Mazzer 3200 GT and alternatives.....

[carlingofblack]

OK -- I'd like to get a second car that's a bit interesting, but not shell out huge amounts. I'm therefore thinking £10-£15k, and am wanting something a little more exclusive than the BMW/Audi/Merc all of which I love in their own way, but been there, done that etc.

So, much to my surprise, I thought I'd check out the Maserati 3200. The Quattroporte is also amazing value, but coming in around £6k too much.

What say fellow PHs? This looks a beaut.....http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2184173.htm

If not this, then what else? BMW 8, XK8 & XKR....?

Thanks all.

[kambites]

What do you want from it? The 3200GT is a lovely looking car, but they have a reputation for being rather fragile and not driving particularly well.

[andyroo]

Hatchback prices - italian supercar running costs!

Considered one a while back but there were just too many horror stories. Lovely cars though.

[carlingofblack]

Yup, thanks as I thought. I've also had a trawl through the Mas/Ferrari forums and the write ups aren't especially favourable.
Money better spent on an XK8/XKR I think....

Those 3200GTs do LOOK lovely though, don't they!!

[W00DY]

Utterly gorgeous. That one is the perfect colour combo too, exactly like the one I saw with some odd suspension noises at a local Jag specialists last week. They sound great too, well the engine does anyway.

I will own one one day. You don't buy a car like that with your head.

[anonymous-user]

TVR Cerbera, Aston DB-7 or a Porsche 928 would fit the bill!

[AndrewW-G]

The owners blog on the car makes interesting reading,looks like he hasnt skimped on keeping the car OK

http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showServiceHist...

Edited by AndrewW-G on Sunday 24th October 14:04

[Steameh]

AndrewW-G said:

The owners blog on the car makes interesting reading,looks like he hasnt skimped on keeping the car OK

http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showServiceHist...

Edited by AndrewW-G on Sunday 24th October 14:04

Replacement engine

Stunning stunning cars, when money is more freely available after university, I will definitely look to have one as a second car (unless 4200's have dropped by then)

As a side note, does anyone know if the 4200's are more reliable?

[BlueMR2]

There is a discussion about these on the Porsche 928 mailing list at the moment.

To quote one person

Ride felt harsh compared to a 928 (on normal road use) but probably just as quick as a 928 GTS.

Still a big V8 engine and it did sound fantastic with its quad sports exhaust.

I'd have a 928 GTS any day of the week .... there is no comparison.

[kambites]

BlueMR2 said:

I'd have a 928 GTS any day of the week .... there is no comparison.

Well yes, but different people have different priorities.

I dare say the 928 is a far better car to drive, but it's also ugly, doesn't have four usable seats, doesn't sound as good and doesn't have the right badge on the front. There are plenty of cars I'd choose over a 3200GT (including a 928), but I can quite understand why someone would buy the 3200.

[carlingofblack]

928...hadn't thought of that -will take a look. DB7 - fab, BUT, V12s only I would imagine,as the inline 6's have their fair share of issues. Also, DB7s coming in around £20k, and for that money, if I had it, which I don't, I could go for a Quattroporte...! 4 usable seats a bonus too.

Edited by carlingofblack on Sunday 24th October 16:49

[masermartin]

Said it before and I'll say it again - just because they are at mondeo prices doesn't mean you can run them at mondeo money. You're still servicing, taxing, insuring, repairing and fuelling a £50k+ car.

If they are well looked after and inspected by a specialist (emblem, bill mcgrath, HR Owen etc and all will probably be prepared to do so for a fee much less than getting the wrong one will cost you), AND you keep up that maintenance, they will be perfectly good cars.

Arguably you could use a similar era Porker all year round and neglect it to a certain degree. You can't do that with a Maser, but that's part of why they have a crap reputation for reliability. On the other hand, opening the garage and getting in it at 6am on a Sunday morning for the simple reason of going for a blat ....

[lordlee]

I would look at these two if you are concerned about fragility or exorbitant running costs.

Dont think you'd lose money come resale time if you bought right with one of these. To be fair this is top mpney but a nice example...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1952803.htm



Or this looks well priced for a sports chassis model although the 2WD would be my preference but you get the idea...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2127286.htm

[AndrewW-G]

BlueMR2 said:

There is a discussion about these on the Porsche 928 mailing list at the moment.

To quote one person

Ride felt harsh compared to a 928 (on normal road use) but probably just as quick as a 928 GTS.

Still a big V8 engine and it did sound fantastic with its quad sports exhaust.

I'd have a 928 GTS any day of the week .... there is no comparison.

Is it really that surprising that somebody on a 928 list, would favour a 928 over an alternative?

[carlingofblack]

Good point above. Is it right that the DB7 is just a Jag in a frock....or might a DB7 at the lower end of the price range be worth a punt? That to me shouts more huge bills and intergalactic problems than a Maserati...as ever, I suppose it's a case of view each vehicle with an open mind and with a wary eye. I'd be taking the plunge Apri/May so plenty of time to shop around and get alerted to issues.
Porsche (968 and 928) are lovely cars I'm sure, but they just don't do it for me. They're also much older than DB7s, 3200s and XK8s, so surely, likely to need more doing to be kept on the road.

I really would love the Quattroporte's values to be hit badly -- like a slightly more expensive Alfa 166...!! Wishful thinking I know.

[BlueMR2]

I've heard of some 928's being expensive to look after and some are 32 years old, the newest about 15.

However i have never heard of a 3200 being in the cheap to reasonable area only in the expensive to absurd.

I remember reading of one car with a £5k and an £8k service in the history and the car wasn't even that old.

Another persons Dad had one, the oil pressure gauge needed to be replaced, about £800, so you can only imagine the cost if something big and mechanical goes wrong or even the cost if it doesn't.

Their values dropped like a stone and its not because they are as reliable and cheap to run as an equivalently expensive when new 911.

[BlueMR2]

AndrewW-G said:

Is it really that surprising that somebody on a 928 list, would favour a 928 over an alternative?

Considering that he's driven both on road and track and he's ended up on the 928 mailing list, no.

[The Lukas]

Cerbera

[sebhaque]

I was tempted by a 3200 when getting rid of my Impreza - the running costs and relative fragility put me off, however. The 3200 has more of a turbocharged lunacy feel to it, whereas the 4200's NA power delivery makes it feel more refined. I would still have the 3200 out of the pair purely for the boomerang taillights

That said, I chose a VX220 as an interesting second car. It gets as many, if not more, looks as a Maserati, it's cheaper to run and it's more of a "fun" car - when I drove a 3200 I felt like I was in a fragile car that I'd need to be careful about. The VX just likes to be driven in any way. Other cars I was looking at were a Monaro, XK8, DB7, or an old 8-series.

[_DeeJay_]

I've had a Cerbera and currently drive a 3200GT. The Maserati cost less to run over 4 years than the Cerbera did in 2.

However, the depreciation it's going to have suffered with be a real killer. It's worth less than 10k now - exactly how much I'll find out when I get some new tyres fitted and put it up for sale.

It's a completely different beast to a Cerbie; not as quick and much more refined. However, the Cerb was certainly more of an experience.

I'm glad I've had both, though they do take some following. The Lexus I'm now driving is very much proof of that - I doubt it'll last 2 months!