GT'S and Trackdays

[philw696]

Check your brakes regularly guys especially after track use.
This is the front pads from a 2012 4.7.
Came in for noisey brakes and I knew straight away they had been hot as the 6 pot caliper decals where no longer white but a off yellow.
These are heavy car's and the brakes take a pounding and I know a few of you like to go on track.

 

[Felonious Crud]

Bloody ****!

 

[philw696]

Wished I'd have taken a picture of the discs I binned Adam on a car that had only done 18,000 miles.

 

[bigbob]

Thanks for posting. My car is about to go through 30,000 miles and I am still on the factory discs/pads.

I know a lot of people disagree with me but you are much better off not tracking your Maser but renting, say, a Caterham for the day. Faster round the corners, more fun and probably cheaper post tyre/brake wear costs.

 

[philw696]

Your right Bob as much as these car's are fun to drive fast they are Grand Tourers.
We're also New Zealand's only Lotus dealership and I have to say having driven a few I'd love one for track. I probably wouldn't spin off as much.

 

[bigbob]

I've never mastered driving a mid engined car at speed which is why I have always enjoyed taking a Caterham on the track when I have had the chance. I will never take my GTS on the track, did so with the 4200 and it was soft, all over the place when braking and the brakes smoked very quickly.

 

[philw696]

I loved putting my 4200 on track but being F1 I didn't have the gear stick and clutch pedal to think about.

 

[c4sman]

Other than a quick show lap at Brooklands maybe, there is no way I would seriously track my GT. Other than a Stradale on ceramics the huge weight of these cars guarantee that they will very quickly eat tyres and brakes on track. I used to do a quite a few track days in my TVR's and Porsches (incuding a Carrera S around the Nurburgring) and they are far more suitable due to lighter weight and you can feel within a few laps in a Porsche 911 that it could carry on going all day, where as I imagine 2 laps in a non Stradale GT would have it crying for mercy. Not even sure I would be prepared to punish a Stradale on track as it is still a heavy car, and would much prefer the Caterham suggestion as they are perfect for the job!

Sick to occasional quick road driving I think!

 

[Maser Sod]

Do we know anyone who has ever tracked a Stradale? Visually, they appear set up for the track, but is this largely for show? They weigh in at about 1750 kg so are hardly track warriors.

The GT Trofeos I once saw at Donnington didn't really look like Stradale's, they had steel discs for a start!

 

[Contigo]

Blondie has tracked hers a few times and says it is very capable.

 

[Contigo]

The problem is people put red stuff and yellow stuff pads on which absolutely eat and ruin discs thanks to the kevlar. If you want to ruin a good set of disks in 1/3 of the time of OEM pads then go with Kevlar pads.

 

[bigbob]

The problem is people put red stuff and yellow stuff pads on which absolutely eat and ruin discs thanks to the kevlar. If you want to ruin a good set of disks in 1/3 of the time of OEM pads then go with Kevlar pads.

Never knew that, thanks. I had been looking at the FD Carbon/Kevlar pad but maybe not now.

 

[drewf]

Do we know anyone who has ever tracked a Stradale? Visually, they appear set up for the track, but is this largely for show? They weigh in at about 1750 kg so are hardly track warriors.

The GT Trofeos I once saw at Donnington didn't really look like Stradale's, they had steel discs for a start!

There has been a French discussion very recently about this, involving an interview with Trofeo factory personnel.

The standard Stradale with the carbon brakes was a full 10s per lap slower than the Trofeo car around Paul Ricard (where the last Trofeo race was). This was essentially all down to being able to carry more speed through every corner. The road cars are just too heavy... There's no significant power difference between the Trofeo and Stradale cars - it's literally just a few hp, down to different induction and exhaust plus a slightly different engine map.

Very nice as fast road cars though - if the weight was stripped to that of the Trofeo, they would be unpleasant on the road.

 

[Maser Sod]

I'd have a Stradale in a heartbeat, I love 'em - but I still don't get why it is so heavy. I thought Maserati might have been able to get the weight down to something properly trackable. (At least I thought that was half the idea with the Stradale, but maybe it was never intended as a track car and was more for show.)

 

[Felonious Crud]

Fully agree, the GTS is a long way off being a track car. As others have said the brakes simply aren't up to the sustained use. They get grumpy very quickly, which you can understand in a 2t car!

Very interesting comment from Contigo regarding the detrimental effect of Kevlar pads on steel disks. Like bigbob my choice of replacement pads has suddenly changed. Interesting as well that FD's kick-*** replacement brake kit includes, er, Kevlar pads and steel discs. Hmm.

 

[Wattie]

Tracking a GTS is mental unless you have very deep pockets. They ain't built for it!!

Buy a proper track day car and enjoy the day without the bills.
Cheers Wattie

 

[Classico]

Tracking a GTS is mental unless you have very deep pockets. They ain't built for it!!

Buy a proper track day car and enjoy the day without the bills.
Cheers Wattie

This.

 

[Morebeans]

Fully agree, the GTS is a long way off being a track car. As others have said the brakes simply aren't up to the sustained use. They get grumpy very quickly, which you can understand in a 2t car!

Very interesting comment from Contigo regarding the detrimental effect of Kevlar pads on steel disks. Like bigbob my choice of replacement pads has suddenly changed. Interesting as well that FD's kick-*** replacement brake kit includes, er, Kevlar pads and steel discs. Hmm.

Had a set of yellow stuff pads fitted a month ago; didn't realise they were that brutal on the disks, but I have to say they were great around the Brooklands test track.

 

[Contigo]

Yellow stuff are friendlier than red stuff that's for sure.

I love the way they say that there is reduced noise and no more wear than standard pads but in my experience and lots of mates track days that is not the case.

 

[Bobby Dandruff]

Do we know anyone who has ever tracked a Stradale? Visually, they appear set up for the track, but is this largely for show? They weigh in at about 1750 kg so are hardly track warriors.

The GT Trofeos I once saw at Donnington didn't really look like Stradale's, they had steel discs for a start!

I have driven one (and been driven IN one by an instructor!) on the Maserati Master GT2 Driving course at Varano de'Melegari and it was SUCH good fun. In fact, I can't agree with most of the rubbish written here about the suitability of the GranTurismo for track use, having spent a full two days doing exactly that.

They were great fun and there is NO WAY that a non-driving God like me will get anywhere near the performance available on UK roads. No where near.