’t remedy.

They wear matching Pirelli tyres – although, with 2014 date codes and perishing sidewalls, the fronts will be due for replacement before long.

The V8 is a fabulously muscular unit, making all the right noises when the throttle’s buried, and yet the soundproofing within the cabin ensures that the experience is always civilised, never raucous.

It’s a club bouncer in a Savile Row suit.

The engine fires on the first turn of the key, idling evenly and providing the trademark ‘woofle’ sound on up- and down-shifts. We didn’t test the transmission’s full-auto mode on our test-drive, instead shifting with the paddles, and all appeared to be well with the shift action there.

The owner reports no issues with the brakes, steering or suspension. We can see from the paperwork that the rear brakes were recently stripped, with the handbrake adjusted and new pads fitted, while the front pads were de-glazed.

The car wafts with the grace that a Quattroporte should, and the vivid performance is thoroughly entertaining on a winding country lane.

Life just feels that little bit more stylish in a Maserati, doesn’t it? Even the name is delectable; it may literally translate as ‘four-door’, which is hardly an exciting name for a car, but ‘Quattroporte’ has so much class and panache to it. 

These cars make for truly impressive value today too. 

Sure, there may be a handful of cosmetic blemishes with this car, but it still makes for a striking presence on the road, and the fact of the matter is this: you’d struggle to find a more affordable way than this to buy a usable and enjoyable car with a pukka Ferrari engine under the bonnet. 

The sound and the playfulness of that iconic V8 would never get old – and you get to enjoy it in four-up luxury, with a fully-loaded cabin and oodles of space. 

If a Ferrari F430 may be way out of financial reach, the Quattroporte is here to tick the box… and you can bring the kids or your mates along to enjoy it with you.