Elite Traveler July-August 2016

elite traveler JULY/AUG 2016 45

Maserati Levante; take off-roading to another level

Audi R8 Spyder; racing car for the road

TAKE THREE/// LUXURY SUPERBIKES

MTT 420R Claiming a top speed “faster than you will ever dare to go,” MTT’s gas-turbine bikes have won world records. Its original Y2K was the world’s most expensive and fastest production bike to go on sale.

SMOOTH OPERATOR There were few surprises on the road with the Maserati Levante, this being a higher-riding version of a Quattroporte or Ghibli. But its off-road qualities impressed. The fact that only a small proportion of owners of a luxury soft-roader such as this will do more than park on a rough patch of ground or try to leave an icy driveway hasn’t stopped the Maserati engineers going to town with clever tricks, including a self-leveling system, height-adjustable air springs, hill-descent control and electronic dampers, torque vectoring and a limited-slip rear differential. This is a big car for Maserati in lots of ways, but the balance of smooth handling and on-road comfort and off-road abilities is an attractive package. maserati.com SPYDER’S WEB “Racing cars for the road” is the mantra behind Audi’s latest sports cars. The new R8 Spyder has a 5.2-liter, V10 engine, which generates 540 bhp, delivers a 0-62 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 197mph. Audi’s spaceframe technology means the Spyder weighs just 3,553lb, which,

The 420R is every bit as impressive. $100,000 marineturbine.com/ motorcycles

BMW 750Ld XDrive; driven by a powerful diesel engine

DUCATI XDIAVEL S This low-slung cruiser offers “low-speed excitement.” A version of the twin-cylinder Testastretta engine comes with Desmodromic Variable Timing system, which allows for more torque at lower speeds. According to Ducati, it’s “a gentleman and a SORAELECTRIC SUPERBIKE It may lack the roar of a traditional superbike, but the Sora has a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds. Range between charges is 120 miles and there’s a three-hour quick charge option. $77,000 soraelectricsuperbike.com bastard.” $27,000 xdiavel.ducati.com

POWER TO THE DIESEL With apologies to Mark Twain, reports of the death of diesel have been greatly exaggerated. One impressive addition is the new BMW 3.0-liter, six-cylinder twin-turbo diesel used in the new BMW 750d XDrive (and 750Ld XDrive). The most powerful diesel to grace a BMW, it produces 394bhp and 760Nm of torque and goes from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. bmw.com there’s high-class Audi technology, from the Audi Virtual Cockpit through to an excellent smartphone interface. audiusa.com when combined with that power and an enticing new 7-speed S-tronic gearbox, adds up to a thrilling drive. Inside,

Words: Richard Cree. Photo: Getty Images