Guy
Member
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- 2,096
It all started last November perusing Richard Grace's wonderfully tempting stock list. I had a quiet day coming up and a rare dry one so hit the road at 0640 and arranged breakfast with a friend at the Ludlow Food Centre before a blast up the A49 to go and have a look and test drive two or three of Richard's cars. I wasn't in a hurry to change my 2014 GTS MC Shift but there was no harm in looking......
The good thing about taking the GTS was the ability to compare and contrast on the same day, which was very helpful.
I was tempted by three cars;
a 612 Scaglietti (I attended the UK launch at the Science Museum on my 40th birthday and wondered whether I would ever own one!) in a very attractive spec and with the larger monobloc wheels. It looked stunning!
a late GranSport (could I be tempted by the earlier car, reminding me more of the dimensions of my air cooled 911s and perhaps something more appropriate for the country lanes)
a white 2014 Strad in perfect condition and very low miles (not my first choice colour but having had two nero carbonio Maseratis I wanted a change)
Before making the trip, I did my 612 research and frankly found it quite frightening. Stratospheric service and repair costs and 13mpg nagged at the back of my mind. I was amazed at how easy it seemed for a relatively young and fresh car to need services of 15k and above! Despite this I really wanted to fall for the car as it was a stunning V12 Ferrari but the reality was a little bit disappointing. There wasn't the sense of occassion I had hoped for and it didn't ride and handle as well as my GTS. Whilst the power was smooth and prestigious it did not excite and certainly did not aurally entertain as Maseratis do. Wind noise was also noticeably louder. Apart from this, I am sure it makes a great long range GT car (on smooth tarmac) and of course a beautiful ornament to be admired outside one's house, club or pub. My GTS is a better car for me.
The GranSport was quite a revelation, a very well balanced sports car whose size enabled a more aggressive style of driving in the bends, very similar to my last 993. I cannot comprehend how such a great car is now dipping below 20k with 30k buying mint ones! Probably a good longer term bet for appreciation but I am still smitten by the looks and sound of the GranTurismos.
So how can it be possible to justify such a premium for a Strad over and above an MC Shift GTS? Well it is probably not logically possible, but like so many pleasures (wine, HiFi, etc) there is a disproportionate price for incremental improvement. The Strad feels better planted on it's fixed spring and damper suspension, the lower ride height helping too without ruining the ride, personally I am a sucker for alcantara (dates back to lusting after an early Moto Guzzi Le Mans with an alcantara seat!), the gear changes are slightly faster in race mode, it weighs 5% less thanks to the carbon fibre bonnet, forged alloys and ceramic discs, the styling is subtly enhanced (but even an '07 4.2 is a stunner so I am splitting hairs here). Lots of little things come together to make it a better car and that should take nothing away from the GTS, which is still an amazing car to own in its own right. I have lost a lot of money depreciating the last two Masers but hope that the relative rarity of these and the fact that they are no longer made might see an improvement in this respect.
I drove home through Shropshire and the Cotswolds enjoying my MC Shift but knowing that at some point my life needed a Strad! Over the next couple of weeks and numerous conversations with Richard (including one to inform me that the car I had tested had now sold!) we put a deal together that returned my MC Shift to him in part exchange for a 2016 Strad with a great spec (alcantara headlining, carbon door handles, mirrors and spoiler, Bose (no need for a radio or hifi!), MC pedals, leather backed seats with Bianco stitching and tridents, polished calipers and four brand new Pilot Sports.
I have had few opportunities to drive it with such awful weather this winter but I have put a few hundred miles under its wheels and so far I am delighted. I will stand corrected but I honestly think my GTS in Sport was louder than the Strad in Race. There are times when the Strad sounds incredible and it is very loud on warm up but I miss some of the popping and banging I enjoyed in both the GTS and my previous QPV GTS. Perhaps I need a X Pipe?
Finally, I cannot speak highly enough about my dealings with Richard. We are so fortunate in this country to have such a knowledgeable, patient and honest specialist to do business with. Buying Maseratis can be a very risky/expensive experience and I for one am very happy to mitigate that through dealing with this gentleman.
With so much poor weather, I haven't had a chance to photograph the car but one of my sons did take the attached on his phone this weekend and apply a 350k plate upgrade courtesy of photoshop! I will post better ones when I get a chance.
The good thing about taking the GTS was the ability to compare and contrast on the same day, which was very helpful.
I was tempted by three cars;
a 612 Scaglietti (I attended the UK launch at the Science Museum on my 40th birthday and wondered whether I would ever own one!) in a very attractive spec and with the larger monobloc wheels. It looked stunning!
a late GranSport (could I be tempted by the earlier car, reminding me more of the dimensions of my air cooled 911s and perhaps something more appropriate for the country lanes)
a white 2014 Strad in perfect condition and very low miles (not my first choice colour but having had two nero carbonio Maseratis I wanted a change)
Before making the trip, I did my 612 research and frankly found it quite frightening. Stratospheric service and repair costs and 13mpg nagged at the back of my mind. I was amazed at how easy it seemed for a relatively young and fresh car to need services of 15k and above! Despite this I really wanted to fall for the car as it was a stunning V12 Ferrari but the reality was a little bit disappointing. There wasn't the sense of occassion I had hoped for and it didn't ride and handle as well as my GTS. Whilst the power was smooth and prestigious it did not excite and certainly did not aurally entertain as Maseratis do. Wind noise was also noticeably louder. Apart from this, I am sure it makes a great long range GT car (on smooth tarmac) and of course a beautiful ornament to be admired outside one's house, club or pub. My GTS is a better car for me.
The GranSport was quite a revelation, a very well balanced sports car whose size enabled a more aggressive style of driving in the bends, very similar to my last 993. I cannot comprehend how such a great car is now dipping below 20k with 30k buying mint ones! Probably a good longer term bet for appreciation but I am still smitten by the looks and sound of the GranTurismos.
So how can it be possible to justify such a premium for a Strad over and above an MC Shift GTS? Well it is probably not logically possible, but like so many pleasures (wine, HiFi, etc) there is a disproportionate price for incremental improvement. The Strad feels better planted on it's fixed spring and damper suspension, the lower ride height helping too without ruining the ride, personally I am a sucker for alcantara (dates back to lusting after an early Moto Guzzi Le Mans with an alcantara seat!), the gear changes are slightly faster in race mode, it weighs 5% less thanks to the carbon fibre bonnet, forged alloys and ceramic discs, the styling is subtly enhanced (but even an '07 4.2 is a stunner so I am splitting hairs here). Lots of little things come together to make it a better car and that should take nothing away from the GTS, which is still an amazing car to own in its own right. I have lost a lot of money depreciating the last two Masers but hope that the relative rarity of these and the fact that they are no longer made might see an improvement in this respect.
I drove home through Shropshire and the Cotswolds enjoying my MC Shift but knowing that at some point my life needed a Strad! Over the next couple of weeks and numerous conversations with Richard (including one to inform me that the car I had tested had now sold!) we put a deal together that returned my MC Shift to him in part exchange for a 2016 Strad with a great spec (alcantara headlining, carbon door handles, mirrors and spoiler, Bose (no need for a radio or hifi!), MC pedals, leather backed seats with Bianco stitching and tridents, polished calipers and four brand new Pilot Sports.
I have had few opportunities to drive it with such awful weather this winter but I have put a few hundred miles under its wheels and so far I am delighted. I will stand corrected but I honestly think my GTS in Sport was louder than the Strad in Race. There are times when the Strad sounds incredible and it is very loud on warm up but I miss some of the popping and banging I enjoyed in both the GTS and my previous QPV GTS. Perhaps I need a X Pipe?
Finally, I cannot speak highly enough about my dealings with Richard. We are so fortunate in this country to have such a knowledgeable, patient and honest specialist to do business with. Buying Maseratis can be a very risky/expensive experience and I for one am very happy to mitigate that through dealing with this gentleman.
With so much poor weather, I haven't had a chance to photograph the car but one of my sons did take the attached on his phone this weekend and apply a 350k plate upgrade courtesy of photoshop! I will post better ones when I get a chance.
