Maserati 3200 - For sale

[Andyk]

Agree with that Ian...Stradale is a great car.....

 

[Brendan]

They also sound like a Ferrari should sound at full throttle

 

[Ewan]

Having owned two 4200 spyders, and two 355 spyders, I'm very happy to stand by my earlier statement that the 355 is the faster, better car, especially on a track. The chassis of the 4200 is not as able as the chassis of the 355. Naturally the 360 betters them both. But I still like all three!

 

[drellis]

My 3200 ac and the 2002 4200 i test drove are not in the same league as the 1994 lotus esprit i had at the same time so am not suprised the 355 is superior in the handling dept. Maybe the gransport is much better, but the 3200ac and 4200 just didnt have the steering feedback and you dont get the feeling that the car rotates around the driver like you do in a mid engined car

 

[Phil H]

Surely the only true F/M comparison is 3200 or 4200 v the 456 as they were intentionally designed as front engined grand tourers and you can't apply that description to the 355 or Esprit. Having said that I'm sure a well driven Assetto or GS would give the 355 and Lotus a run for their money.

PH

 

[drellis]

Surely the only true F/M comparison is 3200 or 4200 v the 456 as they were intentionally designed as front engined grand tourers and you can't apply that description to the 355 or Esprit. Having said that I'm sure a well driven Assetto or GS would give the 355 and Lotus a run for their money.

agree not a fair comparison but the latter esprits ( and my s4s ran the same ap brake setup and increased hybrid turbo)
(hockenheim full circuit)
156. Lotus Esprit Sport 350 8:13.00 150 '99 354 / 1324
182. Maserati Coupe GranSport 8:18.00 149 '04 400 / 1680
246. Maserati 3200 GT 8:37.00 143 '98 370 / 1590
so the gransport is close, although not a 3200 ac , and 3200 original lap times might be "down" if timing out as on early cars

 

[Ewan]

I'm not sure that grey wheels and red seat pipes (and slightly stiffer suspension) turns a 3200 into a 355 botherer. Which partly explains why the F is worth three times the price of the M. I know this isn't the forum to say this, but we have to face facts. I'm very keen on both of these cars (and others, better and worse), but I'd like to think I have the ability to judge between them without my Maserati bias coming too far to the fore.

That said, a good 355 costs about £50k, and if you handed me that sort of money to go car shopping with I'd probably come back with a GranSport, a 3200 GT and a 944 turbo.

 

[drellis]

you have missed out on name plaque and some rediculously expensive bits of carbon air ducting which make all the difference to lap times ala double diffuser

 

[Phil H]

A few posts earlier it was said that 355’s never achieved anything like the stated power output, and if that is true the power to weight then drops to something approaching a well-tuned 3200. Although the 355 has weight distribution in its favour it can’t seat four adults and you can’t do a supermarket run in it, so you’d expect a difference in track times; I’m just not convinced it’s that much better, and I cannot see why 355’s command the premium they do these days. The one I drove was a nice car, but it certainly didn’t feel like it would set the world alight.

When I bought my Assetto I could have paid a bit more and got a 355 instead. The former continued to depreciate, and the latter would at least have held it’s price if not appreciated in the same period, so as far as economics go I agree that the 355 is the better option and it undoubtedly turns more heads than a 3200 or 4200, but in truth it is less practical and not that much quicker. I do like Ferraris, although given the choice I think I would have a good 456M and some change rather than a 355.

As for the Assetto, well, cosmetic exercise it ain’t; rumours have circulated for some years that Ferrari was so embarrassed by the Maser’s quicker Fiorano lap times that they wouldn’t reveal them.

PH

 

[hodroyd]

Phil,
I have to agree with your comments. On our trip to Monte Carlo with the forum, we took the AC and I was really impressed by the performance. It never lost ground to the others in the group and was staggeringly good on the twisty back roads, the grip was fantastic and we were not cruising by any means. Great car overall and 4 seats.
Cheers
R

 

[dem maser]

Agree, the AC can keep up with most.....Years ago i went to brooklands, pre this forum days.....

I went with friends and neighbours and some guys from my gym....the convoy was 355, 348 x2, tvr tuscan, 360 and my AC.....i kept up and because we were on roads and you cant quite explore the whole range it was those little blasts say 20-80 that i was with them all the way, no one outdid me so in the real world te AC is quick and the cheapest out the lot

 

[drellis]

I agree dem in terms of acceleration once rolling the 3200 is still very quick , and if rolling start i would fancy my chances in a straight line to 100 ish in my ac versus many cars including a 355, its just a do not rate the 3200 ac as a great handling car, its good, but it has so many other qualities (noise, presence , 4 seats) which others do not. In my old esprit in north wales i had no trouble leaving a gallado as i felt more confident through the bends, i just dont feel the same confidence, but as said many times the 3200, 4200 are more of a gt than out and out race car so it is to there credit that they get so close

 

[Phil H]

That's settled then. Who's got c£25k to spend on a couple of Giugiaro delights?

http://www.sovereigncarsales.co.uk/Prestige_gridpos18.aspx

http://www.sovereigncarsales.co.uk/Sports_Gridpos3.aspx

PH

 

[hodroyd]

Both nice looking beasties those..!!

 

[Paul L]

chaps, an excellent thread on the cars I am looking at,

interesting info regarding the quote power of the 355 and what really can be measured but aren't many cars like this, quote and reality!?

The 360 - mmmm lots of them out and looks a good car and the stat's also look good too,

But........just because one passed me the other day in traffic was the 348, it came before the 355 and so is seen in some peoples eyes as a poorer car and there is much written to say this too, anyone ever owned one?

Paul

 

[MAF260]

A mate of mine is a car dealer and has a lovely 360 spyder for sale at an incredibly low price - I reckon it's the cheapest in the country:
http://www.heathfieldcarsales.co.uk/used-cars/ferrari-360-spider-2dr-rickmansworth-201230479744745

 

[philw696]

Wow looks superb why so cheap or are the others expensive and I have been looking for a while but wanted a Modena. Could be swayed as its Tdf blue.

 

[MAF260]

I don't know. He's used it a little personally, but it's not advertised broadly. I think he probably wants to keep it for himself! He's a great guy, will take the time with you if you're interested. The CS bits are a bonus IMO.

 

[mjheathcote]

360 or top end GS?

 

[Parisien]

A mate of mine is a car dealer and has a lovely 360 spyder for sale at an incredibly low price - I reckon it's the cheapest in the country:
http://www.heathfieldcarsales.co.uk/used-cars/ferrari-360-spider-2dr-rickmansworth-201230479744745

Thats very...very nice....tempting for anyone whose into the spyder 360!

P