Maserati mc stradale vs regular granturismo
Discussion
How are the mc stradales like to drive against the regular granturismos? Does anyone have experience of both?
Is the suspension really hard and bone jarring?
Is the sound insulation reduced and the gear changes jerky?
Also I see there has been a mild facelift. I understand the newer car can have the rear seats.
Just wondering how stradales are as an all around proposition..
Is the suspension really hard and bone jarring?
Is the sound insulation reduced and the gear changes jerky?
Also I see there has been a mild facelift. I understand the newer car can have the rear seats.
Just wondering how stradales are as an all around proposition..
I've owned a 2012 Grand Tourismo MC Shift, with lots of extras, which was an awesome car. Did daily driver very well, as well as trans European touring. I currently own a 2014 MC Stradale - and it's epic! With 4 seats! Maserati should have always released the MC Stradale with 4 seats. They've obviously been told. It handles well - it's not a GT3 despite what they say - but its a fantastic GT car. Handles well, you can play with it, it's progressive when it lets go, the ride is more than acceptable - and the noise is divine!
The only slightly bizarre thing is that it doesn't have have front parking sensors - I'm not sure why, as the face lifted GT does? This make living with it in town a bit more of a pain that it needs to be - It's a big car!
That aside, you'll not go wrong with either of these - and you'll grow to love whatever you decide to go for.
A
The only slightly bizarre thing is that it doesn't have have front parking sensors - I'm not sure why, as the face lifted GT does? This make living with it in town a bit more of a pain that it needs to be - It's a big car!
That aside, you'll not go wrong with either of these - and you'll grow to love whatever you decide to go for.
A
You need to be clearer as to the comparator as GranTurismos vary between each model. I own a 4.7 auto but have driven both a 4.2 auto and a 4.7 automated clutch car. I would imagine that the Stradale is an extreme version of the latter but with my limited experience I would expect it to be very different to the 4.2. The gearbox in the automated clutch 4.7 is very jerky compared with manual mode on my car but it all depends what experience you have of other manual cars with only one clutch and two pedals such as SMG, RTronic etc.
Edited by EC2 on Tuesday 7th October 20:31
I have owned 2 MC Shift Granturismos and a Gransport all from new and I nver regretted buying them. The only thing I did not like about the MC Shifts were that they were not at the "hardcore" end of the GT spectrum and that they had the awful Skyhook suspension. I did over 22k miles in each car with many different driving experiences from the B-road blast to the twice monthly 200 mile round trip to Hearhrow and back.
I now have a new 2014 MC Stradale and have done 5,800 miles since January and all I can say is that for a large 4 seater that needs to carry a family of 4 but then can be a great sports car another time, I think it is unsurpassed. The difference between the 2 is massive. The passive dampers are awesome, they give soooooo much confidence, carbon ceramics are fantastic, gear shift is much better (sequential downshifts are fun) and is an absolute keeper.
I feel reasonably confident that I will never part with this car. I may well by others but when we look back in 25 years, it will be seen as the ultimate V8 Sports GT bar none. I love it and totally feel justified to have bought it over the last one.
Stu
I now have a new 2014 MC Stradale and have done 5,800 miles since January and all I can say is that for a large 4 seater that needs to carry a family of 4 but then can be a great sports car another time, I think it is unsurpassed. The difference between the 2 is massive. The passive dampers are awesome, they give soooooo much confidence, carbon ceramics are fantastic, gear shift is much better (sequential downshifts are fun) and is an absolute keeper.
I feel reasonably confident that I will never part with this car. I may well by others but when we look back in 25 years, it will be seen as the ultimate V8 Sports GT bar none. I love it and totally feel justified to have bought it over the last one.
Stu
Interesting comments by 3LOC. I have had my MC-Shift for 5 years, crucially with passive dampers (never really got on with skyhook)and had convinced myself that the MC Stradale was proabably not another £30k or so better than mine, such that I should upgrade. Might now have to reconsider, especially given that I suspect the Stradale version will be the one everyone wants in years to come.
Colussus,
I ummed and ahhed all my way through this time last year thinking I have worked hard for my car, it is mine, no one has ever had it before so I know everything about it, it's one of 9 cars so I do not have to use it every day, it looks great, I have paid for the years 4-5 Maserati warranty, there is not a scratch on it, nothing has gone wrong, sooooo, is a MC Strad worth putting in an extra £75K plus the £45K I would get/got for my MC-Shift in PX? is it 166.67% better than the MC-Shift? How can it be? Looks ostensibly the same outside, same inside, engine is the same, same CRAP infotainment, errrrrr where's the catch????? You know where it is??? Desire and emotion...
I loved the MC-Shift but the things that bugged me, kept bugging me and they were more or less eradicated in the MC Strad. So man-maths triumphed again.
I needed 4 seats as I could not conceive to have that much depreciating money in something that was more or less my preserve to be a train station and Heathrow hack. That's what a 458 or Gallardo would have been for me. So it gets used by the family during weekdays when the girls decide they want it for the School run and we use it as a family at weekends, hence 5,800 miles since January.
And here's the catch for me..... I loved the MC-Shift but other than the exhaust sound, it kinda bored me. I would prefer to take my 205 GTI or my R5 GTT or my Lotus Esprit/Elite/Elan/Elise or dare I say it, my Forester over the MC-Shift. It was not involving enough for me. I live in the sticks on a B/C road and my route to anywhere is twisties and it was not alive enough for me. I have come from the rallying world where nimble driving through your ar*e cars are what gets my juices flowing.
The MC Strad,,,,, I chuckle every time I drive it. Because they "must" be such similar cars, my benchmark was if the novelty wore off after 6 months, but no it has not and I am really not looking forward to the winter when I will not be able to drive it as much.
So if that's an advert to get one, go get one. If you agree you are NOT looking for a 991 GT3 alternative but are looking for a hardcore 4-seat GT, then the MC Strad is really, really on the money. BTW, the passive dampers are unique to the MC Strad so there will defo be a different feel for you,,,, just another justification point!
Stu
I ummed and ahhed all my way through this time last year thinking I have worked hard for my car, it is mine, no one has ever had it before so I know everything about it, it's one of 9 cars so I do not have to use it every day, it looks great, I have paid for the years 4-5 Maserati warranty, there is not a scratch on it, nothing has gone wrong, sooooo, is a MC Strad worth putting in an extra £75K plus the £45K I would get/got for my MC-Shift in PX? is it 166.67% better than the MC-Shift? How can it be? Looks ostensibly the same outside, same inside, engine is the same, same CRAP infotainment, errrrrr where's the catch????? You know where it is??? Desire and emotion...
I loved the MC-Shift but the things that bugged me, kept bugging me and they were more or less eradicated in the MC Strad. So man-maths triumphed again.
I needed 4 seats as I could not conceive to have that much depreciating money in something that was more or less my preserve to be a train station and Heathrow hack. That's what a 458 or Gallardo would have been for me. So it gets used by the family during weekdays when the girls decide they want it for the School run and we use it as a family at weekends, hence 5,800 miles since January.
And here's the catch for me..... I loved the MC-Shift but other than the exhaust sound, it kinda bored me. I would prefer to take my 205 GTI or my R5 GTT or my Lotus Esprit/Elite/Elan/Elise or dare I say it, my Forester over the MC-Shift. It was not involving enough for me. I live in the sticks on a B/C road and my route to anywhere is twisties and it was not alive enough for me. I have come from the rallying world where nimble driving through your ar*e cars are what gets my juices flowing.
The MC Strad,,,,, I chuckle every time I drive it. Because they "must" be such similar cars, my benchmark was if the novelty wore off after 6 months, but no it has not and I am really not looking forward to the winter when I will not be able to drive it as much.
So if that's an advert to get one, go get one. If you agree you are NOT looking for a 991 GT3 alternative but are looking for a hardcore 4-seat GT, then the MC Strad is really, really on the money. BTW, the passive dampers are unique to the MC Strad so there will defo be a different feel for you,,,, just another justification point!
Stu
Stu, many thanks for the detailed feedback, very interesting. Like you I have had my MC Shift from new and spec'ed it just the way I wanted etc etc. currently not in a position to buy new if I decided to change so would need to look at used but really started to make me think it might be worth a serious look. Sad thing is mine is getting used less these days as I don't drive to work as much as I used to so it is just weekend trips and chores where it also has to compete with the supercharged Range Rover Sport and a Mini Cooper S convertible, all of which have their place and uses.
Given the above it is hard to justify changing, but might get my man maths head on and see what happens!
Given the above it is hard to justify changing, but might get my man maths head on and see what happens!
3LeftOverCrest said:
Interesting Post
Stu,Prompted by the above, I just saw your garage and you have a GranSport and a MC Strad. I was in Dick Lovett on Friday and asked about how the GS vs GTS MC shift vs MC Strad worked. My suspicion is that the the MC Strad is the one to move to. I've never so much as been out in a GTS but think the MC Strad is the next closest alternative to a GS. Would you say that's about right?
Hi Pork,
Completely different cars, all 3 of them to be honest.
The MC-Shift was a step up in terms of refinement and power but lost that bit of agility. It had a lovely sound and was an all round better experience. Gear box was eons ahead of the agricultural Gransport and was more powerful. The steering and bite was too lazy in the MC-Shift and overtly sensitive in the Gransport (Gransport always felt that the ratio of length to width was not right when you were driving and I felt that I was in some top-fuel dragster shape - Weird I know but the only thing that has always come into my head) so did not give me confidence to commit in corners. Both had versions of Skyhook.
The MC-Strad is compromised if you compare to a GT3 or a 430 but for a 4-seater GT, it's at the raw and perfect end for me. It fits like a glove, steering is as good as I am going to get for assisted steering, gearbox is phenomenal (sequential downshifts are cool), I have confidence to commit every time, it sounds stupidly loud (I only drive in Race mode), passive damper set up is perfect for the car, carbon ceramics do the job very well and I don't use the radio, so I can overlook the 1996 infotainment system.
Even though it does not have any more power, it feels like it does for sure.
All in all, for me (and that's my caveat), I could not ask for better unless I went to 2 seats.
Just moving cars and though it'd be interesting to show how performance GT's have come on in 35 years!!
Completely different cars, all 3 of them to be honest.
The MC-Shift was a step up in terms of refinement and power but lost that bit of agility. It had a lovely sound and was an all round better experience. Gear box was eons ahead of the agricultural Gransport and was more powerful. The steering and bite was too lazy in the MC-Shift and overtly sensitive in the Gransport (Gransport always felt that the ratio of length to width was not right when you were driving and I felt that I was in some top-fuel dragster shape - Weird I know but the only thing that has always come into my head) so did not give me confidence to commit in corners. Both had versions of Skyhook.
The MC-Strad is compromised if you compare to a GT3 or a 430 but for a 4-seater GT, it's at the raw and perfect end for me. It fits like a glove, steering is as good as I am going to get for assisted steering, gearbox is phenomenal (sequential downshifts are cool), I have confidence to commit every time, it sounds stupidly loud (I only drive in Race mode), passive damper set up is perfect for the car, carbon ceramics do the job very well and I don't use the radio, so I can overlook the 1996 infotainment system.
Even though it does not have any more power, it feels like it does for sure.
All in all, for me (and that's my caveat), I could not ask for better unless I went to 2 seats.
Just moving cars and though it'd be interesting to show how performance GT's have come on in 35 years!!
3LeftOverCrest said:
Hi Pork,
Completely different cars, all 3 of them to be honest.
The MC-Shift was a step up in terms of refinement and power but lost that bit of agility. It had a lovely sound and was an all round better experience. Gear box was eons ahead of the agricultural Gransport and was more powerful. The steering and bite was too lazy in the MC-Shift and overtly sensitive in the Gransport (Gransport always felt that the ratio of length to width was not right when you were driving and I felt that I was in some top-fuel dragster shape - Weird I know but the only thing that has always come into my head) so did not give me confidence to commit in corners. Both had versions of Skyhook.
The MC-Strad is compromised if you compare to a GT3 or a 430 but for a 4-seater GT, it's at the raw and perfect end for me. It fits like a glove, steering is as good as I am going to get for assisted steering, gearbox is phenomenal (sequential downshifts are cool), I have confidence to commit every time, it sounds stupidly loud (I only drive in Race mode), passive damper set up is perfect for the car, carbon ceramics do the job very well and I don't use the radio, so I can overlook the 1996 infotainment system.
Even though it does not have any more power, it feels like it does for sure.
All in all, for me (and that's my caveat), I could not ask for better unless I went to 2 seats.
Just moving cars and though it'd be interesting to show how performance GT's have come on in 35 years!!
thanks very much for the reply, very interesting. Completely different cars, all 3 of them to be honest.
The MC-Shift was a step up in terms of refinement and power but lost that bit of agility. It had a lovely sound and was an all round better experience. Gear box was eons ahead of the agricultural Gransport and was more powerful. The steering and bite was too lazy in the MC-Shift and overtly sensitive in the Gransport (Gransport always felt that the ratio of length to width was not right when you were driving and I felt that I was in some top-fuel dragster shape - Weird I know but the only thing that has always come into my head) so did not give me confidence to commit in corners. Both had versions of Skyhook.
The MC-Strad is compromised if you compare to a GT3 or a 430 but for a 4-seater GT, it's at the raw and perfect end for me. It fits like a glove, steering is as good as I am going to get for assisted steering, gearbox is phenomenal (sequential downshifts are cool), I have confidence to commit every time, it sounds stupidly loud (I only drive in Race mode), passive damper set up is perfect for the car, carbon ceramics do the job very well and I don't use the radio, so I can overlook the 1996 infotainment system.
Even though it does not have any more power, it feels like it does for sure.
All in all, for me (and that's my caveat), I could not ask for better unless I went to 2 seats.
Just moving cars and though it'd be interesting to show how performance GT's have come on in 35 years!!
erics said:
How are the mc stradales like to drive against the regular granturismos? Does anyone have experience of both?
Is the suspension really hard and bone jarring?
Is the sound insulation reduced and the gear changes jerky?
Also I see there has been a mild facelift. I understand the newer car can have the rear seats.
Just wondering how stradales are as an all around proposition..
i find it wonderful eric.Is the suspension really hard and bone jarring?
Is the sound insulation reduced and the gear changes jerky?
Also I see there has been a mild facelift. I understand the newer car can have the rear seats.
Just wondering how stradales are as an all around proposition..
thinking about it for a while. It's cheap for what it is. not too fast but it isn't your bag anyway.
I'll be thinking of you blasting along our local routes through the 2 roundabouts on sunday morning.
honestly, like it better than your old merc.s....beautiful as they are.
An old thread resurrection but I would be interested to hear further if anyone has any experience of driving a Stradale as effectively a daily driver and putting c.10k p.a on it for 2-3 yrs cumulatively?
I see very few available for sale with anything more than 20k miles on them, and am unsure as to whether this implies issues with the greater mileage or whether they generally only tend to get used as weekend cars?
Any owner insight appreciated, especially if you have graduated from an MC Auto (which i sense is currently the preferred option given weekly mileage requirements) or an MC Shift.
I see very few available for sale with anything more than 20k miles on them, and am unsure as to whether this implies issues with the greater mileage or whether they generally only tend to get used as weekend cars?
Any owner insight appreciated, especially if you have graduated from an MC Auto (which i sense is currently the preferred option given weekly mileage requirements) or an MC Shift.
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