RE: Maserati Gransport: Spotted
Discussion
They look great and the 4.2 litre engine is fantastic, but the cambicorsa gearbox is disappointing.
I was lucky enough to get to drive a few Maseratis at Millbrook in 2008, and the Quattroporte was so much better with a normal autobox.
If I was looking for a Coupe I'd definitely want a manual one though!
Stunning car Villeneuve27.
I was lucky enough to get to drive a few Maseratis at Millbrook in 2008, and the Quattroporte was so much better with a normal autobox.
If I was looking for a Coupe I'd definitely want a manual one though!
Stunning car Villeneuve27.
Edited by Mr Tidy on Wednesday 26th June 23:23
MrMT said:
I really love the GS and have come close to pulling the trigger on a few cars in the past 4 years I’ve been looking. However, when it comes to the crunch a v8 M3 covers most of the GS bases just as well and would have significantly lower running costs.
Even factoring new rod bearings in the M3 (which would cost less to do than a clutch in one of these).
Maybe I should just man up and go for it...they do sound and look special
Ran mine for 30k miles and the only reliability issues (drove it hard most of the time inc. track days) was the cc gearbox, clutch at 16k (1200 at indy) and pump for hydraulics on gearbox (2000 at indy) everything else was faultless and the reason i went for my current 4.7 granturismo, the 4.7 is a whole world better though, a manual gransport with the 4.7 would be a pretty cool with a boomerang light conversion (one of the maserati indys does this conversion)Even factoring new rod bearings in the M3 (which would cost less to do than a clutch in one of these).
Maybe I should just man up and go for it...they do sound and look special
Emblem in bournemouth were a fantastic indy btw
Contigo said:
No really they are worth the premium, own a 4200 and go to a GS and you will see exactly what the upgrades mean. The GS turns in so much quicker, handles better, goes better, sounds better, looks better and just works so well. Please I've owned so many Maserati and know the brand like the back of my hand.
And then go to a GranSport MC-Victory, the ultimate incarnation 
Looks great and the colour really suits it. Would love to experience one, but have been put off by potential bork.
Although, if maintained correctly, there seem to be good ones out there.
Much prefer the boomerang lights of the 3200 - personally I think it's one of the nicest set of rear lights to ever grace a car.
And I've seen the 4200 for sale at around £6.5k, but suppose they will be bonafide money pits at that price point - then again, you may be lucky and bag a decent one.
Although, if maintained correctly, there seem to be good ones out there.
Much prefer the boomerang lights of the 3200 - personally I think it's one of the nicest set of rear lights to ever grace a car.
And I've seen the 4200 for sale at around £6.5k, but suppose they will be bonafide money pits at that price point - then again, you may be lucky and bag a decent one.
Edited by pSyCoSiS on Thursday 27th June 10:05
As usual with threads on these cars, a lot of opinionated rubbish from the internet and some sensible comments from owners.
I've had mine 6+ years and do about 4k/year, often to motorsport events so quite a bit of stop/start traffic. Clutch is 45% worn on the reading. Major/Minor service every year at £1k/£600. Other than that a failed ABS sensor, couple of temp sensors, front discs and pads (from the owner's' forum) and currently a weep from a power steering pipe, so I'll get all 3 done as the bulk of the cost is accessing them. Total cost of all the extras has been about £300/year. I started off chucking 250/month into a running fund, which is well in 'profit' at the moment.
Some on here have compared it to a 911 or a Z4M, but it isn't a sports car - it is a GT with 4 proper seats for 4 adults (OK, perhaps not for long trips, but OK for an hour or so). Even the DB9 has less space inside. Ride is harsher than a 4200 which I put down to bigger wheels and smaller tyres, but much more comfy than the wife's Z4M but hers is the coupe so a bit stiffer than the hairdressing version (hi John ). There is nothing similar around any more, everything else I tried was either much bigger outside (Granturismo, Ferrari 612, DB9) and felt it on the road) and/or too small inside.
Sure an A8 or 7 series would be easier to live with, more economical, cheaper to maintain, more practical, and just as quick across a continent in the real world, but that's not why you buy these things. You can use all the man maths you want when buying but you buy one of these because it feels special.
I wasn't prepared for all the interest it got - after all they cost the same as a posh Mondeo. It has never had a bad reaction though, I guess they don't elicit the same jealousy some people have for Porsche or Ferrari, you're seen more as 'unusual' rather than flashy and get let out of junctions a lot more than in the BMW (probably so people can listen to the engine).
There are a lot of people who claim that "if..." then they would buy one, but they never will. If my grandmother had had a pair of b
ks, she'd have been my grandfather.
I've had mine 6+ years and do about 4k/year, often to motorsport events so quite a bit of stop/start traffic. Clutch is 45% worn on the reading. Major/Minor service every year at £1k/£600. Other than that a failed ABS sensor, couple of temp sensors, front discs and pads (from the owner's' forum) and currently a weep from a power steering pipe, so I'll get all 3 done as the bulk of the cost is accessing them. Total cost of all the extras has been about £300/year. I started off chucking 250/month into a running fund, which is well in 'profit' at the moment.
Some on here have compared it to a 911 or a Z4M, but it isn't a sports car - it is a GT with 4 proper seats for 4 adults (OK, perhaps not for long trips, but OK for an hour or so). Even the DB9 has less space inside. Ride is harsher than a 4200 which I put down to bigger wheels and smaller tyres, but much more comfy than the wife's Z4M but hers is the coupe so a bit stiffer than the hairdressing version (hi John
). There is nothing similar around any more, everything else I tried was either much bigger outside (Granturismo, Ferrari 612, DB9) and felt it on the road) and/or too small inside.Sure an A8 or 7 series would be easier to live with, more economical, cheaper to maintain, more practical, and just as quick across a continent in the real world, but that's not why you buy these things. You can use all the man maths you want when buying but you buy one of these because it feels special.
I wasn't prepared for all the interest it got - after all they cost the same as a posh Mondeo. It has never had a bad reaction though, I guess they don't elicit the same jealousy some people have for Porsche or Ferrari, you're seen more as 'unusual' rather than flashy and get let out of junctions a lot more than in the BMW (probably so people can listen to the engine).
There are a lot of people who claim that "if..." then they would buy one, but they never will. If my grandmother had had a pair of b
ks, she'd have been my grandfather.I was young so excuse the wheels (duno on watermark) 15 yrs ago ffs, god im old.. butnits great to be back in a maserati, great image, i feel very comfortable with it and everyone goes bananas over it wherever i am (not my thing but at least its possitive)
Edited by Pvapour on Thursday 27th June 11:25
Pvapour said:
Worse thing is they put that same god awful gearbox in the early GranTurismo, couldn’t believe how st it still was after owning an early 4200, I went for the zf auto, so much better at doing manual than the f1 (cambiocorsa) box for me and the auto side is perfect.
Incidentally, anyone in the know re skyhook? When I was sold the car I was told it didn’t have it (wanted it) and there’s no obvious way to tell (2010) really.
but I swore blind the ride was better without sport button pressed so looked under hood and there’s a pipe coming outa the top of the susp.. turret, does that mean it’s equipped with skyhook?
Nope completely different box in the GTS MC Shift, that is from a 599. Skyhook has the actuators on top of the shocks so yes if it has a wire on there then it has skyhook. The fixed rate damping (non skyhook) and Strad setup is much better. t it still was after owning an early 4200, I went for the zf auto, so much better at doing manual than the f1 (cambiocorsa) box for me and the auto side is perfect.Incidentally, anyone in the know re skyhook? When I was sold the car I was told it didn’t have it (wanted it) and there’s no obvious way to tell (2010) really.
but I swore blind the ride was better without sport button pressed so looked under hood and there’s a pipe coming outa the top of the susp.. turret, does that mean it’s equipped with skyhook?
Edited by Pvapour on Wednesday 26th June 20:45
Contigo said:
Pvapour said:
Worse thing is they put that same god awful gearbox in the early GranTurismo, couldn’t believe how st it still was after owning an early 4200, I went for the zf auto, so much better at doing manual than the f1 (cambiocorsa) box for me and the auto side is perfect.
Incidentally, anyone in the know re skyhook? When I was sold the car I was told it didn’t have it (wanted it) and there’s no obvious way to tell (2010) really.
but I swore blind the ride was better without sport button pressed so looked under hood and there’s a pipe coming outa the top of the susp.. turret, does that mean it’s equipped with skyhook?
Nope completely different box in the GTS MC Shift, that is from a 599. Skyhook has the actuators on top of the shocks so yes if it has a wire on there then it has skyhook. The fixed rate damping (non skyhook) and Strad setup is much better. t it still was after owning an early 4200, I went for the zf auto, so much better at doing manual than the f1 (cambiocorsa) box for me and the auto side is perfect.Incidentally, anyone in the know re skyhook? When I was sold the car I was told it didn’t have it (wanted it) and there’s no obvious way to tell (2010) really.
but I swore blind the ride was better without sport button pressed so looked under hood and there’s a pipe coming outa the top of the susp.. turret, does that mean it’s equipped with skyhook?
Edited by Pvapour on Wednesday 26th June 20:45
I thought the mc shift (robotised) version I tried was as bad as the cambiocorsa of the early 4200 tbh so just assumed it was the same, maybe it wasnt the mc shift i tried? Was there another robotised version in the gts apart from the mc?
Pvapour said:
Thanks, i actually wanted the skyhook as the soft ride option is better (for me) than the fixed rate, noise of sport i use less but i understand the firmer side of skyhook is not up to the std. of fixed rate.
I thought the mc shift (robotised) version I tried was as bad as the cambiocorsa of the early 4200 tbh so just assumed it was the same, maybe it wasnt the mc shift i tried? Was there another robotised version in the gts apart from the mc?
No they came in four flavoursI thought the mc shift (robotised) version I tried was as bad as the cambiocorsa of the early 4200 tbh so just assumed it was the same, maybe it wasnt the mc shift i tried? Was there another robotised version in the gts apart from the mc?
Granturismo 4.2 (2005-2008) ZF Auto
Granturismo 4.7 S ZF Auto
Granturismo 4.7 S MC Shift (Robotic manual F1 box from 599)
Granturismo Sport 4.7 MC Auto shift ZF Auto box but with blips on downchange and similar software to the MC Shift. This is what I have now.
soad said:
cerb4.5lee said:
je777 said:
Baffling that they got rid of the boomerang lights.
I've always thought that too and to me they were the signature of these cars. feef said:
I believe the change to the 'normal' rear lights was to satisfy the US market.
LED technology was banned in the US so the Boomerangs were never going to work over there. The 4200 was the first Maserati sold into North America for quite a number of years. Shame it looks like a Honda Prelude from the rear.Contigo said:
Pvapour said:
Thanks, i actually wanted the skyhook as the soft ride option is better (for me) than the fixed rate, noise of sport i use less but i understand the firmer side of skyhook is not up to the std. of fixed rate.
I thought the mc shift (robotised) version I tried was as bad as the cambiocorsa of the early 4200 tbh so just assumed it was the same, maybe it wasnt the mc shift i tried? Was there another robotised version in the gts apart from the mc?
No they came in four flavoursI thought the mc shift (robotised) version I tried was as bad as the cambiocorsa of the early 4200 tbh so just assumed it was the same, maybe it wasnt the mc shift i tried? Was there another robotised version in the gts apart from the mc?
Granturismo 4.2 (2005-2008) ZF Auto
Granturismo 4.7 S ZF Auto
Granturismo 4.7 S MC Shift (Robotic manual F1 box from 599)
Granturismo Sport 4.7 MC Auto shift ZF Auto box but with blips on downchange and similar software to the MC Shift. This is what I have now.
Mine blips on the down change so i guess its the mc auto then, it gets better and better
Also, mine is a lhd and looking at the french wiki it states the S Auto came standard with skyhook, think someone said to me once that all 4.7s in usa came standard with skyhook to, but not uk?
Edited by Pvapour on Thursday 27th June 15:54
It looks so coarse when compared with the 3200GT. For me, the manual 3200GT Assetto Corsa is a car which would make pretty much any enthusiast happy. The drive by wire clutch is fine, just be gentle. On boost it is extremely rapid. I had no10 from the UK run of 75, a red car. I drove a yellow GranSport, when it was new, with the weird “technical fabric” which was like a wetsuit, and in my opinion, was inferior in every way, at least if you revere Maseratis like the Bora, Khamsin, 3500GT, original Ghibli and the rest, as I do. The rear lights, of course are a factor. The way the 4200GT kept adding more badges everywhere with every facelift was annoying, but as it seems, well ahead of its time as all cars nowadays are doing the same thing. The 3200GT had a trident in the grille, script on the boot, and apart from wheel centre badging, that was it. The 3200GT has leather absolutely everywhere, all of a very high standard, as opposed to the strange technical fabric. The GranSport felt like a luxury sporting elegant GT which was trying to be - and look like - a Mustang. And I like Mustangs. However a Maserati and a Mustang are different cars which should have different characteristics.
Edited by myhandle on Thursday 27th June 21:32
Edited by myhandle on Thursday 27th June 21:32
Guvernator said:
Lovely looking thing, especially in that colour but I agree it would have to be a late manual rather than the Gransport which only came with the auto box IIRC. I don't like those boxes at the best of times, let alone the earlier iterations which were even more rubbish.
I suspect the potential bork factor is pretty high on these though, I seem to recall something about actuators in the engine being an issue an clutches being rather expensive to replace as it's an engine out job. In fact I'm surprised this wasn't featured as this weeks brave pill.
Where’d you hear all this? I suspect the potential bork factor is pretty high on these though, I seem to recall something about actuators in the engine being an issue an clutches being rather expensive to replace as it's an engine out job. In fact I'm surprised this wasn't featured as this weeks brave pill.
Down the dog and gun?
“Actuators” - maybe you mean the variators other models suffer from issues with.
“Engine out for a clutch” - no, more like gearbox out (like most cars)
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