Gransport vs Gran Turismo vs Porsche
Discussion
Looking a bit of advice / opinions, and yes i know the only thing to do is go drive them, but living at the far west of northern ireland these cars are few and far between here.
I sold my 360 last year, and after some debate ended up in a 996 turbo. love the car, it is a perfect example, manual and a perfect drive. The main reason I sold the 360 though was with 2 children now under 3 in our house it was getting little use. Went for the 996 turbo, but if i am honest it may not have worked exaclty as I had hoped. we use it as a family, but i am not happy with the lack of space for the kids in the back (i am planning to try Porsche prince car seats to see if it makes a difference).
this has led me to look at maseratis, and i am considering either a gransport or granturismo......any one any advice or thoughts etc
or any other suggestions thanks
I sold my 360 last year, and after some debate ended up in a 996 turbo. love the car, it is a perfect example, manual and a perfect drive. The main reason I sold the 360 though was with 2 children now under 3 in our house it was getting little use. Went for the 996 turbo, but if i am honest it may not have worked exaclty as I had hoped. we use it as a family, but i am not happy with the lack of space for the kids in the back (i am planning to try Porsche prince car seats to see if it makes a difference).
this has led me to look at maseratis, and i am considering either a gransport or granturismo......any one any advice or thoughts etc
or any other suggestions thanks
Both will have better rear seat accommodation than the 911. The GT is a belter but it's a big car. The GS is slightly smaller and a more focused drivers car, but it is getting on a bit now..
For family I would go GT, and also consider a 456 if you want to take a punt on your car maybe slowly appreciating with the risk of a hefty bill if unlucky....
For family I would go GT, and also consider a 456 if you want to take a punt on your car maybe slowly appreciating with the risk of a hefty bill if unlucky....
Both good cars in your situation but my vote would go for the GT. However why not a QP 4.7? One thing with either that I would suggest having originally started my Maserati love affair with a QP is that if possible get one with the carbon fibre interior. After market it will cost around 8k to put it it, but it does make the car look special inside. It is difficult to find one second hand with that particular option box having been ticked at new.
I've had experience of all three.
GT is a great car and has plenty of space in the back. However, it is big and whilst it hides it well at times there is no getting away from its size. Car seats will go in no problem though.
911s as you have found can be a bit of a challenge space wise, no getting away from that and the prince seats won't provide you with a solution to the tight space.
I currently run a GS MC Victory. Had it now for about 2 months. Great car to drive and given your past cars I doubt you'd be disappointed (I also have a 430). Space in the back is great given the size of car, which is more compact than a GT and therefore it drives very nicely too IMO.
My eldest (6) has a booster seat from Halfords which fits fine. Youngest, coming up on 3 has a run of the mill car seat BUT it is fitted on top of a bespoke cushion that 'fills' the sculpted seat. Others I know have used a pad of towels under the seat which does a similar job.
I might be in the moment, but I rate the GS ahead of the 911s I have had as it has a bit more character.
I'm not sure it fair to compare to the GT as the 911 and GS are more compact and nimble and in my view in a different market segment.
Get comfortable with the seat arrangement and I'd take a GS. For absolute certainty that seats will fit exactly how you'd want them to, then GT. Just a question of where the compromise lies.
GT is a great car and has plenty of space in the back. However, it is big and whilst it hides it well at times there is no getting away from its size. Car seats will go in no problem though.
911s as you have found can be a bit of a challenge space wise, no getting away from that and the prince seats won't provide you with a solution to the tight space.
I currently run a GS MC Victory. Had it now for about 2 months. Great car to drive and given your past cars I doubt you'd be disappointed (I also have a 430). Space in the back is great given the size of car, which is more compact than a GT and therefore it drives very nicely too IMO.
My eldest (6) has a booster seat from Halfords which fits fine. Youngest, coming up on 3 has a run of the mill car seat BUT it is fitted on top of a bespoke cushion that 'fills' the sculpted seat. Others I know have used a pad of towels under the seat which does a similar job.
I might be in the moment, but I rate the GS ahead of the 911s I have had as it has a bit more character.
I'm not sure it fair to compare to the GT as the 911 and GS are more compact and nimble and in my view in a different market segment.
Get comfortable with the seat arrangement and I'd take a GS. For absolute certainty that seats will fit exactly how you'd want them to, then GT. Just a question of where the compromise lies.
thanks for the replies, i completely agree with the gt being a bigger car, etc and maybe it isnt fair to compare to the others. this will not be a daily driver for me, but rather a weekend toy, so i want it to be an event. is there noticeably more room in the rear of the gs over the 911?
congrats on the mc victory, they dont seem to come up for sale very often?
congrats on the mc victory, they dont seem to come up for sale very often?
Your right! Had intended to just have a normal GS.
You'll be amazed at the room in the back of the GS. Potentially one of the best 'packaged' cars of its ilk.
Mine gets run a couple of days a week to work and outings at the weekend.
I ended up not using the GT for family trips due to its size and parking it and still being able to grapple the kids out the back!! Different kettle of fish to a 911 of GS.
The other thing about the GT was that I found the interior trim - leather trim on the sides of the interior - very fragile too. It didn't stand up to knocks and scuffs from kids to well.
You'll be amazed at the room in the back of the GS. Potentially one of the best 'packaged' cars of its ilk.
Mine gets run a couple of days a week to work and outings at the weekend.
I ended up not using the GT for family trips due to its size and parking it and still being able to grapple the kids out the back!! Different kettle of fish to a 911 of GS.
The other thing about the GT was that I found the interior trim - leather trim on the sides of the interior - very fragile too. It didn't stand up to knocks and scuffs from kids to well.
I went through a similar thought process and ended up with a ferrari 612. It felt a notch up from the Maserati for similar(ish) money. It's a lot of car for the price - the market punishes 4 seater ferraris!
I'm a year and a bit in and the family love it. It's not my daily and it's also very large, so not as versatile as a 911.
I'm a year and a bit in and the family love it. It's not my daily and it's also very large, so not as versatile as a 911.
Fasterjack,how does the GS Victory compare to the standard GS?..I am always looking out for one of those & always tempted when I see one come up on the rare occasion they do.
I don't know why but from my car choices over the last years it is always the Gransport that I have the biggest soft spot for, have owned the 4200/gransport/Granturismo MC shift/Ferrari 458/ 458 spider /FF /Porsche C4S/GT3...and my biggest soft spot is the GS..a victory must be owned at somepoint!
I struggled with the GT compared to the GS,mine was a 2012, so didn't have the new seats, so the seats were rubbish, sounded great, went ok, but the interior for me was just too dumbed down, dashboard, door cards just feel like plastic, that big cupholder in the middle looks plasticy & naff, clock looks like it came out of a cheap xmas cracker....the GS interior, although now maybe a tad dated, always felt more special, more Italian thouroghbred
I would like one of the new MC stradale's with 4 seats, think the alcantara interior looks much more acceptable.
Porsche...hmmm since I came out of them few years ago just find them a little 'dull' no spark for me me anymore, other than the new gt3
I don't know why but from my car choices over the last years it is always the Gransport that I have the biggest soft spot for, have owned the 4200/gransport/Granturismo MC shift/Ferrari 458/ 458 spider /FF /Porsche C4S/GT3...and my biggest soft spot is the GS..a victory must be owned at somepoint!
I struggled with the GT compared to the GS,mine was a 2012, so didn't have the new seats, so the seats were rubbish, sounded great, went ok, but the interior for me was just too dumbed down, dashboard, door cards just feel like plastic, that big cupholder in the middle looks plasticy & naff, clock looks like it came out of a cheap xmas cracker....the GS interior, although now maybe a tad dated, always felt more special, more Italian thouroghbred
I would like one of the new MC stradale's with 4 seats, think the alcantara interior looks much more acceptable.
Porsche...hmmm since I came out of them few years ago just find them a little 'dull' no spark for me me anymore, other than the new gt3
I went through a similar decision process and ended up with a GS, my summary:
911 Turbo - The fastest of the 3, rear seats almost useless, feels pretty dull other than when thrashing it
GT - Only tried a 4.2, thought it looked great, interior more modern than that of the GS and 911. Not fast enough and too big/heavy, has the same engine as the GS but about 300kg more. i reckon the 4.7 would be much better. though i've had a race with a GT 4.7 in my GS and the GS was still quicker. the GT also has the most space in the back
GS - not as fast as the Turbo but comfortably quicker than a 4.2GT. Feels special at any speed and is much more nimble than the GT. rear seats can easily take two adults though getting in/out of the back isn't the easiest. Ultimately for me i chose this as it felt the most special and the most alive when being driven down a good a/b road.
911 Turbo - The fastest of the 3, rear seats almost useless, feels pretty dull other than when thrashing it
GT - Only tried a 4.2, thought it looked great, interior more modern than that of the GS and 911. Not fast enough and too big/heavy, has the same engine as the GS but about 300kg more. i reckon the 4.7 would be much better. though i've had a race with a GT 4.7 in my GS and the GS was still quicker. the GT also has the most space in the back
GS - not as fast as the Turbo but comfortably quicker than a 4.2GT. Feels special at any speed and is much more nimble than the GT. rear seats can easily take two adults though getting in/out of the back isn't the easiest. Ultimately for me i chose this as it felt the most special and the most alive when being driven down a good a/b road.
I also had a similar decision to make, although with slightly older kids (6 & 4). 911 wasn't special enough in my view, and i'm not a big fan of the Mazza's for various reasons, so went with a DB9 with sport pack. No regrets at all, and still loving it! Space is not massive in the back though.... Would have considered a 612 if I lived somewhere else, but too big for where I live.
hi thanks for all the replies, the gt seems to be popular, i had kind of discounted it first time round but obviously i was wrong. I love the db9, but i think it has less room in the rear than a porsche 911? have thought about the 456? but when i looked at them last they seemed unpopular choice for resale, although they are being snapped up now which seems a symptom of the times we are in? the 612 is beautiful, and have considered that as well, along with the 456, but the negativity i received with the 360 has kind of out me off, i was always afraid of parking the car in case it was vandalised etc
A lot of valid comments above and I guess much will come down to what the OP's budget is and where his priorities lie.
I agree that the new 4 seater MC Stradale is probably the pick of the bunch, the alcantara interior is really special and reminds me of the Aston DBS interior, which is good. That said I think the regular GT interiors can also look good but are very dependant on colour and trim choices. My own has blue alcantara seat inserts and an alcantara headlining and stearing wheel, which were no cost options at the time and I think provide a much more special environment than the standard leather, but do not appear to have been widely spec'ed. I am personally not a big fan of the red or the grey interiors that you often see but each to their own, it would be a dull place if we all liked the same things. What I would say is that the 4.7 engine is the one to go for, there is a very big difference between that and the 4.2, which does not give anything like as entertaining a drive as the bigger engined version.
In terms of the difference between a GS and a GT, it is a slightly unfair comparison as the GS is a smaller and lighter car and as such will inevitably feel the more nimble. Whilst I never owned a GS I did own a well sorted 4200 for 2 years and loved it, they are a lot more lively than the GT, but I also felt it was never a very sophisticated drive and ultimately wanted something that was better resolved. The perceived wisdom is that the GS is better resolved than the 4200, which is no doubt true, but am not sure it is night and day, but haven't driven one so can't say with certainty. The GS is also now getting on a bit and if memory serves right also had some very dodgy interior trims and colours.
For my money I think it is very hard to beat the balance of performance and practicality that the 4.7 GT offers. It does a very good job of screaming through the Alps when you want it to but also copes incredibly well taking a family of 4 and their luggage to the South of France for two weeks in one hit, both of which I have done numerous times. Would a GS have the edge when really pressing on, yes I am sure it would, but not by that much (the GT is very adept for such a heavy car) and for the majority of the time (when the clogged British roads demand a slower pace)I suspect the GT is the better place to be.
Finally, for what it is, I think the running costs of the GT are incredibly reasonable, required servicing is only every 2 years or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first and work out at about £1,200 at a main dealer, which for me is every two years. This will be cheaper at an independant. I believe the GS has an annual service regime which I suspect is likely to work out more expensive in the long run, although clearly much will depend on how much the car is used.
Hope the above assist and good luck!
I agree that the new 4 seater MC Stradale is probably the pick of the bunch, the alcantara interior is really special and reminds me of the Aston DBS interior, which is good. That said I think the regular GT interiors can also look good but are very dependant on colour and trim choices. My own has blue alcantara seat inserts and an alcantara headlining and stearing wheel, which were no cost options at the time and I think provide a much more special environment than the standard leather, but do not appear to have been widely spec'ed. I am personally not a big fan of the red or the grey interiors that you often see but each to their own, it would be a dull place if we all liked the same things. What I would say is that the 4.7 engine is the one to go for, there is a very big difference between that and the 4.2, which does not give anything like as entertaining a drive as the bigger engined version.
In terms of the difference between a GS and a GT, it is a slightly unfair comparison as the GS is a smaller and lighter car and as such will inevitably feel the more nimble. Whilst I never owned a GS I did own a well sorted 4200 for 2 years and loved it, they are a lot more lively than the GT, but I also felt it was never a very sophisticated drive and ultimately wanted something that was better resolved. The perceived wisdom is that the GS is better resolved than the 4200, which is no doubt true, but am not sure it is night and day, but haven't driven one so can't say with certainty. The GS is also now getting on a bit and if memory serves right also had some very dodgy interior trims and colours.
For my money I think it is very hard to beat the balance of performance and practicality that the 4.7 GT offers. It does a very good job of screaming through the Alps when you want it to but also copes incredibly well taking a family of 4 and their luggage to the South of France for two weeks in one hit, both of which I have done numerous times. Would a GS have the edge when really pressing on, yes I am sure it would, but not by that much (the GT is very adept for such a heavy car) and for the majority of the time (when the clogged British roads demand a slower pace)I suspect the GT is the better place to be.
Finally, for what it is, I think the running costs of the GT are incredibly reasonable, required servicing is only every 2 years or 12,500 miles, whichever comes first and work out at about £1,200 at a main dealer, which for me is every two years. This will be cheaper at an independant. I believe the GS has an annual service regime which I suspect is likely to work out more expensive in the long run, although clearly much will depend on how much the car is used.
Hope the above assist and good luck!
Pretty much all been covered, I think many people come to a GS by the same route...
Need 4 seats, what is there?
DB9 - OK for amputees
911 - OK if you remove the head and feet
456 - OK but getting long in the tooth and don't fancy running a V12 Ferrari
612 - better bet than the 456 but I'd have to reverse into the drive so I couldn't see the front, and then I'd have to inflict it on the neighbours.
GT - good 4 seater with plenty of luggage space, but the same size as a Volvo V70 and felt fast butlardy, especially after the MR2.
GTS - more go than the GT, but still a big car.
GS plenty of room in the back, plenty of go, and feels much lighter and more nimble than the GT/GTS. And enough left over from the other options for something else
4200 facelift - nearly everything the GS is, and you can get it with a proper gearbox.
Need 4 seats, what is there?
DB9 - OK for amputees
911 - OK if you remove the head and feet
456 - OK but getting long in the tooth and don't fancy running a V12 Ferrari
612 - better bet than the 456 but I'd have to reverse into the drive so I couldn't see the front, and then I'd have to inflict it on the neighbours.
GT - good 4 seater with plenty of luggage space, but the same size as a Volvo V70 and felt fast butlardy, especially after the MR2.
GTS - more go than the GT, but still a big car.
GS plenty of room in the back, plenty of go, and feels much lighter and more nimble than the GT/GTS. And enough left over from the other options for something else
4200 facelift - nearly everything the GS is, and you can get it with a proper gearbox.
Like Jimmy I went from Pork RS and GT3 ... family now and bought a 612 ....... great , family like kids fit easily .. small boot but a great drive just a bit thirsty for benzina . big but do not notice it in London not vandal target like Pork is here in big smoke . Good value can buy 5 for the price of a 993 RS !!!with half the mileage.....
chris5150 said:
Fasterjack,how does the GS Victory compare to the standard GS?..I am always looking out for one of those & always tempted when I see one come up on the rare occasion they do.
I don't know why but from my car choices over the last years it is always the Gransport that I have the biggest soft spot for, have owned the 4200/gransport/Granturismo MC shift/Ferrari 458/ 458 spider /FF /Porsche C4S/GT3...and my biggest soft spot is the GS..a victory must be owned at somepoint!
I struggled with the GT compared to the GS,mine was a 2012, so didn't have the new seats, so the seats were rubbish, sounded great, went ok, but the interior for me was just too dumbed down, dashboard, door cards just feel like plastic, that big cupholder in the middle looks plasticy & naff, clock looks like it came out of a cheap xmas cracker....the GS interior, although now maybe a tad dated, always felt more special, more Italian thouroghbred
I would like one of the new MC stradale's with 4 seats, think the alcantara interior looks much more acceptable.
Porsche...hmmm since I came out of them few years ago just find them a little 'dull' no spark for me me anymore, other than the new gt3
GS MCV is just a bit tighter than a standard GS. Steering is definitely quicker - really sharp. Gear change I reckon is a bit quicker too in sport but possibly subjective as they all feel different depending on clutch wear.I don't know why but from my car choices over the last years it is always the Gransport that I have the biggest soft spot for, have owned the 4200/gransport/Granturismo MC shift/Ferrari 458/ 458 spider /FF /Porsche C4S/GT3...and my biggest soft spot is the GS..a victory must be owned at somepoint!
I struggled with the GT compared to the GS,mine was a 2012, so didn't have the new seats, so the seats were rubbish, sounded great, went ok, but the interior for me was just too dumbed down, dashboard, door cards just feel like plastic, that big cupholder in the middle looks plasticy & naff, clock looks like it came out of a cheap xmas cracker....the GS interior, although now maybe a tad dated, always felt more special, more Italian thouroghbred
I would like one of the new MC stradale's with 4 seats, think the alcantara interior looks much more acceptable.
Porsche...hmmm since I came out of them few years ago just find them a little 'dull' no spark for me me anymore, other than the new gt3
It's an odd thing isn't it but occasionally a car just does it very well without technically being what in theory is the best. Personally I think the old EVO review sums it up perfectly.
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