4.3 V8 Vantage to 4.7 S Maserati Granturismo
Discussion
I think Murph7355 did and he's not stopped moaning about AML since so I guess he's happy with the move ……
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I've moved the other way, from a 4200 cambiocorsa to a v8v. However, I was looking at the Maserati Granturismo before looking at the v8v.
The Maserati GT I did not find very sporty due to its size.it really is a massive car. Compare its footprint to a Range Rover and prepare to be surprised. I think it's only 20cm shorter in length and 10cm less wide. It is more akin to a Bentley GTC.
That said if you want 4 comfortable seats for adults, then it's either the Maserati GT or the Bentley GTC. I would choose the Masser. The DB9s rear seats aren't comparable to the Masser or Bentley.
The Maserati GT Sport MCShift does provide a much more sporty feel and a great noise.
The Maserati GT I did not find very sporty due to its size.it really is a massive car. Compare its footprint to a Range Rover and prepare to be surprised. I think it's only 20cm shorter in length and 10cm less wide. It is more akin to a Bentley GTC.
That said if you want 4 comfortable seats for adults, then it's either the Maserati GT or the Bentley GTC. I would choose the Masser. The DB9s rear seats aren't comparable to the Masser or Bentley.
The Maserati GT Sport MCShift does provide a much more sporty feel and a great noise.
I've had the Maserati and currently have a DB9 (and the Bentley GT) and can say the following:
The Maserati will feel much bigger after a Vantage because it is a proper GT (4 adults in comfort with a big boot).
It has great road presence and gets very positive comments.
The interior if fantastic and it has a great sat nav system.
I wouldn't hesitate to go for one again and am considering swapping my Bentley back in one (mainly as my daughter is growing up and the legroom in the back of the Bentley GT is to tight for an 11 year old - the Maserati can take two 6 foot plus men in the back in complete comfort).
You certainly feel like you are getting a lot more for your money but, and it is a big but, it is not an Aston Martin!
The Maserati will feel much bigger after a Vantage because it is a proper GT (4 adults in comfort with a big boot).
It has great road presence and gets very positive comments.
The interior if fantastic and it has a great sat nav system.
I wouldn't hesitate to go for one again and am considering swapping my Bentley back in one (mainly as my daughter is growing up and the legroom in the back of the Bentley GT is to tight for an 11 year old - the Maserati can take two 6 foot plus men in the back in complete comfort).
You certainly feel like you are getting a lot more for your money but, and it is a big but, it is not an Aston Martin!
I looked at the Maser GT about 4years ago,prior to buying my DB9, just to compare.
The noise was intoxicating,if you like that sort of thing,lots of cackling and spitting.
However there is a 4 year service which was about £4K ,from memory, that put me off.
Now things may have changed so I stand corrected if they have.
There's also the subjective argument that the DB9 just looks "cooler",the Maser is a bit Italian Stallion.
If you need a four seater then the choice is Maser,Bentley GT or Rapide..
I'd go for the Rapide,if only because it's an AM.
AM give you that sense of occasion the few other brands do.
The noise was intoxicating,if you like that sort of thing,lots of cackling and spitting.
However there is a 4 year service which was about £4K ,from memory, that put me off.
Now things may have changed so I stand corrected if they have.
There's also the subjective argument that the DB9 just looks "cooler",the Maser is a bit Italian Stallion.
If you need a four seater then the choice is Maser,Bentley GT or Rapide..
I'd go for the Rapide,if only because it's an AM.
AM give you that sense of occasion the few other brands do.
Edited by avinalarf on Monday 1st August 10:05
Lot of Maserati Granturismos around and those Ghiblis are everywhere now days and are beautiful looking cars. Yes Maser sounds great, but it's so big compared to Vantage. Like apples and oranges, better comparison would be with the Rapide. The Aston will turn a lot more heads than a Maserati too.
Edited by V8 Vantage GT on Tuesday 2nd August 16:53
Thanks, so the consensus (maybe unsurprisingly on the AM FORUM) is to stay with the Vantage. I shall. I think that probably some setup tweaking is needed then because my vantage doesn't seem to handle that well. Not as well as the Granturismo anyway. Perhaps this is down to ageing bushes and whatnot.
I shall explore options with some reputable independents for some fettling! Thanks for your help.
I shall explore options with some reputable independents for some fettling! Thanks for your help.
V8V Pete said:
I think Murph7355 did and he's not stopped moaning about AML since so I guess he's happy with the move ……
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?h=0...
Cheeky bhttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/profile.asp?h=0...
d - I think you'll find I've been moaning about Aston Martin since about half way through 2007 
OP - yes, just done this.
I'd had the Aston for 8.5yrs so there was a degree of familiarity breeding contempt.
The GT moves things further towards the "GT" end of the Sports <> GT spectrum. And the Vantage was already towards that end. It's a big, heavy car and not well suited to being hustled down small roads (but copes - and it's still relatively early days for me in it).
The GT has much more road presence than the Aston IMO. It's more aggressive looking than "beautiful", which is the exact opposite with the Aston.
Inside is just as special IMO, though you have to choose the spec on the GT wisely to get that sense.
Noise wise the Maser is better than the Aston in std trim (a sports exhaust is needed on the Aston to be up there - and bear in mind I still think the Aston is a great sounding car).
The very, very big advantage for me with the Maser is that it has 4 seats. I have two young kids and being able to take both of them out is a big bonus that should see the car getting ore use over the next years of ownership. Other than the Rapide (which I quite like), none of the Aston range can do this. I'll be using it for a long weekend trip this weekend, 4 up so we'll see how much ear ache I get from the other half
Ultimately it depends on what your requirements are. If you need 4 seats, there's nothing sub-150k that is a better "exotic" than the Maser. If that's not even remotely a requirement, then it will depend what else you need...
V8 Vantage GT said:
Lot of Maserati Granturismos around and those Ghiblis are everywhere now days...
Where are you seeing lots of GTs? There only look to be about 1k in the country...I think there are 3x as many Vantages 
Mark,
If your Vantage doesn't handle as well as a Maser GT, something is wrong with your car. The Maser handles very well for a big GT, but the Vantage should handle considerably better -- it's much more of a sports car, and when it's right it handles extremely well. Also, IMO, while the Maser has a beautiful interior, it's not as special as the Aston's. The GT has far more plastic in the switchgear and trim, whereas the Aston uses metal. I looked at the GT very closely before I bought the Vantage and I liked it a lot. I'd love to have one, and the 4 seats would be great -- I also have two small kids. But the Vantage just made me want it even more.
If your Vantage doesn't handle as well as a Maser GT, something is wrong with your car. The Maser handles very well for a big GT, but the Vantage should handle considerably better -- it's much more of a sports car, and when it's right it handles extremely well. Also, IMO, while the Maser has a beautiful interior, it's not as special as the Aston's. The GT has far more plastic in the switchgear and trim, whereas the Aston uses metal. I looked at the GT very closely before I bought the Vantage and I liked it a lot. I'd love to have one, and the 4 seats would be great -- I also have two small kids. But the Vantage just made me want it even more.
Murph7355 said:
Where are you seeing lots of GTs? There only look to be about 1k in the country...I think there are 3x as many Vantages
In Southern California I see quite a few, see them everyday. Aston still a rarer site, even here in Jaded CA Aston's are a real occasion, people just seem to love them. I don't know how many Maser GT's are here, but a much more common site than Vantage. Now the Ghibli's are getting very common, it's a beautiful looking car, much nicer that a Mercedes and BMW's looks wise at least. My V8 Vantage GT (your N430) with sports exhaust and fuse 15 pulled sounds every bit and nice as the GT, IMO of course. If I need to carry 4 people, my Ford F150 Raptor Super Crew can't be beat.Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff