After a fair amount of toing and froing, I finally bought the car! MY13 GT Sport with most of my boxes ticked...comfort pack, Bose, Neptunes etc. Very happy to be a part of the Maserati elite!
The day didn't start too well what with the trains disruptions over the weekend meant I stood for the 3hrs journey on the way to Manchester. However, this was all forgotten once I saw the car (just WOW!) and got behind the wheel and headed back down south. Have to say it really is a stunning car in the flesh. I have not seen the Grigio Alfieri colour around for some time and I think it shows the lines extremely well.
The 250 mile journey home was a great opportunity to get to know it and as we all know, the noise in Sport mode is just incredible! It's extremely addictive. A relative who owns a Cali was seriously impressed. Whilst gear changes in manual mode in the AutoShift may not be lightening quick it works well for my needs and coming from SMGIII, I am more than happy with it. Living in London, the AutoShift box will allow to cruise a low/standstill(!) pace which will suit me very well. There were times in the M6 where I did think I wished didn't have to worry about paddle changes when in traffic (the auto SMG was horrific). Actually, comparing the GT to the M6, obviously both very different cars but do offer similar characteristics. Rear seats were becoming an issue for the kids so the GT wins on that front. That V10 was sublime when pushing on and I am glad I have experienced it. The blistering pace in the M6 could keep up with most supercars. Yes, it isn't the prettiest car on the road but that's subjective anyway.
There is no point complaining about the infotainment...yes, it's terrible. Even the wife pointed out the Command system in her Merc is planets ahead. Not new news I know. I will be keeping an eye out on 3rd party installs but in the meantime Waze works well.
So I am slowly getting used to the Italian 'features'. Things like not being able to fold the wing mirrors without ignition on...unable to open/close the passenger window by one-touch. Are these things I just need to get used to? Am sure I will discover more! I am looking forward to stretching it legs over the coming months as a couple of trips are planned.
Overall, I am smitten. It's a beautiful looking thing, sounds completely ridiculous and has the practicality I need for family needs. I can see this car sticking around for a long time. I've been a member here since 2013 as I knew I would be in one one day. There have been a few distractions along the way but I am glad I am finally here. This forum is an invaluable resource and thanks to you all! Hopefully, I will make the London meets soon and meet some fellow owners.
I will try and figure out how to load a couple of photos now...any tips?!
Cheers Sam