Another would you rather: GranSport or tastefully modified manual 4200?

Nayf

Member
Messages
2,734
Leaving aside future values and resale, which would you choose?
A fully-specced GranSport LE for, say, £35,000, or a manual 4200 for £20,000 but with £15,000 worth of engine and chassis tweaks?

Sadly this is all hypothetical.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
No surprise....GranSport.

My reason, they are worth more than the sum of their parts.
 

Vampyrebat

Member
Messages
3,117
Some have done this already on here. The face lift 42 has many of the updates the GS has already

To make it look like a GS you need deeper front splitter/GS grille/surfboards/rear boot spoiler/19" GS alloys that could cost a bit but I know SopranoStu has all these items if you wanted to take that path (hypothetically)

BennyD has taken a 2003 cab and changed the classic 42 into a GS front and sides and then even put a set of hocky stick back lights on the back and it looks great (but don't tell him I said that)!
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
Not the 20k 4200 as it will still be worth 20k once you spend the 15k on it so for me it wouldn't be worth it. The GS would probably not lose money.
 

Nayf

Member
Messages
2,734
Ahem... 'leaving aside future values and resale'... ;)

Was watching the Cironi 4200 video and it got me thinking. I love the GranSport, but it's a shame it never had the manual. With a bit of tinkering, could you achieve the same or better, mechanically, with suitable tasteful modifications?

I still prefer the look of the GranSport, though.
 

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,309
Gransport by a considerable distance if we are limited to engine and chassis tweaks. The engine nor chassis require tweaking, the gearbox is the issue in the manual cars.
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,656
A £20K 4200 manual with £15K tweaks, all day long ! And the next, and the next...! ;)
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,759
I drove a manual coupe prior to buying my CC Spyder and I found it clunky and not sporting, where as the CC box I found a joy.

Never been a fan of the GS Coupe but would love a GS Spyder
 

MrPea

Member
Messages
3,012
This is interesting as a concept.... I actually preferred a lot about the more GT feel interior of my late 4200 Spyder to the more sporty interior of the GS Spyder. So, if I could have the interior styling of the 4200 with GS switchgear etc., the GS bucket seats, all the mechanical improvements of the GS and exterior aesthetics of the GS then I'd be very hapPea.

As it is, I s'pose I'll just make do with the gorgeous stock GS LE!
 

DaveT

Member
Messages
2,830
Had manual 4200, 4200cc and GS's Inc GS Spyder.

Any GS over a manual 4200 all day long. The manual box isn't great.
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
The GS for me I would say, never tried a 4200 manual but I have driven a number of transaxle Italians and the gearchange wasn’t a lot of cop. But aside from any of this, I chose a GS because of the seats, interior and the lovely lovely wheels. And I would do so again without hesitstion.
 

whereskeith

Member
Messages
821
I would take the GS because I’m not sure modifying these cars actually makes them look any better or drive better unless you spend a small fortune with novitec etc
 

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,110
It’s horses for courses. Some like the 4200, some the GS. But which is better? There’s only one way to find out....
 

ofenomeno99

Member
Messages
354
I don’t get what the obsession is with manual cars - I don’t think manual suits the Maserati - so for me I would say Gransport without hesitation.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Love my 03 manual 4200 to bits. The gear change is a little clunky especially when cold but God **** it's the most rewarding manual car I have ever had

I have been slowly modifying mine as part of a long term project. Mine does not have a full service history so I am not exactly taking a Stanley knife to the Mona lisa lol.

So far I have done sports cats, x pipe, gs back boxes with working valves, Formula dynamics Engine control module, fd rose joint rear track rod ends. Along with a fist full of maintenance which applies to any 4.2 M138 although obviously I don't have to worry about a 15 year old F1 hydraulic system that will need some maintenance/restoration... One less thimg to worry about, the manual cables can be easily fabricated and the gear shift mechanism is simple to service

I have driven both and found the CC slow and unresponsive - perhaps also clunky in a way - particularly compared to what I was considering instead of a Maserati 4200 - a BMW V10 M6 with the SMG gearbox that is more notorious for breaking than the Cambiocorsa box but it's a lot more responsive. The manual is definitely more of a "Grand Tourer"... You pick your gear sit back and hear it roar... the only time I though a CC box with paddles would be better was when I was once belting round Brands Hatch on a parade lap and didn't want to take my hands off the wheel.