4.2 vs 4.7 GT

[Felonious Crud]

yes, should have it next week.

Fantastic! Glad you went for it. Marios?

 

[Contigo]

3200 were 370 as standard but downplayed figures. Mine rolling roaded at 407bhp and goes really surprisingly well.

I was in a Litchfiekd 700hp car other week and boy was it quick. Faster than a Veyron

 

[Conrad]

I'm kept thinking the same way Conrad but I think I've now decided which way I'm going to go.
I've set my budget at £33,000 for a nice 4.2 (black with cream interior if possible) and I'm going to spend £3400 on tuning. I expect to have the same noise levels as the new 4.7 and a very similar power output.

Thats my way of thinking anyway. Cant wait to get one!!!!

Fair play to you mate, at least you're being decisive and know what you want from the outset. Unlike me.

I visit the States all the time and that's what got me hooked on having a V8. And for me the GT is the best sounding V8 I've ever heard, except for a Camaro ZL1 I blagged a test drive of in Florida last year (don't shoot). I'm sure a 4.2 with a Larini (with valve control) or similar will be as acoustically immense as a MC 4.7 in sport mode....

On a separate note regarding the Teutonic stuff, of course an M3, M5 or a Nissan GT-R for that matter is cheaper and quicker .But we all want a Maser for the prestige, WOW factor and that V8 growl. My mate had a DCT M3 which I borrowed for the weekend, truly amazing car but too quiet for a V8 as stock. I could probably (almost) buy the new M4 for the money I intend spending on a GTS but frankly it just aint in the same league as a Maserati.

You can't sit in a Ferrari 458 whilst waiting for your M3 after a service at your main dealer...

 

[Felonious Crud]

BYou don't buy a Maser for straightline speed, especially when you can pay under 70K for a 2013/14 GTR that will crack 3 secs to 60 and do mid 7's to 100 all day long .. or even better the more sensible option of paying 40K for a low mileage 10 plate and sending it to Litchfield who'll give you the car back with 600BHP and the latest launch/box software for a payout of circa 4 grand! But it still woudn'y give you the glow or aural delight that a Mas gives.

100%. You buy a Maser for style, charm, charisma and noise. A well driven one will keep up with an average driver in almost anything (ask BennyD), straight line drag races excepted, but in pub bragging rights there are plenty of faster cars around. Not sure I'd want any of them, though.

 

[c4sman]

Blimey,what have you done to your 3200? as standard they're 12ish sec to 100 car at best surely?
Nothing in that program surprised me performance wise, the more modern gearboxes alone would account for some of the gap, let alone horsepower and weight differences.I've always said the GTS/Strad/Cab needs another 100 horsepower to match their bark,but...You don't buy a Maser for straightline speed, especially when you can pay under 70K for a 2013/14 GTR that will crack 3 secs to 60 and do mid 7's to 100 all day long .. or even better the more sensible option of paying 40K for a low mileage 10 plate and sending it to Litchfield who'll give you the car back with 600BHP and the latest launch/box software for a payout of circa 4 grand! But it still woudn'y give you the glow or aural delight that a Mas gives.

I have to agree with the above. You don't buy any Maserati (including a Stradale) for pure speed as the performance vs £ cost is very easy to beat elsewhere. The only exception might be the MC12

I think the 4.2 is great car but walk in with your eyes open on performance tuning. Getting an extra 35 BHP out of a N/A engine for real (and getting torque throughout the rev range to match) is no easy task with simple ECU chip/exhaust combo. Think of it this way, when Ferrari wanted to do it (who build these engines), they increased capacity by 500cc, changed ECU, changed exhausts plus a whole load of other changes. I doubt you would have change left from £8-10k to achieve the same in the aftermarket world in a N/A world reliably.

If you drive a 4.2 and are happy with performance and gearbox, then add an exhaust to get the noise you want (but again be careful of non switchable systems due to resonance). My understanding is you won't get the nice throttle blips on downshifts of the MC box however!

I have been down all of these tuning roads before (although not with Maserati) and have learnt the expensive way. Hope I can save someone else a few quid with my experiences.

Of course for Turbo cars, ECU tuning alone can transform and keep it reliable if done by reputable, experienced expert. Tuning for future Masers could therefore be a different ball game!

 

[BennyD]

Mine does 0-100 in 10 seconds and my M5 in 9 seconds. I knows it was an E9x saloon car but they are not that quick. As said i would still expect a 100k plus Ferrari engined maserati to stomp on mundane saloon car. Even tiff and Plato were disappointed and shocked that the Maser had not been able to fend off such a car.

A standard E92 M3 pushes out about, IIRC, 414bhp and is a fair bit lighter than a 3200/4200 which pushes out 390 so, even with 408bhp, I reckon you will struggle to keep up with one. However, as it's been pointed out, I wouldn't have an M3, an M5 or even a GTR as a Sunday toy however fast they are. For me they just don't have the '******** tingle'.

 

[BennyD]

100%. You buy a Maser for style, charm, charisma and noise. A well driven one will keep up with an average driver in almost anything (ask BennyD), straight line drag races excepted, but in pub bragging rights there are plenty of faster cars around. Not sure I'd want any of them, though.

100% agree with you Adam. Nail on head. I've driven with many high end cars across many great driving roads and kept up, or left, the majority of them. Recently, I was even asked to write an article for the SuperCarDriver magazine explaining why my spyder is such a surprising car. The noise is just the icing on the cake!

 

[Wattie]

Interesting thread this.
I drove a 4.2 and found frankly that it was nothing special....to the extent I thought about *buying one tuning etc etc etc to give me what I wanted.

My thoughts were here which if you're in the market is perhaps worth a read.

http://www.atomclub.com/forum/index.php/topic,13029.0.html

I also found the 4.2 had a dead spot in the steering straight ahead position that I didn't like.

To cut a long story short, I ended up with the MC Shift.....a whole different ball game and IMO a totally different car to the 4.2. It had THEATRE the 4.2 didn't.....and I've never owned anything like it!!!
The best.
If it were me, don't buy a 4.2, save and wait a little and get the MC Shift as the prices fall to meet your rising budget.

Then you wont wake up one day saying "if only"

Cheers Wattie

 

[Contigo]

A standard E92 M3 pushes out about, IIRC, 414bhp and is a fair bit lighter than a 3200/4200 which pushes out 390 so, even with 408bhp, I reckon you will struggle to keep up with one. However, as it's been pointed out, I wouldn't have an M3, an M5 or even a GTR as a Sunday toy however fast they are. For me they just don't have the '******** tingle'.

I agree the M5 as nice as it is and with its blistering pace does not have the same sense of occasion that the Maserati does. Power isn't everything as we know and I can bet good money that my 3200 will keep up with or see of a E9x M3. I've run it against the M5 and it isn't too far away from that.

 

[Andyk]

Apart from in the bends Phil...I had a 3200 and driven many V8 M3's and they are very different cars......The M3's handling is just so much better than my old 3200..but then as most have said that doesn't really matter as its a Maserati and has a different appeal.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

As a 4.2 owner... I don't wonder 'what if' or 'if only' in regard to the 4.7 to be fair.

The noise is still good, the power is still more than you can in any sensible way use on public roads (if you're planning to use it on a track, you may take a different view). If you want to improve the noise you can always get the exhaust 'enhanced' or you can get a gadget to adjust the exhaust valve at low revs (i think that's how it works - it was discussed a little while ago on here and mine is currently having this done).

I guess it will come down to personal choice, whether you want to lob in another £10k etc... I can only say I've not been disappointed at all with my 4.2!

As a mere mortal rather than a driving God, I have to completely agree with this (and what Gary at Bowker says).

I drove a 4.7 Auto before buying a 4.2. Whereas I am sure that the 4.7 IS a better car, I am unlikely ever to notice the difference (living in the South East!) so you are better off spending the extra 10k on a low mileage car and getting a REALLY good one, rather than a higher mileage GTS. IMHO.

It IS tempting though!

 

[conaero]

As a mere mortal rather than a driving God, I have to completely agree with this (and what Gary at Bowker says).

I drove a 4.7 Auto before buying a 4.2. Whereas I am sure that the 4.7 IS a better car, I am unlikely ever to notice the difference (living in the South East!) so you are better off spending the extra 10k on a low mileage car and getting a REALLY good one, rather than a higher mileage GTS. IMHO.

It IS tempting though!

You never drove the MC shift then?

I get your point but still would only be a 4.7 for me, they really are that good IMHO, and coming from a GranSport it was the only option really.

If they had have put the MC shift box in the 4.2 then sure, I would have considered it, guess its all about the gearbox for me, love the CambioCorsa, love the MC shifts, hate Autos (not just the Maserati) in general.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

You never drove the MC shift then?

I get your point but still would only be a 4.7 for me, they really are that good IMHO, and coming from a GranSport it was the only option really.

If they had have put the MC shift box in the 4.2 then sure, I would have considered it, guess its all about the gearbox for me, love the CambioCorsa, love the MC shifts, hate Autos (not just the Maserati) in general.

No, as for where I live and the driving that I do it seems rather pointless. Having read extensively (including this board of course!) the advice seems to be that the MC Shift is just a waste and largely irrelevant for the type of driving that I do.

Add to that the fact that is has a cluch that wears, then it seems even less relevant to my needs.

I also think that it depends on what you come to a Maserati from: I used to drive an SLK so a 4.2 auto is plenty! If you happen to be coming from something more hard core then of course an MC Shift May suit you better.

But not me.

 

[bigbob]

It's great that Maserati make a car that covers many potential customers with two engine and two gearbox options even without the Stradale. The 4.2 is a much better car than many people understand and an early version is a great value car with huge presence and feel good factor.

I sometimes worry that this forum unnecessarily puts people off the 4.2 and the 4.7 Auto GranTurismo.

 

[CHJ22]

It's great that Maserati make a car that covers many potential customers with two engine and two gearbox options even without the Stradale. The 4.2 is a much better car than many people understand and an early version is a great value car with huge presence and feel good factor.

I sometimes worry that this forum unnecessarily puts people off the 4.2 and the 4.7 Auto GranTurismo.

Good point! My daily drive is a 2.4 Diesel defender so jumping from that into a 4.2 will feel great. I do also have a GT3 tucked away for track days so I think a nice 4.2 will suit me down to the ground! I just need to find one now.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

Good point! My daily drive is a 2.4 Diesel defender so jumping from that into a 4.2 will feel great. I do also have a GT3 tucked away for track days so I think a nice 4.2 will suit me down to the ground! I just need to find one now.

Exactly!

You'll find one - there are plenty around.

And you'll love it too!!

 

[Parisien]

Nowt wrong with the redoubtable Defender.............except its a brill foil against which to fully appreciate the Maserati .....


P

 

[bigbob]

Nowt wrong with the redoubtable Defender.............except its a brill foil against which to fully appreciate the Maserati .....


P

Yes miss mine. It was a while ago mind - 300tdi.

 

[conaero]

It's great that Maserati make a car that covers many potential customers with two engine and two gearbox options even without the Stradale. The 4.2 is a much better car than many people understand and an early version is a great value car with huge presence and feel good factor.

I sometimes worry that this forum unnecessarily puts people off the 4.2 and the 4.7 Auto GranTurismo.

As you correctly pointed out in an earlier thread, this is an enthusiasts forum so yes, advice will generally be: enthusiastic.

Nowt wrong with a 4.2, just having driven both and owned a 4.7 the discussion for me was a simple one.

 

[bigbob]

Me as well!

Stand by what I said earlier. Surely we want to encourage Maserati ownership? The 4.2 is still a lot better than many other cars people could be buying.