To Strad or not to Strad....

sofasurfer

Junior Member
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398
For me the 2 seater Strad is a weird one. It is still too big & heavy to be a 2 seater sports car. The main selling point for most of the GT was the usable 4 seats & overall package.

The 4 seater Strad makes more sense for most but I understand some who don't need the 4 seats so go for a lighter 2 seater. However I can't get to it being worth double a 4.7 GT S MC Shift. At 60k+ you getting into the price bracket for some fairy serious 2 seater sports cars. Of course the sound alone and spririt/soul of the Strad cod be enough for most and I get that.

I have had serious thoughts about selling the 4200, QP & SL to fund a Strad. I just can't get it to work in my head though. If only it was smaller & lighter.

iirc The 4 seater was the same weight as the 2 seater. Pretty sure it had a cf bonnet which offset the weight of the extra seats.

Would love a 2 seater with the roll cage and harness set up.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
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34,594
Actually the 2 seater is 100kg lighter than the 4 seater and the extra 10bhp was to make up for this. The 4 seater does have a carbon bonnet but the 2 seater has a poly bonnet and don’t think there is much in it.

2 seater: 450hp 1670kg
4 seater: 460hp 1770kg
 

Andyk

Member
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61,040
You would have to be some super hero driver t notice the difference in performance as well as on paper there is sod all in it....

2 seater 0-62 4.6
4 seater 0-62 4.5

2 seater 187 mph
4 seater 188 mph

Let's face it bet you wouldn't see any difference apart for being sat in one of the sexiest seats in any car if you were in the 2 seater.
 

Andyk

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61,040
No you can’t get them on the 4 seater. They were only on the 2 seater. The seats o the 4 seater are not that different to the standard car. You could spec them with carbon backs but that’s all.
 

rockits

Member
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9,167
Wow that's good to know. Thanks Andy. That is a major pull to the 2 seater as to me this is one of the main advatanges of a Strad. To me you need to make a Strad as different as you can to a standard Sport model. The 2 seated is starting to make more sense! Still not enough though!!
 

Andyk

Member
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61,040
It doesn’t make sense but it so does as well...Just like Matt said. The 4 seater looks great with its carbon bonnet and vent but I was really disappointed when they replaced those seats with standard looking ones. That made the experience even more of a sense of occasion. When I drove Merriens just strapping you self in gave that tingle of anticipation.
 

rockits

Member
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9,167
So you only get the bonnet with the vent on the 4 seater? Chr1st they have c0cked that all up a little haven't they?

I would have thought either do both 2 & 4 both ways so you can choose what you prefer. Or do the standard seats, standard bonnet & no scoop on the 4 seater then make the 2 seater a bit more bonkers with carbon bonnet & scoop, with carbon seats & roll cage/harnesses.

Seems weird doing the bonnet with no scoop on the 2 seater. I like the bonnet scoop as much as the carbon seats.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
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34,594
I really can’t see how 10hp outperforms 100kg lighter it just doesn’t make sence.

Rumours are that the Strads are actually 4.2 to 60 but rated slower so as to not upset Ferrari but that could be an urban myth. We heard a similar thing with the the 3200 but on track a GS beasts a 3200.

Dan had his GTS rolling roaded from 434hp to 505hp and it was no faster than my stock GTS.

We did several comparisons in multiple gears and speeds and there was nothing in it.

Dan admitted after the test that it was the worst £500 he ever spent.

I feel the performance figures Andy quotes are marketing BS. In an attempt to sell new cars.

Another interesting bit for you all, in Le Mans MAF and I entered the slip road up to the track and he stuck to my rear and I couldn’t shake him in his uprated GranSport. Both cars weigh the same, mine was stock 450hp and MAFs is tuned up a bit. Ok, I was in front so pushing the air and towing him but I feel there is little between the 4200/GS/GTS/Strad2/Strad4 in real world comparisons.
 

Andyk

Member
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61,040
It's a difficult one Matt....The Stradale will always be to heavy and to big to be the track warrior Maserati marketed it as and will never compete with all those GT3 type cars.......but that's not the point.....its exotic and a special place to be but when I drove Merriens Stradale it was the best Maserati I have ever driven and such a great experience but it never felt rip you face off fast. It was an amazing physical involving car to drive but the figures Maserati quote probably ain't that far off but who nows. But then who really cares about figures when it feels so good to drive and looks as great as it does.

Also think that your experience shows that these 0-62 in 4.6/4.7/4.8 etc means nothing on the road as us near mortals really can't see a difference....the difference is in the experience each one gives you behind the wheel.
 

Andyk

Member
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61,040
So you only get the bonnet with the vent on the 4 seater? Chr1st they have c0cked that all up a little haven't they?

I would have thought either do both 2 & 4 both ways so you can choose what you prefer. Or do the standard seats, standard bonnet & no scoop on the 4 seater then make the 2 seater a bit more bonkers with carbon bonnet & scoop, with carbon seats & roll cage/harnesses.

Seems weird doing the bonnet with no scoop on the 2 seater. I like the bonnet scoop as much as the carbon seats.

The racer always had the bonnet scoop. First Stradale made and no scoop and no one really said it needed one then would imagine Maserati made the 4 seater and wanted to distance it from the mark one and standard car so buyers got something new in he looks department so added the scoop. Plus without the seats they needed more lightness probably so the carbon bonnet must save what the seats lost and more....Maybe.
 

Felonious Crud

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21,017
From memory there’s a 5% permissible margin of hp error anyway, so whilst one car might have 450hp, another could easily be less. I’m pretty sure MAF’s GS is quicker than my old GTS, but I never found mine remotely lacking in grunt in real life. Where it fell down for me was handling and brakes, and the Stradale has that nailed.
 

Andyk

Member
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61,040
And that's what it's about Adam...Real world performance.....Our country is over crowded with cars and I bet some of these super/hyper car nerds never get to 70% of their cars performance. You can have just as much fun on a twisty road in a Toyota GT86 as cars costing 4 times more......Bum to Your car is faster than my car....just enjoy how your car makes you feel behind the wheel and on your fav road no mater if it's an MX5 or 720S....
 

Felonious Crud

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21,017
Aesthetics count for a lot, too. There was a 720 parked outside where I had lunch yesterday. Black. First one I'd seen in the flesh and it was absolutely gorgeous.

Again, full marks to the Strad (and the GTS, and the GS, and the 4200 and 3200 etc). It's what Maserati does so well. Add in that tingle of anticipation before you start the car and hear that beautifu noise. The stuff that dreams are made of, frankly.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Indeed real world performance on the road is so much different to running on a track as we all know. Traction, torque & in gear performance is king.

The E55K is a master at this. Tons of power/torque everywhere in any gear at any time. An old school decent 5 speed auto so you just stamp on the pedal at the lights from standstill & it just takes off and keeps going.

I love the look of the 720S but the same as all the new age turbo engines they really don't sound great IMHO. This is what the Strad does well & offers something these new kids on the block just seem to now be missing in spades. Sound is half the reason I would buy a car like this so can't see me ever looking at a Macca if suddenly I became rich.

The other reason is they also seem to be going further down the road of being too good. On the road surely you can't have much fun in a 720S as just can't use enough of its performance to stretch it or find anywhere close to it's imits.

I think I'll stick to the old stuff thanks. Cheaper & better because they are not quite so good.
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,040
Aesthetics count for a lot, too. There was a 720 parked outside where I had lunch yesterday. Black. First one I'd seen in the flesh and it was absolutely gorgeous.

Again, full marks to the Strad (and the GTS, and the GS, and the 4200 and 3200 etc). It's what Maserati does so well. Add in that tingle of anticipation before you start the car and hear that beautifu noise. The stuff that dreams are made of, frankly.

No agree Adam...was looking at a 720s at McLaren in Bristol the other week. The detail is just amazing.....and it was only half a second slower than the P1 on the track that Chris Harris drove it on last week on Top Gear...P1 £1000000 v 720s £200ish Amazing progress.......
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
No agree Adam...was looking at a 720s at McLaren in Bristol the other week. The detail is just amazing.....and it was only half a second slower than the P1 on the track that Chris Harris drove it on last week on Top Gear...P1 £1000000 v 720s £200ish Amazing progress.......
P1 sounded much nice than the 720S though
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,040
800/900k better though ? Yes it did though......One thing McLaren to need work on is the sound. A 570 went past me the other day as was rather subdued noise wise.