New member from Kent UK

[Mr2big]

I thought it would be a good idea to join and say hello, I have just started looking for a Maserati Gran Turismo Auto.

My budget is £50k, so I hope to get a fairly decent 2008 one with low mileage. Because I am abroad on holiday for most of November I will not start looking for one until December. I really fancy a white one but they seem to be quite rare.

The Gran Turismo would be kept for sunny day driving as I have a Mercedes CLS as a company car. I also have a little toy which is a MR2 MK2 fitted with a V6 3000cc supercharged 1-MZ engine and flappy paddle gear shift including full race mode.

Do you ever meetings in Kent?

I belong to Kent Car Club.co.uk and one of the members told me that there was a Maserati group that met near Ashford.

Michael

 

[TheBeagler]

I would be interested in a Kent meet too as I'm based in Sevenoaks.

 

[Mr2big]

I noticed a garage in Sevenoaks advertising quite a few Maseratis, but most of them seem to be high mileage

Kent has a high population so I am sure there must be enough Maseratis to have a meeting

Michael

 

[Parisien]

Welcome guys to our Maserati forum, do join in and good luck in your search for GT Mr2big.

P

 

[GransportFan1]

Welcome to the fold. Regarding the meets, the guys off here organise a few meetings at the Ace cafe in London along with a Christmas gathering involving go karting and a meet at the Ace Cafe plus an overnight stay.

50k, you should be able to bag yourself a nice Granturismo at that price, early highish mile cars start at around 44k but for 50k i think you could secure a 58 plate example. A lot of the cars for sale are being sold at Maserati dealers or specialists. I personally would go for a rarer exterior colour such as Red or Blue with a nice cream/tan interior.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Andyk]

A very big welcome to the forum MR2big.....You should get some great info on here to help with you search..Good luck.

 

[lozcb]

Hi there to both Mr2big and TheBeagler , firstly great choice of car to start looking for , turismo GT is a well proven and fettled car , by december / xmas , £50K should start to see you having a choice of the GTS 4.7 mc shift rather than just the GT ( its much more the drivers car with uprated brakes susp and gearshifts ) oh and that exhaust note to die for ......so happy hunting

The dealer your probably talking about is probably ADG , they have some good cars but beware in the past they have had some adverse history, advice is to get an independant inspection especially as the cars are now available out of Maserati warranty , by indepentdant i mean someone unbiased and not someone closely affiliated altho it might seem convenient at the time


To my knowledge there are no club / forum events held in Kent but thats not to say a few local owners havent got together at some stage , On here we hold a regular monthly meet at the Ace Cafe and several midland meets , on the events section you'll see members attend many of the supercar events around the country and we organise several european jollies to LeMans and the like , if you fancy organising something local then feel free to get involved and post it on the events section , this forum is all about Masersti lifestyle and participation , fellow members know only to well about that permanent grin your about to wear once you have purchased , there is a wealth of info on here so use it and buy wisely oh and dont forget to post some pics we'll look forward to seeing them


regards loz

 

[Mr2big]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome to the club.

lozcb ,

Your comments about the possibility of a GTS 4.7 MC immediately brought a smile to my face.
I would rather buy the car from a recommended dealership that club members have first-hand knowledge about. I will make it an enjoyable experience finding the car and I am prepared to travel anywhere in the UK to get the right car.

GransportFan1

Could you tell me more about colours, what is rare and what to avoid ?

Meetings

I will certainly join you at social events, I was at the Ace cafe for my first time the other week and found it quite enjoyable. I am always up for an overnight stay in the UK or Europe. I do organised one of the biggest stand at the BHP show in Kent (May bank holiday Monday) I could quite easily fit a Maserati section in.

I am a very easy going person who is willing to help and get involved in events, I look forward to meeting some of you as soon as I have my car

Michael

 

[blue520]

Welcome to the forum Mr2big. I`m down in the east of Kent.
goodluck in your search.

 

[GransportFan1]

Colours, well Rosso Mondiale and Blue are quite rare however, there are 3 Blue's available, Blue Mediteraneo, Blue Nettuno and Blue Oceano. Popular are obviously Black, Silver and Grey, however there are 4 Grey colours, Grigio Nuvolari, Grigio Alfieri, Grigio Polladio and Grigio Ganitio.

Colours to avoid in my opinion would be Bordeaux Pontevecchio (Burgundy to you and me) and Argento Luna (ice blue which is no longer available) these 2 colours are not popular and take a considerable amount of time to sell on the 2nd hand market. JCT600 have a Argento Luna Grantuirsmo which has been on the market for at least 6 months.

In terms of interior, avoid wood trim and stick to aluminum although if you like wood, Black Piano is best suited. Steering wheel, some cars contain a "snappy" interior to say the least with Red, Grey and Blue steering wheels, a lot of people prefer black, me on the other hand i dont mind as long as the steering wheel is suited to the upholstery colour. Finally, lacquered trim, some cars have this and to me is off putting as it cheapens the car. It is also quite rare on the 2nd hand market.


I have included the exterior colours i have mentioned, ones to avoid, ones which are popular and the more exclusive colours which are my personal faves.

Personal faves
Blue Mediterraneo


Blue Nettuno


Blue Oceano


Rosso Mondiale



Popular Colours
Nero Carbonio


Grgio Touring


Grigio Alfieri


Grigio Granito


Colours to avoid
Pains me to say it but Yellow, personally i love it but there are not many in this colour and it is not well liked on the used market.


Bordeaux Pontevecchio


Argento Luna



Interior

No to

Wood (wullnut shades)


Lacquered trim



As for steering wheels, well as i mentioned, different coloured steering wheels can suit but it does depend how different you want to be.

Finally wheels, the 4.2 Granturismo comes with 19 inch wheels as a no cost option however most were upgraded to the 20 inch items. The 19 inch wheels will be better suited to everyday long distance driving but for me, i prefer the 20" Birdcage wheels which you see on most 4.2's. Hope this has helped.

 

[lozcb]

Thank you everyone for your warm welcome to the club.

lozcb ,

Your comments about the possibility of a GTS 4.7 MC immediately brought a smile to my face.
I would rather buy the car from a recommended dealership that club members have first-hand knowledge about. I will make it an enjoyable experience finding the car and I am prepared to travel anywhere in the UK to get the right car.

GransportFan1

Could you tell me more about colours, what is rare and what to avoid ?

Meetings

I will certainly join you at social events, I was at the Ace cafe for my first time the other week and found it quite enjoyable. I am always up for an overnight stay in the UK or Europe. I do organised one of the biggest stand at the BHP show in Kent (May bank holiday Monday) I could quite easily fit a Maserati section in.

I am a very easy going person who is willing to help and get involved in events, I look forward to meeting some of you as soon as I have my car

Michael

Spot on Michael , seems you'll fit in nicely, i'll get your armchair ready then , look forward to meeting you maybe at the Xmas do if your search is fruitful

warm regards loz

 

[conaero]

Personal taste there Adam, my advice is just to get a colour vs interior that balances well.

Black with Black is everywhere and there is nothing wrong with that, but its too heavy for my taste.

I always try and go for a contrast:

Black with red/tan/grey/white
White with red/black/blue
Silvers with red/black
Greys with red/tan
Vivid colours (yellows/reds etc) with black only

 

[bigbob]

Good tips. Always like a contrast myself.

 

[bigbob]

Outside of your budget but it's white so good for a look:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3298928.htm

 

[Andyk]

Personal taste there Adam, my advice is just to get a colour vs interior that balances well.

Black with Black is everywhere and there is nothing wrong with that, but its too heavy for my taste.

I always try and go for a contrast:

Black with red/tan/grey/white
White with red/black/blue
Silvers with red/black
Greys with red/tan
Vivid colours (yellows/reds etc) with black only

Agree Matt....Adam, everyone likes different colours...I would juts buy what you like and not worry about what sells well......Maserati do some very nice different colour woods these days so wouldn't be put off if thats your thing........Colour is a very personal.......

 

[Mr2big]

blue520

Thank you, I am just outside Hythe quite near Folkestone racecourse​

GransportFan1

Well what can I say, thank you very much that has given me something to think about you.

Blue Mediterraneo: looks absolutely stunning

Grgio Touring: complements the shape of the car and draws your attention to some of the finer details

Blue Oceano & Nettuno : gives the car a nice executive appearance

Rosso Mondiale: I am not sure about this
It might be because I have not had a red car before, I need to see it in the flesh.​

Thank you for your help, it is appreciated

Michael

 

[Mr2big]

Outside of your budget but it's white so good for a look:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3298928.htm

bigbob: I have to agree, my first comment was about a white Maserati.

I think I need to stick to my budget; there is only myself and my wife at home with 4 cars between us. Two of them are regarded as sports cars but not in the same league as a Maserati.

I like black cars but I prefer them with light-coloured interiors.

Something about light-coloured interiors, they tend to make me feel happier when I am driving. I have a black interior in my Mercedes and it looks quite boring.

Michael

 

[GransportFan1]

GransportFan1

Well what can I say, thank you very much that has given me something to think about you.

Blue Mediterraneo: looks absolutely stunning

Grgio Touring: complements the shape of the car and draws your attention to some of the finer details

Blue Oceano & Nettuno : gives the car a nice executive appearance

Rosso Mondiale: I am not sure about this
It might be because I have not had a red car before, I need to see it in the flesh.​

Thank you for your help, it is appreciated

Michael

No problem Michael, this is a nice example of Grigio Touring, most tend to have red leather but this is a nice contrast with sand.
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3074000.htm

and as you mentioned you like Blue Nettuno, slightly over budget but room for negotiation.
http://pistonheads.com/sales/3212315.htm

 

[conaero]

Outside of your budget but it's white so good for a look:

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3298928.htm

That's the car that went through British Car Auctions at Bkackbushe last week. Talk about lazy, they have used the pics they took at the yard (airfield full or cars in the background).

 

[kentoldster]

I am based in Tunbridge Wells so a Kent meet may be of real interest. On the subject of GT 4.2's all I should say is that later today Maranello Egham will be getting mine back as a p/x -pic is my avatar and its a 2008 Oceano blue with Avorio hide and 24k miles. Not a clue what they will sell it for of course, but I thought it was worth mentioning as they may do a deal for a quick turn round.

Welcome to the forum - as a sporadic participant (sorry) I find everyone here very helpful and far more knowlegeable than I am!