New Enthusiast, Newbie Questions

[darenmil]

Hi All,

I'm new to this forum, Hopefully I'm starting this thread in the correct place - a couple of my questions do qualify as technical I think!..

I've owned a Ferrari 360 for about 5 years now - it's my weekend car and I love it... It's a car I'll never sell... Weekend cars are one thing, but I need a new daily driver and my sights are firmly set on a Granturismo 4.7, for a couple of reasons. Firstly I joined the Supercar Driver club last year and I've come across a few on some of the meets... that startup sound is intoxicating, but i'm sure I don't need to tell anyone on here that! Secondly I was lucky enough to be invited onto a Ferrari factory tour last year and by sheer luck it coincided with the 100 years of Maserati celebrations in Modena - I saw more Maseratis than Ferraris that week and since then, all thoughts I was having about Porsches, Astons etc as daily drivers have vanished.

I'll be pulling the trigger in the next two to three months assuming I can find the right one and the test-drives don't dissapoint. I'm looking for a 1 - 2 year old model, but will go to 3 or 4 years for the right car. I must admit however, I find the range and options a little confusing and lacking in real description, hence the following questions...

1. What the better option, Auto or MC Shift and what really is the difference? Both cars seem to come with paddle shift so is their use in the Auto "optional" and "neccessary" in MC Shift?

2. Does MC Shift burn through clutches faster - what's the lifespan?

3. Is there a sound difference between the models? - I seem to find lots of different answers to this question!

4. Is bluetooth standard in all models or is it only available with the BOSE Audio option? (no bluetooth is a deal breaker for me)

5. Are there any major or minor "known issues" that I should be aware of?

6. And Finally, I live in Sheffield so JCT600 in Leeds or Greypaul Nottingham are my nearest dealers (I'll be doing a visit to Leeds soon as the Ferrari is due a service.... I'll be talking to the Maserati guys there in detail). My gut instinct is to stick to the Main Dealer network but are there specialists that anyone would recommend I visit? Nuvola for example, seem to come up a lot in ads and their stock looks extensive... are they worth a visit? or is Main Dealer a safer bet?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions, Work have kept me away from the Supercar Driver weekend meets this year so I've not had chance to ask around at the club now I've actually decided to buy, but this seems to be the place to ask.

Thanks for any guidance you can give!

 

[Fangio63]

The GT Sport Auto MC is the one to go for..... 460hp (up from 440 in the 4.7S) and revised gear change, suspension settings and interior... Bluetooth now on all cars since about 2010... It may have been an option - but I've never seen one without it.. It's an Auto box - so no clutch to worry about ...and you're right... playing with the paddles optional.... These replaced the 4.7S from about August 2012 on..

You can get the MC software upgrade on the 4.7S Auto... but if you can afford it the extra HP and updated look are worth having..

So far as the MCshift is concerned... different thing altogether.... Paddles essential - and its a robo Manual gearbox... - so clutches are an issue.... Can be tiresome in day to day use - and in traffic (there is an auto button that will do the changes for you - but thats rubbish)...... Thing is ... that when you get it out on a decent bit of road the MC shift is quite addictive ... and If you like it there will be no going back...

With the software upgrade the new Auto box is not far off the MC experience.. and brings with it greater flexibility in terms of use..

Try both and you'll get the picture... So far as I am aware there is no difference in sound.. and both - as well as the 4.7S - are plenty loud enough..

 

[dickygrace]

^^^^ ditto! I'd do the same. Also, Nuvola are very good but don't tend to sell 2013 MY cars yet as they tend to stick to 3-7 year old Granturismo's.

 

[bigbob]

Welcome. I would suggest firstly driving both an auto and an MC shift to get an idea of which you prefer. In the 4.7 the former allows pretty much full manual control whereas the latter is a development of the F1 gearbox from the 360/430. Once you have chosen a gearbox you can then choose whether you go pre or post facelift as mentioned above. I own a pre and driving a post I struggled to feel the extra power/suspension changes. The seats were great though - pre are a bit hard - but the nose was not a thing of beauty as far as I was concerned. A dark colour hides that mind!

 

[stewarttownsend]

Darren

I got my 2008 4.7 GTS MC Shift about 4 months ago having moved from a daily drive of a 911 and its so awesome, Im about an hour from sheffield/leeds and looking around I struck lucky with mine from a dealer in Edinburgh so didn't have to go into the network but also my budget was 50K max so networks weren't offering anything in that price range at the time.

Drive one and never look back...

 

[bigbob]

Darren

I got my 2008 4.7 GTS MC Shift about 4 months ago having moved from a daily drive of a 911 and its so awesome, Im about an hour from sheffield/leeds and looking around I struck lucky with mine from a dealer in Edinburgh so didn't have to go into the network but also my budget was 50K max so networks weren't offering anything in that price range at the time.

Drive one and never look back...

Like many main dealers, Maserati are increasingly selling very little over 4 years old as the ££ margins and prep standards they need just don't stack up at the price point concerned.

 

[darenmil]

So far as the MCshift is concerned... different thing altogether.... Paddles essential - and its a robo Manual gearbox... - so clutches are an issue.... Can be tiresome in day to day use - and in traffic (there is an auto button that will do the changes for you - but thats rubbish)...... Thing is ... that when you get it out on a decent bit of road the MC shift is quite addictive ... and If you like it there will be no going back...

ahhh, - That sounds like the E60 M5 I used to have... that was a manual box with a computer strapped on, the paddles were awesome when you got on the open roads but the auto option for pottering around town was absolutley awful and seemed to have a mind of it's own!

 

[Fangio63]

There's very little out there in terms of a used GT Sport right now ... unless you like the Blu Sofisticato ...(I don't)... and as all the press cars I saw were that colour these might be some of them..
If I were buying now (and my budget could stretch to it.).. the Grey one with Cuoio leather at Dick Lovetts looks like a stunning bit of kit.. Might have to change the wheels tho..

I'd agree with Bigbob on the look of the front end.. but I have to say whilst the new seats look better I found the old style seats on my 4.2 extremely good and I did several 4 and 5 hour stints at the wheel in that..

 

[bigbob]

ahhh, - That sounds like the E60 M5 I used to have... that was a manual box with a computer strapped on, the paddles were awesome when you got on the open roads but the auto option for pottering around town was absolutley awful and seemed to have a mind of it's own!

Pretty much spot on.

 

[darenmil]

I do like them in Nero or Grigio Alfieri but I think my ideal would be Grigio Granito with the Black Neptune wheels. I've seen a couple with Pearl Leather, Nero Stitching & Nero Alcantara inserts that look lovely.. but a Nero interior may be the more practical approach for a daily driver... from my experience extremely light interiors are probably best left for weekend cars.

I'm keeping an eye on the sites daily to try to track the turnover of cars but I have noticed nice ones don't stick around for long!

 

[Fangio63]

Never been a fan of black interiors on Maserati's.... The Tan (Cuoio) or Sand (Sabbia) look great on a dark car.. anything paler is hard work.. Had one with bordeaux which was quite nice and easy to live with ..

It's a very personal thing .. but there seem to be a lot of Black/Black and White/Black cars about... always seem to take a little longer to sell..

 

[darenmil]

Out of interest - is clutch wear readable from the diagnostic?

My 360 is a manual and clutch wear can only be determined by visual inspection, which, unless the engine is out for some other reason is prohibitively expensive, but on the cars with F1 gearboxes, clutch wear can be read at time of service via the diagnostic unit.

 

[darenmil]

It's a very personal thing .. but there seem to be a lot of Black/Black and White/Black cars about... always seem to take a little longer to sell..

Indeed - for me, kids constantly in and out of the car takes it toll on the lighter interiors, although I do prefer them.

I have a white car at the moment - never again!

 

[Fangio63]

I believe so...

 

[Doohickey]

I bought my 2008 4.2GT from JCT Leeds at sub £40K and they were very helpful. Put new pads and tyres on the back and a 12 month warranty. Nicholas Burke is the Maserati guy there but you need to be quick if you see one. I went to see mine as soon as it went up and they hadn't even had time to clean it and by the time I went two or three others had phoned about it.

 

[MikeyMaser]

ahhh, - That sounds like the E60 M5 I used to have... that was a manual box with a computer strapped on, the paddles were awesome when you got on the open roads but the auto option for pottering around town was absolutley awful and seemed to have a mind of it's own!

I used to have a E60 M5 and now have a 4.7S MC Shift. The MC Shift gearbox is way better than the M5s in auto mode. Test drive both MC shift and auto... I did and preferred the MC Shift!

 

[MikeyMaser]

Out of interest - is clutch wear readable from the diagnostic?

Yes, main dealers should give you the clutch wear reading for their used cars. If it's too high, you'll get a new clutch as part of the prep. I got mine from a main dealer and the sales experience and standard of prep on the car was second to none even though I paid top dollar. You should also be able to negotiate a 2 year official Maserati warranty for complete peace of mind.

 

[bigbob]

Yes, main dealers should give you the clutch wear reading for their used cars. If it's too high, you'll get a new clutch as part of the prep. I got mine from a main dealer and the sales experience and standard of prep on the car was second to none even though I paid top dollar. You should also be able to negotiate a 2 year official Maserati warranty for complete peace of mind.

Latter point depends on age of car but they could offer an aftermarket year 2 for sure.

 

[MikeyMaser]

Latter point depends on age of car but they could offer an aftermarket year 2 for sure.

True. But, if you catch it right before the 3 year warranty ends, they can slap a 2 year official Maserati warranty on if you negotiate hard enough.

 

[bigbob]

True. But, if you catch it right before the 3 year warranty ends, they can slap a 2 year official Maserati warranty on if you negotiate hard enough.

Agree completely but the two year extended is about £2300 so not silly in relation to the total dealer margin esp. as a second year top up.