Newbie Model/Options based questions

phills1

Junior Member
Messages
178
Hello, new on here and in a fortunate position of been able to purchase one of these fabulous machines with the great wealth of information on here, after some advice having been reading these forums for some time now. I'd be grateful for insight from owners new and seasoned I'm based on the East coast outside of London and after the best place to deal with for test driving, all those newbie questions, for the various models and transmissions and those that have recently bought as from what I believe I would be looking to purchase a GranTurismo S MC Shift I've been told this can be a little rough around town? I've looked into hire but there is such a limit on the different combinations available, preferences SkyHook Suspension. I've only ever owned BMW's so need to be sure I get the right combination from my own research I would like one still in Maserati warranty either original or one that has been extended.

GranTurismo
GranTurismo S
GranTurismo MC Stradale
GranTurismo Sport

Thank you for all feedback
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
A very warm welcome to the forum Phillis1........I have driven a Granturismo S and was lucky enough to drive MC Stradale last weekend......Now the MC blew me away and was the best Maserati I have ever driven but ot all depends what you want the car for.....Unless you go new the used MC's are all 2 seaters so if you need more seats its not the car for you.....A lot of the reviews prefers the Auto GT S over the MC shift as its a smoother drive. The standard GanTurismo with the 4.2 litre engine is a nive enough car but once you drive the 4.7 GT S in auto ot MC shift form you will not want the standard 4.2...it will feel heavy and underpowered......ThI woulde 4.7 is a totaly different animal and well worth aiming for above the GT.....

I would get out a driver a few and see what suits but what ever you choose it will bring a big smile to your face every time you look at her and drive her.
 

Tilum

Junior Member
Messages
667
Hi and welcome to the forum :welcome1:

Just for clarification (as it may help wrt your future purchase), the GranTurismo S has been replaced by the GranTurismo Sport, and whilst the base GT is still available to order new, only 3 were sold in the UK last year* (and for good reasons).
* ref. How many Granturismo s out there

Have to say that I agree with Andy's comments above.
I used to own a base 4.2 GranTurismo and I would (in addition to Andy's comments) say that the brakes are very poor, especially for such a heavy car. This often left me resulting in a few near misses with a car in front!!!
Although different variants of the 4.7l GranTurismos have different brakes, they are all a vast improvement over the base GT. So if you're looking to buy new, then I would avoid the base GT for aforementioned reasons. It is also worth thinking about resale (should you ever want to part with your new love) - If you're buying a new/newer GT, then when (if) you come to sell it, people would rather buy the S/Sport/MC Stradale over the base GT. Hence you may well lose less c/w a base GT (unless of course you're buying an early, high mileage, car, which will be at rock bottom prices, and hence not have as much value to lose c/w a newer, lower mileage GT.

As you've already mentioned the gearbox as a concern, it may be worth me pointing out that the following variations are available in the UK:-
GranTurismo - 6 speed ZF Automatic transmission only. (I've heard people describe these as 'slush boxes' due to lack of responsiveness and slow gear changes, and I'd say they're probably not far wrong TBH).
GranTurismo S (built 2008-2012) - The 'MC Shift' is a 6 speed, sequential automatic manual transmission, i.e. manual gearbox but with paddles and an auto facility. The traditional 6 speed ZF Automatic transmission is also available, but these were made in fewer numbers, hence you'll see more GT 'S' cars with MC Shift transmission than with the Auto box.
GranTurismo Sport (built 2012-present day) - A 6 speed ZF Automatic gearbox is offered as standard, but it is with the much-improved 'MC Auto Shift', making gear changes more like a dual clutch gearbox (i.e. smooth yet fast gear changes). The 'MC Shift' 6 speed, sequential automatic manual transmission that's on the GT 'S' is available on new cars, but it is a +£3,330 cost option.
The MC Stradale is (in the UK at least) only available with the MC Shift transmission. But this is in keeping with the racier set-up the MC variants have. (Although, it's worth noticing that the GranCabrio MC, only comes with the MC Auto Shift transmission instead.)

On the Stradale front, as Andy says, the original MC Stradale (2011-2013) had only 2 seats (which is the one Jeremy Clarkson reviewed on Top Gear).
However from 2013-present day, the 'New Stradale' has 4 seats as per the GranTurismo Sport. (N.B. The GranCabrio MC, available from 2013-present day is only available with 4 seats).
Furthermore, the suspension (amongst other things) is different. Whilst Skyhook (adaptive suspension) on paper seems like the best way to go (i.e. supposedly giving you the best of both worlds - comfort and stability) that is not necessarily the case...
If you want your GranTurismo just to be a grand tourer, then Skyhook makes more sense, but if you want to take it out for more spirited drives, then you may prefer the sports suspension. The MC sports suspension (on the GT MC Stradale and the GC MC) for example feels a lot more 'planted', leaving you feeling more reassured about how the car will handle, and hence gives you more confidence to push the car harder. Even on regular driving it is more stable. Personally I prefer the MC suspension over even the latest generation of Skyhook (Maserati have changed it over the years).

I could waffle on for ages about the differences (as the guys on here well know LOL), but I won't throw too much info. at you, it was your first post after all LOL.
Instead, I will just suggest that you consider what you intend to use the car for, and then test drive them (and have a great time doing so :D), taking into account budget, etc. obviously.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask any Qs etc.

Cheers,
T
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Very comprehensive comments. I only have three things to add:

-the 4.2 is better than many people feel as long as you understand the market it is targeting. The main reason it no longer sells is that it is too close to the 4.7 Auto on price once you adjust for options;
-there are two versions of the non-skyhook suspension set up. The Stradale suspension already mentioned is the firmest but the 4.7 S with the MC single clutch box came with a softer fixed rate set up as standard. A lot of cars have skyhook fitted as a cost option and some will have the Stradale set up retro-fitted as an 'MC upgrade' but be aware of the choice. If you press sport on any car and the suspension firms up appreciably then it has skyhook, if it does not then it will have a fixed rate set up; and
-the autobox on the 4.7 is very different to drive than that on the 4.2 as it allows full manual control. The newer autobox on the Sport is only different when the sport button is pressed. In normal auto, normal manual and ice modes, it is the same gearbox as in the GTS Auto.
 

phills1

Junior Member
Messages
178
All thank you for such detailed replies, base GT is out after those brake comments, Tilum feel free to throw information at me! Where did you guys pickup your cars private seller, dealer? I'm aiming to get a used one that's had the initial hard depreciation gone.
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
21,012
Hello and welcome.

I have a GTS MC Shift with Skyhook and absolutely love it. I use mine around town from time to time (not a fan of driving in towns anyway) and the gearbox is fine. It takes some getting used to for sure, but liken it to learning to drive a manual after driving autos and you'll be about right. With a bit of practice it's plenty smooth enough, especially out of Sport mode (which amonsgt other things sharpens up gear changes significantly, and MC mode which is really aggressive when the throttle's wide open and revs are over ~5k).

My car came from Nuvola London, which uses Lancaster Colchester to prep cars for sale and provides excellent savings on servicing at Lancaster - about the same as indie prices.

Where on the east coast outside London are you? I'm there, too and would be quite happy to show you round my car and answer any questions (as long as they're not difficult). Feel free to PM.
 

phills1

Junior Member
Messages
178
Still some confusion over MC Shift and MC Auto Shift, I assume these are the one with buttons 1 and R in the centre console, are there any other visible signs that shows the difference between the MC std and Improved Auto plus known issues with either. This is just so I can remember which version I drive when dealing with a private seller.
 

sjc

Junior Member
Messages
280
All thank you for such detailed replies, base GT is out after those brake comments, Tilum feel free to throw information at me! Where did you guys pickup your cars private seller, dealer? I'm aiming to get a used one that's had the initial hard depreciation gone.
Having just dealt with them, speak to Nareman at Nuvola London.
 

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,309
An MC Shift is the manual with 1 & R buttons. The MC Auto-shift is the auto box with a gear lever as all the autos, but has different software to a standard auto.
 

hodroyd

Member
Messages
14,150
Welcome to the forum Phill, I hope you find what you are looking for soon, once you have the itch it needs scratching..!!
 

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
phills1, can I ask how you arrived at your gearbox choice? ie what sort of use will the car get, what experience do you have of both automated single clutch gearboxes and autos?

They are very different and I feel it's difficult to take a meaningful view on either as a desktop exercise.
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
21,012
phills1, can I ask how you arrived at your gearbox choice? ie what sort of use will the car get, what experience do you have of both automated single clutch gearboxes and autos?

They are very different and I feel it's difficult to take a meaningful view on either as a desktop exercise.

Agreed... and well worth a drive in both in a variety of conditions. My view, for what it's worth, is that the MC box is far easier to love with day to day than popular myth would have you believe (noting that clutch replacement will be around 40k miles and ~2k pounds) and the auto is far less of a dull option than many would have you believe. But they are still very different.

That said, I love the MC box and am delighted I bought it. :smile:
 

phills1

Junior Member
Messages
178
phills1, can I ask how you arrived at your gearbox choice? ie what sort of use will the car get, what experience do you have of both automated single clutch gearboxes and autos?

They are very different and I feel it's difficult to take a meaningful view on either as a desktop exercise.

This will be my daily car for the usual run around, and then much longer runs out to the county at the weekends for some sport M way and then lots of A & B roads. I'm not an Auto fan a really like to 'drive' the cars. Have experience of driving the old E46 M3 SMGII (great), Audi R8 R-Tronic (awful). Btw budget looking to spend anywhere I suppose from 40 - 70k maybe more for "what would have been my factory spec"
 

Conrad

New Member
Messages
79
Phills I'm in the same position as you and looking to get an MC Shift GT S. One thing I will forewarn you about (as it slightly underwhelmed me a little - see my thread a page back or so) is the Single Clutch MC Shift box. Like you an Auto is not what I want so I've only been looking at MC's. The only other automated manual I had to compare the MC Shift against was the M3 E92 DCT and unfortunately it just isn't in the same league. I haven't driven the E46 SMG like you so can't comment on that box but apparently that's kind if on par with the MC Shift.

Either way for me it's not a deal breaker. I want a Maserati for the prestige, looks and above all else the SOUND!! Wait until you hear the roar, crackle and pop of the MC Shift with the Sport button turned on. Literally nothing else out there like it!