Maserati 4200

[themac]

Hi

I am looking in to purchasing a Maserati 4200.
At present i have a TVR Griffith 500, but i am looking to change.
The 4200s look great and with the V8 engine should be comparable to the Griff in performance and drivability.
The Griff is a weekend, dry weather car and is looked after mechanically.
Basically anything that needs to be done mechanically etc is done!
The 4200 has additional seats and should be a more usable car!

Questions:

What to buy GT or Cambiocorsa
I would say the manual car would suite what i am used to, but i have no knowlwdge regarding the flappy paddle/auto set up.
Running costs ie clutch and general service etc
I understand these cars are not cheap to run and should be simular to my TVR.
Any additional advice is apreciated

Thanks

Vince

[Pork]

Hi,

There's often questions on here about the 4200's, so worth reading through - as ever, the terrible search facility is down!

Its worth popping over to www.sportsmaserati.co.uk or www.maseratifourm.co.uk too - LOADS of info on there.

The manual vs. flappy is personal choice. On an early car, I'd go manual, on a later car (-05), I'd go flappy - I have it on mine, and love it.

Here's a few PH threads:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=1...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=1...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=9...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=1...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Oh, golden rule too - get a PPI from a good Maserati specialist/dealer.

Happy hunting!

[andymadmak]

themac said:

Hi

I am looking in to purchasing a Maserati 4200.
At present i have a TVR Griffith 500, but i am looking to change.
The 4200s look great and with the V8 engine should be comparable to the Griff in performance and drivability.
The Griff is a weekend, dry weather car and is looked after mechanically.
Basically anything that needs to be done mechanically etc is done!
The 4200 has additional seats and should be a more usable car!

Questions:

What to buy GT or Cambiocorsa
I would say the manual car would suite what i am used to, but i have no knowlwdge regarding the flappy paddle/auto set up.
Running costs ie clutch and general service etc
I understand these cars are not cheap to run and should be simular to my TVR.
Any additional advice is apreciated

Thanks

Vince

GT or Cambiocorsa often gets a heated debate going. Truth be told both types have their fans and detractors. I have a GT and I think its a sweet change. I never did get on with any of the Cambiocorsa cars I tried, but then again I am told that the later cars had their change software upgraded to smooth things out a bit.
Clutch life on a manual is likely to be longer, but again you'll hear conflicting stories. Budget around £1200 for a clutch. Annual service around £500 - £800 from a specialist (up to twice that from a main dealer) Fuel economy in the teens to low 20s if not trying too hard with the loud pedal. Every now and again you will get a big bill for something silly (for example, my handbrake shoes have just disintegrated!)
I too had TVRs before I switched to Maserati, and I would say that a 4200 is something of a step up performance wise from any RV8 powered Tiv.
I'd suggest getting a later car - 2003my onwards as these have many of the tweeks that owners find worthwhile and they seem to be more reliable (although I don't think 4200s are maintenance queens)
Buy on condition and condition and condition.
Enjoy!

Andy

[Xeno]

Don't worry about the age of the CC box - you can upgrade the software to the later version. Think I averaged about 14mpg though.

[Mario149]

Xeno said:

Don't worry about the age of the CC box - you can upgrade the software to the later version. Think I averaged about 14mpg though.

Are you quite sure about that? Has it become possible recently? I understand there was a physical design change as well as a software one. I remember ringing up Maranello in Egham (or similar) a few years ago when I bought mine and asking whether they'd be able to do an upgrade if I bought a 2002 car, answer was no....

Just noticed your pic appears to be a GS rather than a 4200?

[Pork]

Mario149 said:

Just noticed your pic appears to be a GS rather than a 4200?

Its not a GS, looks like a 4-2 with surfboards. Front bumper isnt right, nor are the seats.

[/anorak]

[themac]

Thanks for the advice

Just read through links Pork!
Need to have a few test drives to choose between GT/CC.
I thought the clutch would wear more with a manual box, not the flappy paddle!
The only concern i have is having a 4200 as a weekend car covering max 3k miles a year!
Do they suffer from being laid up for long periods of time.
As mentioned before i run a Griff 500 as a weekend car for the past 3 years and have had no problems regarding lack of driving miles (its always on trickle charge, so starts no problem)

I would say the running costs would be simular. 1-2k a year unless a big issue arises, but that can happen with either car.
Yes i think a 4200 will be replacing the Griff in the near future!
The Griffs a fantastic car to drive and has been problem free,but at times with the lack of safety features etc it makes me think that one day its going to bite my head off!!!
I did notice from other threads that a few TVR guys have jumped ship over to Masserati/Fessa etc
With the 4200 i will probably have a better driving experience with peace of mind.

Once again Thanks

Vince

[300zxtt]

[quote=Mario149]

Are you quite sure about that? Has it become possible recently? I understand there was a physical design change as well as a software one. I remember ringing up Maranello in Egham (or similar) a few years ago when I bought mine and asking whether they'd be able to do an upgrade if I bought a 2002 car, answer was no....

ALL early 4200's had software upgrades done automatically every time they went in to a main dealer- Including the all-important cambiocorsa software. This upgrade transformed the shift of my 2002 4200. Maranello Egham did mine so someone there is getting their facts a bit wrong.......

[Mario149]

300zxtt]ario149 said:

Are you quite sure about that? Has it become possible recently? I understand there was a physical design change as well as a software one. I remember ringing up Maranello in Egham (or similar) a few years ago when I bought mine and asking whether they'd be able to do an upgrade if I bought a 2002 car, answer was no....

ALL early 4200's had software upgrades done automatically every time they went in to a main dealer- Including the all-important cambiocorsa software. This upgrade transformed the shift of my 2002 4200. Maranello Egham did mine so someone there is getting their facts a bit wrong.......

Not disputing that there may have been software upgrades to early 4200s, but my understanding was you could never make a pre-2003 car as smooth as the ones that came after as there was physically a different design involved. Happy to be wrong as it doesn't affect me, I just want the facts to be clear for the OP

[Biggles111]

I used to have a Chimaera 500, which I upgraded the brakes and suspension on. I now have a Gransport. I like to think that the Chim (with some tuition) taught me quite a lot about how to drive, weight transfer etc. The Maserati is ultimately more a car you can push though as it feels more progressive, and so long as you drive it properly does not want to bite you like the TVR, though it will if you drive like a pr*t.

The rear seats are practical, yet the weight distribution feels very right. A really great car, with similar amounts of leather to the TVR.

Running costs - these cars seem quite tough, probably fewer issues than the TVR, no rusty outriggers to worry about, and parts availability is good, albeit at a price. My car (CC) is on 36,000 miles and I believe still on original clutch, so not that bad. They do eat tyres though!

[themac]

Biggles111

Yes your right, a well sorted TVR with regards to suspension and brakes can really improve the handling dramatically.
Knowing how to handle any car let alone a powerfull sports car is a no brainer, treating it with respect and not driving like a pr-t.
looking at the adds posted the prices differ quite a bit.
I would prefer a lower mileage car for about £16-17k (my Griff is a 96 model with 26k on the clock)
The lower mileage cars seem to be a tad exspensive given model age etc
I suppose its the same old story service history and condition!
It took me around a year to find my Griff and i cant see this search being any different.
May be a silly question, but why do some GT/CC have the maserati emblem on the quarter panel [is this an factory option]


Vince

[Cerbieherts]

As said, cambio/manual is personal choice, you should aim to drive both. I own a cerbie but am a Ferrari/Maserati tech, i love the 4200 and hope to switch over to one at some point. I think the key issue is to buy a well maintained car with plenty of history and keep questioning the guys here that actually live with them on a daily basis. Steer clear of the main dealers for any repairs unless you like having your pants pulled down!

[Pork]

themac said:

May be a silly question, but why do some GT/CC have the maserati emblem on the quarter panel [is this an factory option]


Vince

Saetta badges. They're an option and an east retro fit.