JayEmm on Cars does 4200 Manual

[Twinspark]

@Nayf Very interesting back story, I believe it because the GS interior is a lot more pared back and the seats indicate that it was meant to be more hardcore, I wonder if there were any power increases.

Sad that Ferrari has always held Maserati back as these type of brand politics aren’t as apparent over at say VW where they had no problems making the R8 V10 and Gallardo.

Too bad the MCV rack is unobtanium and there is no documented method of modifying the existing rack to match.

 

[mjheathcote]

When you get out of a modern electric steering rack car and then drive any hydraulic steering rack car, the difference in feel is really noticable.
You might have been critical when hydraulic was the normal, but now electric is the normal, I'm not been critical anymore of the standard 4200/GS rack!

 

[Corranga]

belong to anyone on here?

Yes, it belongs to Angelus, though not sure he's been on here for a while, regular member at TartanTarmac events as I think he's among the organisers.

 

[TimR]

When you get out of a modern electric steering rack car and then drive any hydraulic steering rack car, the difference in feel is really noticable.
You might have been critical when hydraulic was the normal, but now electric is the normal, I'm not been critical anymore of the standard 4200/GS rack!

I know what you mean..! Being critical is a process of trying to understand though. Understand, identify and fix.
Not to assume something is broken here but that's not to say I dont recognise what he's saying in his short film !
I was trying to say that any short comings in the steering are exaggerated by other issues; tyres, pressures, awkward (?) brakes. For me personally, Skyhook too.... And in that respect, I think he was nearer a truth than he felt able to say with much conviction...?

 

[TimR]

Well..I say "I know what you mean" but in fact, Ive never driven an electric steering rack, so WTF do I know actually...!?

 

[gemini]

I will soon have the opportunity to compare my MCV to a gransport 10th anniversary (on his way from Japan, lovely car, limited edition for the 10th anniversary of Cornes -japanese importer at that time-).
It's probably one of the last GS made, with some MCV bits (blue carbon, rear spoiler, big paddles, italian flag on the aisles...) but with an interior with a more luxury feel.
See here for pictures : https://cc45.jp/category/maserati/01095.php

I will give you my honest opinion.

 

[MrJoshua]

I will soon have the opportunity to compare my MCV to a gransport 10th anniversary (on his way from Japan, lovely car, limited edition for the 10th anniversary of Cornes -japanese importer at that time-).
It's probably one of the last GS made, with some MCV bits (blue carbon, rear spoiler, big paddles, italian flag on the aisles...) but with an interior with a more luxury feel.
See here for pictures : https://cc45.jp/category/maserati/01095.php

I will give you my honest opinion.

Love that blacked-out grille!

 

[Enz0]

I have the parts diagrams of the MCV, and it says that MCV's steering rack is the same as that of the GS. From where did this myth come?

 

[dickygrace]

I have the parts diagrams of the MCV, and it says that MCV's steering rack is the same as that of the GS. From where did this myth come?

It’s far more likely that the parts diagram is inaccurate. Certainly not a myth.

 

[Mr S]

Did they update anything else on the MCV, ball joints, bushes etc? Titan, who build the racks for Elises and various other cars could maybe rebuild a GS one to a better spec, just a thought.

 

[philw696]

Well Quaife have been around since the mid 60's and when I was competing in Motorsports they were the people for many things.
Might be worth them looking at a steering rack.

Quaife Motorsport Steering Racks - Precision Engineered, Trusted By OEMs

Quaife manufactures motorsport steering racks for a wide variety of cars, from the Mk1 & Mk2 Ford Escort to the Toyota Corolla AE86. Trusted by Morgan.

www.quaife.co.uk

 

[Enz0]

It’s far more likely that the parts diagram is inaccurate. Certainly not a myth.

The parts diagram may be inaccurate, but neither Maserati announced that the rack has changed. The following sentence seems to be the consequence of the increased front downforce.

The Maserati GranSport MC Victory is now more driveable thanks to more direct and precise steering and an elevated stability at high speeds, the same characteristics as the Maserati MC12.

Press Release - Maserati Media Site

www.media.maserati.com

Is there any proof that MCV has a different rack to GS? Photos of the racks, including part numbers, for example.

 

[dickygrace]

The parts diagram may be inaccurate, but neither Maserati announced that the rack has changed. The following sentence seems to be the consequence of the increased front downforce.

Press Release - Maserati Media Site

www.media.maserati.com

Is there any proof that MCV has a different rack to GS? Photos of the racks, including part numbers, for example.

I don’t have any, but driving experience. Maserati often upgrade cars without publishing the details.

 

[Nayf]

I don’t have any, but driving experience. Maserati often upgrade cars without publishing the details.

The steering rack was mentioned in the brochure/press kit IIRC

 

[Oneball]

Steering rack is supposed to be a quicker ratio from what I’ve read.

Personally I thought the 3200 setup was right on the borderline of “pointiness” that you want with a road car.

 

[rockits]

One thing I have never though even the 4200 suffered from was any slowness or pointiness to the steering. If anything I felt it was a little too quick and too pointy compared to anything else I had driven on the road.

 

[TimR]

Steering rack is supposed to be a quicker ratio from what I’ve read.

Personally I thought the 3200 setup was right on the borderline of “pointiness” that you want with a road car.

When I was first looking at these cars, I thought Id read that it wasnt just the throttle that was slightly too excitable in the 3200.
Did Maserati not actually change the rack to something with a more forgiving ratio along the way..? Perhaps the Assetto Corsa got a different rack..? I must admit, Im pretty vague on the recollection and/or source...


Its not fast we want per se.
Isnt it the feedback, feel of the thing...CONNECTED to the road surface- transmit information about the surface, grip levels, the chassis' dynamics and such....
The 4200 steers fast enough for me tah !!!

I will soon have the opportunity to compare my MCV to a gransport 10th anniversary (on his way from Japan, lovely car, limited edition for the 10th anniversary of Cornes -japanese importer at that time-).
It's probably one of the last GS made, with some MCV bits (blue carbon, rear spoiler, big paddles, italian flag on the aisles...) but with an interior with a more luxury feel.
See here for pictures : https://cc45.jp/category/maserati/01095.php

I will give you my honest opinion.

Perhaps @gemini you might be persuaded to take one for the many, and crawl under your MCV to identify the manufacturer and part number of your steering rack...? This could be the beginnings of a reverse engineering exercise to produce a modified rack to offer a more appealing character...?
We're all in this together...!

 

[Twinspark]

Yea we’d only be able to 100% if an MCV owner too theirs out and compared it to a GS one on the spot, maybe then the differences can be replicated.

I think the GS steering feel is ok, it’s responsive enough but light, it feels heavy coming from most newer cars but it isn’t the heavy, quick and razor sharp steering that Alfas of the time had.

 

[Nayf]

One thing I have never though even the 4200 suffered from was any slowness or pointiness to the steering. If anything I felt it was a little too quick and too pointy compared to anything else I had driven on the road.

It’s the feel and connectedness that’s the most important change.

 

[Rwc13]

It’s interesting, I’ve not driven an MCV, but I have owned and driven a lot of different GSs from 05 through to 08 registered cars. None of them had bad steering, but 2 of the very late GSs I have owned had steering that was verging on telepathic - as good as the best steering cars for feel I have driven, and I have owned Elises and Esprits. I had always put it down to them being lower mileage (less wear) and better set up, but was never totally convinced by that explanation because it was just so different. Makes me wonder whether Maserati changed the spec of the GS steering rack for the MCV and also fitted it to the very late cars. Would explain the fact that there doesn’t appear to be a different part number for the MCV rack.