RE: New Maser unveiled in the UK
Discussion
I was one of the lucky ones to attend this launch and to be honest I was a little disappointed on a number of scores about this car:
My initial impression is that the car sits somewhere between the new Jag and the Aston Martin Vantage. It is not as well built as the Aston, but is definitely more exclusive than the Jag. It looks much better in the flesh than the pictures and has a very aggressive look to it especially at the front.
It seems to be much bigger than the current coupe, although the lines of the car accentuate the low roofline and width of the car so it may not actually be that much bigger than your car. Overall, it is very eye catching and looks ‘sexy’ - here are the positive and negatives that I hope will be helpful.
Positives:
Aggressive styling and exclusivity.
Good engine (4.2l V8) , with excellent reviews on use of power especially given that it is an auto (revs to 7200rpm apparently).
Decent room in the back. I sat in the back and although not spacious, it wasn’t cramped and would be comfortable for a 6-foot adult for a couple of hours.
Excellent seats front and back – very comfortable with great side and back support and electronically adjustable to get the perfect driving position
Decent sized boot – enough room for golf clubs or a couple of big weekend bags.
Good instrument layout, very clear and driver focused.
Steering wheel very nice, chunky, comfortable and expensive looking.
Negatives:
Switchgear e.g. electric window switches etc are very plastic and flimsy, did not feel like they belonged in an £80,000 car.
The body coloured wing mirrors are attached to the car with a bit of black plastic – looked cheap, should definitely be body coloured.
The engine bay was a huge disappointment – the engine sits quite far back so you can’t see much – no attention to detail on the bits you can see and the rest is covered in acres of black plastic.
The front grille is stunning, but there is nowhere to attach the number plate – not sure how they are going to address that one.
They have played it very safe with the instrument dials, no separate binnacles for speedo etc, just black and quite boring. I much prefer the interior in the current coupe, it seems to cosset the driver much more and feel like a cockpit which adds to the driving experience.
I think Maserati need to listen to their customers about some of the negatives above as these are some of the comments I heard a number of people discussing last night. I am not sure whether the car on show was pre-production but it did feel quite flimsy in my honest opinion. They may sort some of these issues out ahead of production.
For £80K, this is a car that you definitely buy with your heart rather than your head. I think there are better cars out there for the money.
My initial impression is that the car sits somewhere between the new Jag and the Aston Martin Vantage. It is not as well built as the Aston, but is definitely more exclusive than the Jag. It looks much better in the flesh than the pictures and has a very aggressive look to it especially at the front.
It seems to be much bigger than the current coupe, although the lines of the car accentuate the low roofline and width of the car so it may not actually be that much bigger than your car. Overall, it is very eye catching and looks ‘sexy’ - here are the positive and negatives that I hope will be helpful.
Positives:
Aggressive styling and exclusivity.
Good engine (4.2l V8) , with excellent reviews on use of power especially given that it is an auto (revs to 7200rpm apparently).
Decent room in the back. I sat in the back and although not spacious, it wasn’t cramped and would be comfortable for a 6-foot adult for a couple of hours.
Excellent seats front and back – very comfortable with great side and back support and electronically adjustable to get the perfect driving position
Decent sized boot – enough room for golf clubs or a couple of big weekend bags.
Good instrument layout, very clear and driver focused.
Steering wheel very nice, chunky, comfortable and expensive looking.
Negatives:
Switchgear e.g. electric window switches etc are very plastic and flimsy, did not feel like they belonged in an £80,000 car.
The body coloured wing mirrors are attached to the car with a bit of black plastic – looked cheap, should definitely be body coloured.
The engine bay was a huge disappointment – the engine sits quite far back so you can’t see much – no attention to detail on the bits you can see and the rest is covered in acres of black plastic.
The front grille is stunning, but there is nowhere to attach the number plate – not sure how they are going to address that one.
They have played it very safe with the instrument dials, no separate binnacles for speedo etc, just black and quite boring. I much prefer the interior in the current coupe, it seems to cosset the driver much more and feel like a cockpit which adds to the driving experience.
I think Maserati need to listen to their customers about some of the negatives above as these are some of the comments I heard a number of people discussing last night. I am not sure whether the car on show was pre-production but it did feel quite flimsy in my honest opinion. They may sort some of these issues out ahead of production.
For £80K, this is a car that you definitely buy with your heart rather than your head. I think there are better cars out there for the money.
David.
I think you have answered your own question there.
Any Maserati is bought with the heart.
Even the most ardent and devoted Maserati fan would be the first to tell you that for the money, some of it's competitors are better all round cars.
The new Jag takes some beating, but I for one would rather have the Maserati in my drive than the Jag.
I think you have answered your own question there.
Any Maserati is bought with the heart.
Even the most ardent and devoted Maserati fan would be the first to tell you that for the money, some of it's competitors are better all round cars.
The new Jag takes some beating, but I for one would rather have the Maserati in my drive than the Jag.
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