Maserati Quattroporte: car review | Martin Love

The great Italian marque has turned out a slick and economical luxury limo. It's so good you could almost get suspicious"

Price: 69,560
Top speed: 190mph
0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
CO₂: 163g/km
MPG: 45.6

"This is the coolest job in the world," laughs David Millar. He's speaking about his role as the newly appointed cycling ambassador for Maserati, which is also the title sponsor of the Tour de Yorkshire, now in its second year. You might think there is little crossover between an expensive Italian sports car and a tough bike race over the moors, but the mutual benefits are great. Cycling is now a sport whichattracts wealthy people who see their bikes as essential lifestyle accessories rather than proletarian modes of transport. They fetishise their frames and fret over having the very the latest kit and the smartest technology. These consumers are brand-literate hedonists with deep pockets - no wonder car makers are falling over themselves to align themselves with cyclists.