Driving Heaven

[Budapeststu]

Just had a weekend at the missus' mum's place, around 170 km from Budapest. Two highlights of the trip were as follows:

1. Her mum was standing outside the house waiting to greet me when I arrived. I asked how she knew I was coming and she said she'd heard my car coming some 3-4 minutes before I actually arrived!
2. The drive home last night was a dream. I just love the way people just pull over for a Maserati. Every single car in the fast lane graciously pulled over to let me pass, some even gave me a quick flash of the headlights to wish me well. At one point a boy racer in an old Supra decided to overtake me. In the end he gave up taking the lead because the fast lane rapidly blocked up with driver's unwilling to pull over. As soon as we swapped places the fast lane mysteriously cleared and we could make easy progress again. This never happened when I had a Porsche or a BMW but somehow in a Maser, people just like to make way and help you.

I could make such rapid progress, it's amazing. I never cease to be amazed at how safely my car will cruise at high speed and even the fuel consumption seems to have improved since I had the Larinis fitted! I got 350 miles from less than a tank (there was room for 80 litres/17.6 gallons when I filled up), which suggests 20 MPG.

Does anyone have experience of better fuel consumption?

Right, that's my happy post for the day done. God, I love my Maser!

 

[GransportFan1]

sounds like you had an awesome time there Stu.

 

[Emtee]

Hi Stu, Sadly can't comment on the fuel consumption as I don't have the back-boxes..YET..

But a couple of questions if I may?

How do you find the cabin noise with the Larini's compared to stock? Also how does your wife find it?
How are you getting on with your car after lowering it?

Hope you're well by the way?

Cheers, Miles.

 

[Budapeststu]

Hey Adam, it's just an amazing feeling.

I was thinking, have any of the members taken you out in their Masers yet? I don't know if you've had chance to experience what the rest of us on the forum keep going on about. I remember when I took the photographer out who took the pics of my car. Basically he fell in love there and then and I know he'll be doing whatever he can to become a Maser owner as soon as he can.

 

[GransportFan1]

No not been in a Maserati yet however been in loads of Ferrari's and Porsche's as i work at a Ferrari and Porsche specialists, the cars i have been in are.....

Ferrari
355
360
430
Scuderia
550
575
599
Dino 246
308
328

Porsche
997; Turbo, Carrera S,
996, Turbo, C4S, GT3, GT2
Cayman S and Boxster S (987)

but never been in a Maserati.

 

[Budapeststu]

Hi Miles,

What consumption do you get for town/motorway driving without the Larinis? Would be good to make a comparison.

The cabin noise is not intrusive at motorway speeds, well not below 100 mph, which of course I only do in Germany, when I'm legally allowed to... However, around town the growl and burble on the overrun are loud, both inside and out and the sound does generate a vibration through the seat of your pants, which the missus has strangely not complained about at all! Overall I'd say it's not an increase in volume you couldn't live with.

Lowering the car has had positive and not so positive consequences. The positive is that the car floats and bobbles less on country lanes, it feels quite a lot more planted. However, you have to keep in mind that the suspension set up has not changed, just the springs have been compressed, which makes them harder and rebound less. As such the car tends to be a bit more thrashy and yet somehow it still doesn't feel as stable as it should, particularly on poor quality road surfaces. High speed sweeping motorway curves are so much more enjoyable in sport mode now though.

The real negative is that I have to be REALLY careful with speed humps, sharp entry ramps and potholes now. I have scraped the underside of the front spoiler a couple of time and also caught the car around the middle underneath, which makes me worried that one day the cats will take a knock and then I'll be up for a very large repair bill. Basically I'd probably advise to lower the springs, it does help overall, but perhaps not the full 20mm that mine was. Perhaps half that amount would be enough of a compromise to improve handling but not create a situation where I have to be really careful with speed humps and the like.

Otherwise I'm doing wonderfully, Miles. How are you? Back from NY now?

 

[Budapeststu]

ok, Adam, you got me beat and I'm pushing 40. I've driven precisely one Italian supercar and I own that one!! How come you've been in so many Ferraris but it's a Maserati you really want to own?

 

[GransportFan1]

ok, Adam, you got me beat and I'm pushing 40. I've driven precisely one Italian supercar and I own that one!! How come you've been in so many Ferraris but it's a Maserati you really want to own?

i know, it is because the specialist i work at dont specialise in Maserati and i have never really had the opportunity to go in a Maser.

 

[dem maser]

come to london adam ill take you out

 

[GransportFan1]

come to london adam ill take you out

well i will be down that neck of the woods if i get accepted for the Ferrari apprenticeship, thanks for the offer Dem.

 

[dem maser]

let me know theres loads of students near me your age becuase of the uni so you will love it

 

[GransportFan1]

The Ferrari apprenticeship is done at their new training centre in Slough and sometimes you go to Maranello Sales in Surrey, so not for from you at all.

 

[Emtee]

I'm well thanks Stu. NY was business so just there for the week, but any time in NY is fun, particularly in the Summer.

I almost always settle on 17.7 mpg for mixed driving over an extended period of time. Motorway driving is 19.8 mpg if memory serves me right. Short run stuff is 12 or 13 mpg. I don't know whether that's been affected by the Larini sports cats over standard?

Thanks for the comments on the back boxes. I spent the day with Matt and his GS recently with full Larini setup and the noise was intoxicating. I just need to have that noise in my life, but don't want to annoy the neighbours (too much) with the noise outside and don't want to annoy Mrs Tee with the noise inside! From your comments it sounds like it's live-able, so the back boxes remain securely on the shopping list.

Your comments on lowering are obviously more mixed. So 20mm spring compression... What difference did this make to the ride height? It's actually the visual that I'm more interested in, as I find the 18" wheels look a bit lost under the arches. I was actually thinking of going 30mm, but assumed this would probably only take 15mm off the overall ride height? As for the ride itself, your comments lead me towards the FD anti-sway bars as a possible additional (or alternative) mod? From the blurb they do seem designed specifically to reduce spring-roll, understeer and balance. Hmm, I'll see what other comments I can glean from Maseratilife.

Cheers, Miles.

 

[Budapeststu]

Hi Miles,

I'm going to keep more of a record of the consumption I'm getting. The feeling I had was that the consumption did improve, if only a little after having the Larini back boxes and centre section fitted. On that "note" you could compromise on the volume by just having the back boxes fitted at first. That gives you the basic sound change and the pop and fizz on the overrun, but not the more booming noise I believe the sports centre section produces. I never got to listen to my car with the partial installation so I'm only going on what others have written.

As for the lowering, I think 30mm might make certain road surfaces and speed humps impassable. I have the feeling the amount my car was lowered is at the upper end of what's reasonable. I'll take a couple of side-on shots of the car tonight and post them for you. I've been meaning to show everyone how the car looks in any case.

I didn't know FD does an anti-sway bar. That might be a very good further improvement to the suspension and I'd be curious to see what information you can glean from other sources.

Just last comment on the Larinis. I know it's sacrilege to make such a comment but before I had the Larinis fitted, I'd toyed with the idea of leaving Maserati. Although I loved the exclusivity of the marque, it wasn't floating my boat the way it should have. All I can say is that the Larini set up changed everything. As far as the people I pass in the street are concerned, I now own a bona fide super car. Not only that, I own a super car that's quite practical, reasonable to maintain and extremely rare in global terms. I'm so glad I didn't change now!