would you swap your maserati for a ferrari ?
Discussion
I've toyed with the idea of a 456, which is probably the closest Ferrari to the Maser 3200, but have been put off so far by doubts that a 456 can really take 10k plus miles p.a. and also by the fear of being bankrupted by repair bills. I also have doubts that the 456 is that much of a step up from the Maser.
Good question!
I'd love a 355, but I think the versatility of the maserati still makes it a winner for me, speedbumps in london in a 355 would really annoy me, the maser soaks it up without complaint.
The only ferrari I'd swap the maser for would be a 550 I think at the moment, and seeing as that would no doubt cost me a darn site more to run I think I'll stick where I am!!
I'd love a 355, but I think the versatility of the maserati still makes it a winner for me, speedbumps in london in a 355 would really annoy me, the maser soaks it up without complaint.
The only ferrari I'd swap the maser for would be a 550 I think at the moment, and seeing as that would no doubt cost me a darn site more to run I think I'll stick where I am!!
Hi PCD
I was partly curious and still really interested in the 575 50/50 split at the mo!
I have had a really good experience in the 3200 GT so far. Its been brilliant from purchase to the drive.
I am a little cautious in the wet especially as it seems tail happy and this is apparantly a trait of this model.
I love the car but feel the need to excercise extreme caution in the wet with her (this maybe my own fears after recently spinning her) but I feel the car needs a better chassis (who am I to judge though I know!)
There is so muhc torque in her but I feel the Ferrari may be a better handling car overall e.g 456 or the 550 / 575 ? Advice would be great on this query Guys - Many thanks
The Bentley GT is on order for the family cruiser but my desire to explore a better Chassis with similar power is still there - Is this normal Guys ?
P.S The 3200 is not been sold as its a stunning car IMO! Just thought the 550 would be a good addition !?
What do you think PCD?
Cheers for your advice.
Pete
I was partly curious and still really interested in the 575 50/50 split at the mo!
I have had a really good experience in the 3200 GT so far. Its been brilliant from purchase to the drive.
I am a little cautious in the wet especially as it seems tail happy and this is apparantly a trait of this model.
I love the car but feel the need to excercise extreme caution in the wet with her (this maybe my own fears after recently spinning her) but I feel the car needs a better chassis (who am I to judge though I know!)
There is so muhc torque in her but I feel the Ferrari may be a better handling car overall e.g 456 or the 550 / 575 ? Advice would be great on this query Guys - Many thanks
The Bentley GT is on order for the family cruiser but my desire to explore a better Chassis with similar power is still there - Is this normal Guys ?
P.S The 3200 is not been sold as its a stunning car IMO! Just thought the 550 would be a good addition !?
What do you think PCD?
Cheers for your advice.
Pete
So you would have a 3200GT, a 550 for rainy days and a Bentley GT. Err, that sounds like a brilliant idea to me.
Nice logic, still doubt that the 3200GT would stay if you had a 550 though, absolutely mind blowing cars!! (only been in a 575m fiorano, but im told that the 550 handles better still - its now topping my wish list for cars to own within the next ten years! awesome!!)
Nice logic, still doubt that the 3200GT would stay if you had a 550 though, absolutely mind blowing cars!! (only been in a 575m fiorano, but im told that the 550 handles better still - its now topping my wish list for cars to own within the next ten years! awesome!!)
First up, you need to practice with the Maser's limits more I think. Track days are good for this, and don't shy away from wet track days either.
If it's p*ssing down, slow down, take it easier.
Any car (*any*) will bite if mishandled in the wet. OK, a Subaru WRX may be quicker point to point in the wet, but if you take liberties with you're going to end up in the scenery even in one of these. And the resulting accident will be oh so much bigger because you'll have been going oh so much quicker. The laws of physics still apply.
Learning on a skid pan/track day and getting lots of practice helps you understand how the car feels when it's about to hurt you and helps you learn how to deal with it. No amount of road driving can do this anywhere near as effectively.
Appreciate that the Maser is allegedly particularly twitchy in the wet, but most things can be driven around (I'm not a Maser owner, but has anyone tried different tyres and/or pressures? These can make such a big difference to handling it would be interesting to hear if anyone had experimented).
Doesn't the 550 have a lot more power than the Maser?
If you're keeping the Maserati, I suspect the 550 will cover similar territory in terms of what it does best. As a result I strongly suspect you'll end up not using one of them very often.
Lovely as the Maser's undoubtedly are, if you're a petrolhead and Ferrari nut, there's nothing quite like owning a Ferrari. So maybe you just need to scratch the itch?
Nice, early 550s must be getting towards the bottom of their depreciation curve now/soon, so why not trade into one and in 6mths-12mths if you prefer the 3200, flog it and get back into a Maser?
Alternatively, get yourself a different style of car altogether to compliment your current and future purposes and perhaps to relish at weekends. I'm obviously biased, but a 355 is a great car if you want a prancing horse. Not hugely expensive to buy/run and should, I believe, hold its value well from here on in.
Never really had problems with speed bumps either (unless the speed bump has been particularly stupidly built), though I do have to slow down for them (!).
If it's p*ssing down, slow down, take it easier.
Any car (*any*) will bite if mishandled in the wet. OK, a Subaru WRX may be quicker point to point in the wet, but if you take liberties with you're going to end up in the scenery even in one of these. And the resulting accident will be oh so much bigger because you'll have been going oh so much quicker. The laws of physics still apply.
Learning on a skid pan/track day and getting lots of practice helps you understand how the car feels when it's about to hurt you and helps you learn how to deal with it. No amount of road driving can do this anywhere near as effectively.
Appreciate that the Maser is allegedly particularly twitchy in the wet, but most things can be driven around (I'm not a Maser owner, but has anyone tried different tyres and/or pressures? These can make such a big difference to handling it would be interesting to hear if anyone had experimented).
Doesn't the 550 have a lot more power than the Maser?
If you're keeping the Maserati, I suspect the 550 will cover similar territory in terms of what it does best. As a result I strongly suspect you'll end up not using one of them very often.
Lovely as the Maser's undoubtedly are, if you're a petrolhead and Ferrari nut, there's nothing quite like owning a Ferrari. So maybe you just need to scratch the itch?
Nice, early 550s must be getting towards the bottom of their depreciation curve now/soon, so why not trade into one and in 6mths-12mths if you prefer the 3200, flog it and get back into a Maser?
Alternatively, get yourself a different style of car altogether to compliment your current and future purposes and perhaps to relish at weekends. I'm obviously biased, but a 355 is a great car if you want a prancing horse. Not hugely expensive to buy/run and should, I believe, hold its value well from here on in.
Never really had problems with speed bumps either (unless the speed bump has been particularly stupidly built), though I do have to slow down for them (!).
thanks murph for the reply -
ive kind of got really attached to the 3200gt but have the itch to just own a ferrari (life long itch!)
the 3200 is a great car and perhaps the track days will shed light on the cars true abilities.
I like the 355 but ideally would want to buy from official dealers but many are now only sold through these dealers who sell on behalf of owners which to be honest puts me off !
the 355 is of a main interest to me I must admit but the 550 seems more of a day to day use car than the 355 ? is this true ?
I love my cars and when I find a good example of a car like the 3200 I dont honestly need to sell it to make room etc for the others. Problem been is that the 550 may be more or less the same type of car but with a different badge !
ive kind of got really attached to the 3200gt but have the itch to just own a ferrari (life long itch!)
the 3200 is a great car and perhaps the track days will shed light on the cars true abilities.
I like the 355 but ideally would want to buy from official dealers but many are now only sold through these dealers who sell on behalf of owners which to be honest puts me off !
the 355 is of a main interest to me I must admit but the 550 seems more of a day to day use car than the 355 ? is this true ?
I love my cars and when I find a good example of a car like the 3200 I dont honestly need to sell it to make room etc for the others. Problem been is that the 550 may be more or less the same type of car but with a different badge !
maserati3200gt said:
life long itch!
Was with me too. Well worth scratching. It'll live up to it.
maserati3200gt said:
the 355 is of a main interest to me I must admit but the 550 seems more of a day to day use car than the 355 ? is this true ?
I can only properly comment on the 355, but it's a very civilised car to use day to day. Very comfy. Even my mum loves it!
To get the performance out of it you have to wring through the gears, but performance is all relative and it's easy to potter or cover large distances very easily. I recently had to drive from Spain to London in a hurry. No problem at all. I often find with performance cars that you run out of fuel before getting too tired anyway!
The biggest hassle if using a 355 around the UK's crowded urban areas is that it's a wide car, and the wheels appear to be magnetic with respect to kerbs and ridges!
But if you're keeping the Maser, or the Bentley, how much of a true "day to day" car do you need? Surely something that adds a bit of a different angle to your driving pleasure is what's really needed?
That said, my car could regularly be seen in the car park of Sainsburys at New Cross (London) whilst I was doing my weekly shop!
I will caveat all of this by saying that I happily used a Caterham 7 as my only car for about 6 years
Some find that a bit odd, but like all the best things, don;t knock it til you've tried it maserati3200gt said:
I love my cars and when I find a good example of a car like the 3200 I dont honestly need to sell it to make room etc for the others. Problem been is that the 550 may be more or less the same type of car but with a different badge !
Me too. The Caterham was a dream car for me, so now it's mine I cannot see me selling it. It's part of the family now.
Initially thought I'd sell the 355 after a couple of years, but unless I ever need the cash desperately I can't see me selling that either.
Key thing is though, these are very different cars to drive, and satisfy different automotive needs.
My next car will likely be a classic (Daytona or DB4) and that again will cover a different angle.
I would say that the 550 and 3200GT will be very different cars in terms of character, but in terms of what they do best I suspect there's a lot of overlap.
From reading your posts, I think you need a bit of a scratch.
The 3200GT isn't rare enough to worry about too much IMO (though good ones of an exact spec may be a bit harder to trace).
I'd sell it, or if I could get a decent offer trade it, get a well looked after 550 with Tubi and enjoy the thrill of having a Ferrari in the garage for a while. If you don't like it, do a deal the other way when you get bored. The 550 is never going to be worth less than a 3200GT.
Alternatively, if you have the funds and garage space, keep the Maser (or trade it for a 550
) and get a 355. BTW, I was of the same opinion as yourself when I bought my 355 2yrs ago (2yrs, 9 days to be precise) and wanted the "safety" of using main dealers. My advice to you would be to bin this idea entirely.
You have zero by way of additional security other than knowing there are likely to be newer cars available in a shiny show room and bigger numbers in the window.
I have little or no faith in the approved Ferrari network as was (whether it's changed since the factory took over I don't know, but my guess is it hasn't had time to) and think you're as likely to get a pup that leads to arguments to fix as you are from anywhere else.
Be careful in your search, ask a lot of questions, get it independently inspected and buy from wherever/whoever has the spec of car you want at the price you want to pay (whether that's a main dealer, an independent or even privately).
PS I bought mine from a main dealer.
Hi Murph
Thanks for taking the time to reply and with such good advice.
I appreciate all the info you have provided.
I do like the 355 - Not a fan of the 360 to be honest.
Recently drove the 360 and to me it did not excite me like the 355. Dare I say it was too refined and had no real feel to a supercar when sat in her ! This is just my opinion of course and I may be shot down for this but the 355 felt more exciting and like a "go kart" !!
I drove a 360 convertible but it did nothing for me.
Im checking some models out at Foskers in jan so watch this space !
I will be keeping the 3200 gt as it has a real road presence (partly the rear lights I think !) but I may be in the market for the Lambo / 355 -
Business has been good and the agony of choice is a real problem - Something I never thought I would have to address ! But a nice problem all the same !
Im also drving a Lambo next week at the New Forest so I no doubt will make my decision then .
After Seeing Tuans Car (lambo) im really tempted to consider such a car(gallardo) but I need to check the options. I have been offered a Black model with 1,400 miles on the clock with 12 month warranty.
After all you only have one life and I intend to enjoy it while business is ok !
pics to follow of my choice ..!
Thanks again Murph .
Thanks for taking the time to reply and with such good advice.
I appreciate all the info you have provided.
I do like the 355 - Not a fan of the 360 to be honest.
Recently drove the 360 and to me it did not excite me like the 355. Dare I say it was too refined and had no real feel to a supercar when sat in her ! This is just my opinion of course and I may be shot down for this but the 355 felt more exciting and like a "go kart" !!
I drove a 360 convertible but it did nothing for me.
Im checking some models out at Foskers in jan so watch this space !
I will be keeping the 3200 gt as it has a real road presence (partly the rear lights I think !) but I may be in the market for the Lambo / 355 -
Business has been good and the agony of choice is a real problem - Something I never thought I would have to address ! But a nice problem all the same !
Im also drving a Lambo next week at the New Forest so I no doubt will make my decision then .
After Seeing Tuans Car (lambo) im really tempted to consider such a car(gallardo) but I need to check the options. I have been offered a Black model with 1,400 miles on the clock with 12 month warranty.
After all you only have one life and I intend to enjoy it while business is ok !
pics to follow of my choice ..!
Thanks again Murph .
Hi, i went from 3200 gt to f355 f1 spider. Totally different cars - like comparing a lotus to an M3 for example - car versus go-kart type feeling. I love the ferrari more than the maser (and ive had masers since i was 19), because its more raw/special/mad/beautiful. But to be honest if i had had the money i would have kept the 3200 also. You cant drive anywhere without people stopping and staring in the 355, wanting to race with you - luckily not had much bad reaction so far. I guess 550 or 456 are more similar to the maser as a car but not having driven either im not qualified to comment. What put me off those was the potential running costs and I personally prefer the looks of the 328/355/360cs. Luckily i dont need a car really so the 355 is fine, only taking presents to relatives this xmas proved a challenge with the 355s boot space!
My advice is to drive them all - its all about your own personal taste...
My advice is to drive them all - its all about your own personal taste...
maserati3200gt said:
I do like the 355
I'm with you on that one
Could have bought a 360 but it did nothing for me either, aesthetically or dynamically (which isn't to say it isn't a faster car, because largely it is). The CS is the only variant I'd consider.
I'm also not a fan of the spiders. I don't think there's ever been a Ferrari where I didn't prefer the "B" version. Cars never look right to me when they're not designed from the ground up as a convertible.
The Murci and Gallardo are two very different cars in my eyes.
The Gallardo has grown on me a little having seen quite a few on the road now, but I suspect it'll be more akin to the 360 than the 355 drive wise. Making a car ultra quick point to point is not enough these days - any manufacturer can do it. There has to be something more.
And again, aesthetically it doesn't compare for me.
You should also keep a very careful eye on values. There have been a couple of threads on this of late. If it were me I'd be waiting a year or so to see what happens.
The Murci is truly awesome. For me it'd have to be the same colour as Simon's - bright orange! Was tempted to start looking for one of these when I get home, but have decided that it has to be a classic addition next.
The one absolute must no matter which of these three cars you end up with is a Tubi exhaust (or possibly a Capristo for the 355). So remember to save yourself some cash to add one of these - give Manu at Scuderia Systems a call for prices.
PS Andy - you need to be more careful on the presents you buy next time. Make sure your family are aware of the exact dimensions of the boot and the "parcel shelf" and tell them they can't have anything that doesn't fit
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