Considering a GranTurismo

Considering a GranTurismo

Author
Discussion

EC2

1,447 posts

252 months

Tuesday 5th April 2022
quotequote all
andy43 said:
stub101 said:
EC2 said:
3 is the same as 1 but with some more aggressive software in sport mode. Other than that no difference.
That’s really helpful to know although I’m focussed on a 2012/13 facelift car - where most seem to have the MC auto.

Was the MC Shift dropped around 2012/13?
Think you may be right - maybe only the Stradale had the MC Shift after the facelift? I can’t recall ever seeing a post-facelift MC Shift. Mines a cabrio, dead easy, they were all auto irrespective of year. As previous, knob = MC Autoshift (ZF), buttons = MC Shift (clutches), certainly until the 2017/18 update anyway, I’m not sure on the newer cars as I couldn’t afford them smile
My understanding is the final run of cars in 2017/18 did not change the mechanicals in anyway so just the nose/tail/wheels and nav screen but still no DAB which seemed a bit strange. I think it was then dropped as they were not prepared to put GPFs on the car so at least they all sound brilliant.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 5th April 2022
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Lots of love for dicky grace on the internet, so as above might be worth a call.


soulkid555

126 posts

172 months

Wednesday 13th April 2022
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I was looking at this earlier. Seems overpriced though?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203284...


andy43

9,548 posts

253 months

Wednesday 13th April 2022
quotequote all
soulkid555 said:
I was looking at this earlier. Seems overpriced though?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203284...
Front bumper is an MC bumper, not sure that's the right one for that car. Boot spoiler isn't original either. Wheels aren't original and/or may have wheel spacers (mine had spacers and I binned them - less bumpsteer and tramlining now). Awesome red interior is awesome but there's no driver seat photo to show wear. It's an early car so subframes/chassis needs proper serious inspection.. online MOT history could be useful if you're miles away. It's an MC Shift automated manual with clutches that wear - that'd need checking - I think plugging it into a computer can tell you clutch wear but I don't know any more than that as mines an auto. And there's the variators to check at that age of engine. Basically it's impossible to say - if all the above are ok and the brakes aren't worn out it could be a great car. But if not...

8bit

Original Poster:

4,846 posts

154 months

Wednesday 13th April 2022
quotequote all
soulkid555 said:
I was looking at this earlier. Seems overpriced though?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202203284...
That one has been on and off Autotrader a few times now I think. Not a fan of the red interior and personally I prefer the earlier front bumper! Price-wise seems to be roughly in-line with similar age/spec/miles cars I've been watching.

JJbing

103 posts

84 months

Thursday 14th April 2022
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Headlights have been changed also. Makes me suspect a front end shunt.

Front bumpers on GT's are cheap to change, but the headlights are astronomical

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 15th April 2022
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£1800 each at my last check

Mark Stevens

164 posts

189 months

Monday 18th April 2022
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I have a 19 plate which I ordered from new & have never regretted it. I have a Roma on order which I’m excited about but I will be sorry to see it go.

It’s my daily car & has performed faultlessly throughout. Speed wise it does what it needs to do, gets about quickly but yes there is quicker out there but the Maserati does it well.

On the paddles in sport the sound is memorising & will draw attention which is nice. I also have a 458 which are renowned for the beautiful sound they produce, the Maserati is a strong second to it.

Happy hunting, I’m pretty confident you won’t be disappointed.


anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 18th April 2022
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me likey.

Soleith

457 posts

88 months

Tuesday 19th April 2022
quotequote all
Mark Stevens said:
I have a 19 plate which I ordered from new & have never regretted it. I have a Roma on order which I’m excited about but I will be sorry to see it go.

It’s my daily car & has performed faultlessly throughout. Speed wise it does what it needs to do, gets about quickly but yes there is quicker out there but the Maserati does it well.

On the paddles in sport the sound is memorising & will draw attention which is nice. I also have a 458 which are renowned for the beautiful sound they produce, the Maserati is a strong second to it.

Happy hunting, I’m pretty confident you won’t be disappointed.

Beauty, also nice to find another GTS owner making the jump to the Roma! Got mine end of last year and love it.

SSO

1,389 posts

190 months

Thursday 21st April 2022
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My wife moved form a XKR to a Granturismo Cabrio Sport in 2014 and has never looked back. The Maserati has been significantly more reliable than the Jag and other than a couple of bad batteries, never given us any issues. The Granturismo sounds terrific and is very comfortable for long trips.

Colossus

333 posts

213 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
The Granturismo is a very different car to the Jag and although the 5.0 Supercharged engine in the Jag is one of the great engines of our time, the Maserati 4.7 is better. I have owned my '09 MC Shift from new and have no plans to sell. It is by no means perfect (what is) but for me Maserati got it so right with this car that I can't think of another car that offers the same degree of style, performance and enjoyment as the Granturismo, they are a classic in the making. Some observations that may assist you in your search:

4.2 or 4.7 - whilst the 4.2 is a lovely car it is not a patch on the 4.7 which has significantly more low down torque and as a result has much more get up and go. The 4.2 really needs its neck wrung to get it to have any proper performance, whereas the 4.7 is far more forgiving if you are not fully on it and still want to make an overtake or just gain speed quickly. Given the price difference is not so great I would advise the 4.7 as the one to go for.

MC Shift or ZF Auto - this is something that only you can decide, but really do try to drive both. Mine is an MC Shift and I wouldn't have the auto and I also live in London! Many of the complaints about the MC Shift are from people who drive it like it is an auto, which it isn't and as such doesn't behave like one. It is a proper manual box with an automated clutch and needs to be driven as such. Once you have this in mind it becomes second nature to lift slightly when changing gear as you would run a true manual. I never use Auto mode, its dreadful, but instead always use the paddles which is frankly not a hardship and again becomes second nature. The benefit is that the MC Shift has shorter gearing and feels more connected than the auto and also makes wonderful downshifts. In sport mode it will do flat upshifts which bang the gear home extremely quickly, not as fast as a modern dual clutch, but frankly as fast as you could ever really need. In contrast, the auto takes a layer of involvement away and although good (particularly in the facelift cars) does not give the drama the MC Shift cars have.

Exhaust Noise - this is another nod for the 4.7 which has the switchable sports exhaust. The 4.2 sounds perfectly nice but it is the 4.7 that will get the hairs on the back of your neck going. Simply put, it is one of the best sounding engines of all time, period. And when you want to cruise on the motorway simply take it out of sport mode and it becomes a very civilised and quiet GT.

Variators - these should all have been addressed by now but if there is a very low mileage '08/early '09 car then it is possible they may still be original. This is a £3-4k problem and if looking at a car that has been fixed, you will want to know it has been done by a reputable garage. Beyond about mid '09 Maserati used improved variations and no further problems were experienced.

Sub-frames - this is really the only significant problem that will potentially affect all cars, even facelift cars have been known to suffer and as such must be inspected before you part with any cash. Get a good independent to inspect the whole car but pay particular attention to the sub-frame as these can and do rot, which is an expensive fix. Mine has just been serviced and there was a bit of surface rust which has been brushed off and the frame treated so no problems for me at the moment, others have been far less fortunate.

Brakes - these are expensive and for the fronts especially there is no alternative but to get through Maserati. If the rotors are close to their limit then factor this in to the price. These are big heavy cars and to be honest the brakes are only just up to the job if driven very aggressively and so can wear quickly.

Electrics - make sure everything works, this is after all an Italian car and although many of the electrics are supplied by reputable German suppliers, there are still the odd failure. The good news is that none of these are typically significant and will often be parking sensors (I think there is an Alfa or Skoda part that is a direct replacement at a fraction of the Maserati price), alarm sirens giving out but no major issues to be worried about.

Servicing - having used both main dealers and independents, for me there is no comparison, find a good indy and stick with them. I use AV Engineering in Kent, who are fantastic and have sorted some of the problems that have been caused by the main dealers. They know these cars inside out and the attention to detail is second to none. whilst a series of main dealer stamps may be nice to see, if it were me I would be looking for a good set of independent stamps in the service history. Normal servicing is every 12,500 miles or two years whichever comes first so actually not that expensive if it is every two years which is what many cars are on. That said these cars do need to be used, a garage queen is likely to have more issues than one which has higher mileage and is regularly used.

I hope the above helps and as mentioned by others Dicky Grace is very well regarded in the community and will steer you in the right direction. These are great cars with virtually bomb proof engines if properly looked after and only a few known issues to be aware of. They offer an incredible amount of bang for your buck and also a chance to sample what is one of the very last and finest naturally aspirated V8 engines the world has seen, every trip is an event and it will make you smile from ear to ear.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

C


HIS LM

1,279 posts

258 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
Having owned 3 GT's I have to say I pretty much agree with everything Colossus just said. A very detailed and accurate reply so rare these days on PH
I salute you

Edited by HIS LM on Thursday 28th April 19:05

AndrewCrown

2,280 posts

113 months

Thursday 28th April 2022
quotequote all
Colossus
Hats off... Excellent review.

omniflow

2,545 posts

150 months

Friday 29th April 2022
quotequote all
Colossus said:
Brakes - these are expensive and for the fronts especially there is no alternative but to get through Maserati. If the rotors are close to their limit then factor this in to the price. These are big heavy cars and to be honest the brakes are only just up to the job if driven very aggressively and so can wear quickly.
Almost hats off to Colossus - but I don't agree with the snippet I have quoted above. There are several alternative options for brakes - either keeping the stock size disks, or going for 380mm front disks and a spacer to move the caliper out 10mm. Formula Dynamics are one supplier - in the UK these are sold by Larini. There are other suppliers too.

If you want to remain stock, then the 2 online suppliers of Maserati Parts frequently have offers on front disks and they're around £1,000 for the pair (plus pads and fitting). I think the main dealer price is something scary like £5K for the whole deal.

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th April 2022
quotequote all
Pads are no more expensive than any other sports type car I've owned.

Discs are pricey, but there are options as above.

WCZ

10,492 posts

193 months

Friday 29th April 2022
quotequote all
has anyone had theirs remapped? I am considering a stradale + remap to give it a feeling of proper power (the tuners are claiming 485hp)

Bebs

2,913 posts

280 months

Sunday 1st May 2022
quotequote all
Colossus said:
The Granturismo is a very different car to the Jag and although the 5.0 Supercharged engine in the Jag is one of the great engines of our time, the Maserati 4.7 is better. I have owned my '09 MC Shift from new and have no plans to sell. It is by no means perfect (what is) but for me Maserati got it so right with this car that I can't think of another car that offers the same degree of style, performance and enjoyment as the Granturismo, they are a classic in the making. Some observations that may assist you in your search:

4.2 or 4.7 - whilst the 4.2 is a lovely car it is not a patch on the 4.7 which has significantly more low down torque and as a result has much more get up and go. The 4.2 really needs its neck wrung to get it to have any proper performance, whereas the 4.7 is far more forgiving if you are not fully on it and still want to make an overtake or just gain speed quickly. Given the price difference is not so great I would advise the 4.7 as the one to go for.

MC Shift or ZF Auto - this is something that only you can decide, but really do try to drive both. Mine is an MC Shift and I wouldn't have the auto and I also live in London! Many of the complaints about the MC Shift are from people who drive it like it is an auto, which it isn't and as such doesn't behave like one. It is a proper manual box with an automated clutch and needs to be driven as such. Once you have this in mind it becomes second nature to lift slightly when changing gear as you would run a true manual. I never use Auto mode, its dreadful, but instead always use the paddles which is frankly not a hardship and again becomes second nature. The benefit is that the MC Shift has shorter gearing and feels more connected than the auto and also makes wonderful downshifts. In sport mode it will do flat upshifts which bang the gear home extremely quickly, not as fast as a modern dual clutch, but frankly as fast as you could ever really need. In contrast, the auto takes a layer of involvement away and although good (particularly in the facelift cars) does not give the drama the MC Shift cars have.

Exhaust Noise - this is another nod for the 4.7 which has the switchable sports exhaust. The 4.2 sounds perfectly nice but it is the 4.7 that will get the hairs on the back of your neck going. Simply put, it is one of the best sounding engines of all time, period. And when you want to cruise on the motorway simply take it out of sport mode and it becomes a very civilised and quiet GT.

Variators - these should all have been addressed by now but if there is a very low mileage '08/early '09 car then it is possible they may still be original. This is a £3-4k problem and if looking at a car that has been fixed, you will want to know it has been done by a reputable garage. Beyond about mid '09 Maserati used improved variations and no further problems were experienced.

Sub-frames - this is really the only significant problem that will potentially affect all cars, even facelift cars have been known to suffer and as such must be inspected before you part with any cash. Get a good independent to inspect the whole car but pay particular attention to the sub-frame as these can and do rot, which is an expensive fix. Mine has just been serviced and there was a bit of surface rust which has been brushed off and the frame treated so no problems for me at the moment, others have been far less fortunate.

Brakes - these are expensive and for the fronts especially there is no alternative but to get through Maserati. If the rotors are close to their limit then factor this in to the price. These are big heavy cars and to be honest the brakes are only just up to the job if driven very aggressively and so can wear quickly.

Electrics - make sure everything works, this is after all an Italian car and although many of the electrics are supplied by reputable German suppliers, there are still the odd failure. The good news is that none of these are typically significant and will often be parking sensors (I think there is an Alfa or Skoda part that is a direct replacement at a fraction of the Maserati price), alarm sirens giving out but no major issues to be worried about.

Servicing - having used both main dealers and independents, for me there is no comparison, find a good indy and stick with them. I use AV Engineering in Kent, who are fantastic and have sorted some of the problems that have been caused by the main dealers. They know these cars inside out and the attention to detail is second to none. whilst a series of main dealer stamps may be nice to see, if it were me I would be looking for a good set of independent stamps in the service history. Normal servicing is every 12,500 miles or two years whichever comes first so actually not that expensive if it is every two years which is what many cars are on. That said these cars do need to be used, a garage queen is likely to have more issues than one which has higher mileage and is regularly used.

I hope the above helps and as mentioned by others Dicky Grace is very well regarded in the community and will steer you in the right direction. These are great cars with virtually bomb proof engines if properly looked after and only a few known issues to be aware of. They offer an incredible amount of bang for your buck and also a chance to sample what is one of the very last and finest naturally aspirated V8 engines the world has seen, every trip is an event and it will make you smile from ear to ear.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

C
Great post and spot on.
There are several options for brakes though bypassing Maserati. AV just fitted uprated 380 mm fronts (up from 360mm) & 342 mm rears (up from 330 mm) to my 4.7. These make a GT stop properly instead of the rather inadequate OEM discs. They also look great with the black anodised floating aluminium bells.



Colossus

333 posts

213 months

Tuesday 3rd May 2022
quotequote all
Bebs said:
Great post and spot on.
There are several options for brakes though bypassing Maserati. AV just fitted uprated 380 mm fronts (up from 360mm) & 342 mm rears (up from 330 mm) to my 4.7. These make a GT stop properly instead of the rather inadequate OEM discs. They also look great with the black anodised floating aluminium bells.


Bebs (and others) you are right I had forgotten there are a few alternatives for brakes these days, apologies, but none are exactly a bargain!

Bebs I saw your car last week at AV Engineering when I went to pick mine up from having a service, the new brakes look very good. I also understand you have had your ECU upgraded and would be very interested to hear what you think of it, I am seriously considering it for mine.

Bebs

2,913 posts

280 months

Wednesday 4th May 2022
quotequote all
Colossus you have a pm.