From our perspective, the Executive GT seems like something of an oddball choice, because the big Maser is such a great car to be sat up-front in. Its steering feels alive from the off, diving for the apex as if your life depended on it. Sneeze at 100mph and you'll be heading straight for the Armco, which in my book is exactly as it should be in a proper sporting saloon.

The cabin remains superbly insulated from the outside world, though, with wind and road noise minimal - all the better to hear the sonorous growl of that fiery V8 in its nose.

But does it work as a limo? No, I don't think it does. While it has all the ingredients to create a feeling of luxury, it's hampered by being such a driver-focused car. That infamous paddle-shift gearbox is the biggest problem, making mooching about at low speeds a disaster thanks to a horrible pause between gears that would be masked by the torque converter in a proper auto. Although Maserati claims that its DuoSelect system is 'one gearbox with two souls', it's obviously aware of its shortcomings. Word from the inside is that the QP will be available with a proper ZF automatic gearbox towards the end of the year, leaving the paddle-shifter for the more driver-orientated models.

About time too, is all I can say.