2012 Maserati Quattroporte baby spy shots
It's been rumoured for a while now, but it seems Maserati is not only thinking of building a baby Quattroporte of some sort, the company is now at the stage where it is testing prototypes. Our spy photographers managed to snap this test mule during a quick test run.
Now, although it may look like a normal Maserati Quattroporte, there are certain indications that this is not your usual model.
Firstly, the wheelbase on this mule is fractionally shorter than the standard Quattroporte meaning there will be definite dimension changes on the upcoming all-new model.
Behind the front wheels we can see there's a smaller brake package which most likely means the new car will be lighter than the current Quattroporte, and enter a different market segment.
Looking at the front window it's also quite obvious that this project is unfinished and Maserati is still experimenting with sizing and panel proportions.
From the back we can also see the lack of the traditional quad exhaust pipes coming out from the rear bumper bar. On this model there was only a single pipe on each side.
The new car is expected to rival the likes of the Jaguar XFR and even the new BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. Reports say the car should debut some time in 2012. Look forward to more information and spy shots in the coming months.