Top Gear tonight!
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Andyk
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Well said Miles..would agree with you there...One of the biggest areas that needs to be address is the single clutch (in the MC shift)...Their is a reason why Ferrari and the rest have gone double clutch and if Maserati followed suit you would fell a big difference in the car..........
Emtee
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I did think about adding this to my post Andy. Perhaps it was because I've driven both only briefly, however I didn't mind the clutch on either car. Both appreciably better then the GS and the Stradale in particular was very quick in race mode, both from stationary and between the gears. With that said, I've not driven a double clutch, so can't give a comparison.
Emtee
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Ah yes, the Stradale was super quick, but there was a jolt as the clutch engaged. There is on the MCV as well when you floor it. Thanks Andy.
Emtee
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Parisien
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It's never out of sport mode Andy!!
................whats it like having 2 D***Ks Miles...................must be awesome.....
P
Yeti
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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.
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.
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