Top Gear about to start on 2
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conaero
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I am not, if they pan the GTS that's £5k off my car overnight!
Mind you, if it goes the other way, maybe it will add £5k to it!
Either way, nervous
Parisien
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Well...thats the kiss of death.........Maserati may as well close up shop in the UK....just like Lancia did....
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urbanmaser
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I wish Maserati would do away with that auto button. It is close to a useless addition to the car and I would agree with Clarkson it is too sluggish in making up its mind. Whilst he loved the car as a track car he still hates the looks. He seems to pick on trivial things just to have a go at Maserati and I dont believe for one second that he seriously believes it is an ugly car. If thats what he truly believes he needs to take a trip to spec savers
Parisien
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.......its a psychiatrist he needs to see Peter...............and a counsellor.........and a clinical pyschologist.................and...the list is endless...............
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Parisien
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.....................the Merc is merely a body to enclose an engine and cabin.......................function over form........
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Yeti
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I added this post to the alternative thread, but I think it's worth re-posting here in case any of you didn't catch it. As an owner, I thought I would try to get over my own point of view, so here it is in all it's glory - or should that be lack of glory?
In response to the above question, as an owner of a 2011 GT-S, there is little I would want to change, but then I would say that wouldn't I?
To my, albeit biased mind, the new Granturismo is without exception one of the most beautiful cars on the road. I honestly cannot think of a more gorgeous looking vehicle available today, and were I forced to change it for whatever reason; I would buy the same car again without hesitation.
The mistake some people make is in not understanding exactly what is meant by the nomenclature – Grand Tourer. The car is not meant to be a race car for the road in the way that a Ferrari 458 is, nor is it the ultimate in luxury per some BMW and Audi models. The car fits neatly in between in that oft abused category the GT.
As I said in an earlier post, my wife and family rapidly grow wearisome of the sport mode, don't like the high revs necessary for the Cambiocorse box to work to its best advantage, and soon tire of the drone from the exhaust when cruising at fixed rpm. So, to keep everyone happy when laden, I leave the old girl in full auto with the Sport mode switched off. In this configuration, I can cruise serenely along the motorway with the cruise control engaged to give a steady 70mph, not having to worry about plod or camera's and still returning upwards of 25mpg. Even in this mode, the car still has bucket loads of performance in reserve all of which can be engaged with a simple flick of the left paddle to knock her down a gear or two.
If this were all the car had to offer I would be more than happy. She is a delight to drive, has more than adequate power and is gorgeous to look at even when parked. However, with this Maserati you get a bonus when you engage Sport mode and MC Shift. We all know what this means, but not many “outsiders†seem to understand how the MC Shift actually behaves. Below 5,5k rpm the shifts are fast but can be jerky. I find that if I lift off a fraction it smooth's the shift, but it's above 5.5k that the box really comes into its own. It's obviously designed to be revved to the limit, and if this is carried out, the shift is much much faster and smoother. Typically I shift just as the shift lights change from amber to red. At this point it's a whole new ball game. I will grant you that this will never be as good as a properly designed and executed DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission), but we don't have to pay the sort of prices this would command.
Overall the car is a great one and I firmly believe will be a classic in its own right. It will never be as fast or handle or stop as well as some cars, but it is not designed to, and I would hazard a guess that very few of us on here are capable of extracting the most from this car. It's like everything motorized, are we as good as or better than what we are driving/riding? This was brought home to me when I bought my Ducati race bike. Even after a full season, my best time around Cadwell was in the high 1m30's. My mate who is a former British Superbike champion and rode EXACTLY the same bike does the same lap at least 10 – 12 seconds faster. So the bike is good but the rider should retire while he still has all his marbles. It's the same with the car, most of us will sample perhaps 75% of its capabilities even on track, but that does not stop us enjoying what we have. Mine makes me smile every time I see her and laugh out loud when the exhaust note rises.
On the down side, the car has its faults; the steering is way too vague for me and too light. It's a nightmare over standing water at speed, and I would like to see the sport and auto buttons relocated to the steering wheel. Other than that, I find it hard to fault.
GransportFan1
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That Merc was fugly, the CLK black series was a beauty but the C63 Black is awful, hate the spoilers.
hodroyd
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As I have said before, I can't see the sense of having a car that just smokes tyres everywhere you try and go, that's a total waste of power and money. The Maser never smoked tyres, stayed stable in the corners and was fast. Even though the lap time said the Merc was faster overall, which I find slightly dubious, the way the Maser completed the lap was more to my liking.
GransportFan1
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I dont like the SLS either, so ugly.
Parisien
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.....I think Mercedes have lost their way and /or AMG.......not sure who they are appealing to as regards high end performance saloons/coupes......maybe am too biased....
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