Closehttp://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsHistory/Maserati-Grancabrio-4.7-V8/251334/
Charming car but not fully developed in crucial areas and costing £100.000!!
Actually this test reminds of other FIAT Group tests, like Alfa Romeo; their recent models are also charming but over-promising and under-delivering.
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"Form follows function"
You miss the point of these cars completely reginos. They are emotional purchases which is something that isn't for you it seems.
Autocar sum it up perfectly...
"As a single-car purchase, the GranCabrio would need careful consideration, but within a multi-car garage we can certainly see its merits. Especially if that garage happened to be on the Cote d’Azur."
The GranCabrio was never planned at the outset of the GranTurismo product line as Maserati were developing a replacement spider model for the 4200 series which Ferrari took and turned into the California when Fiat Auto reorganised it's brands into different reporting structures. As a result of this Maserati had to take the GranTurismo and create a convertible on a much longer chassis than they had expected to use and one that had little space for a folding roof mechanism. Apart from the ludicrously small boot, which is dictated by the strengthening bar they had to add across the rear suspension turrets, I'd say they've done a spectacular job. The car is breath takingly beautiful to a lot of eyes. Its not intended to be a sports car but for glamourous transport it's hard to beat. No german brand has anything to hold a candle to it stylistically and in this part of the market it's style that counts. For many buyers £100k will be seen as something of a bargain compared to the far frumpier looking Bentley Continental GTC for example.
And as far as build quality and reliability go the two GranTurismos I've owned were amongst the best built cars I've ever had. The leather work and paint finish are superb.
I appreciate the emotion generated by these cars and their appealing looks. But reading through this test there appear to be some deficiencies and compromises in dynamics and efficiency, inexcusable for this class of vehicle.
If this car was more complete in crucial areas, the emotion wouldn't be any less. On the contrary it would be supplemented by much needed real world value and worth.
"Form follows function"
reginos:
I appreciate the emotion generated by these cars and their appealing looks. But reading through this test there appear to be some deficiencies and compromises in dynamics and efficiency, inexcusable for this class of vehicle.
If this car was more complete in crucial areas, the emotion wouldn't be any less. On the contrary it would be supplemented by much needed real world value and worth.
As I said before it's evident these cars aren't for you. Any car with a bit of soul or excitement has what you would call "defficiencies". Those that have been so precisely engineered that any character has been removed from them would be your defintion of perfection I guess.
Luckily such cars exist for you - Audi R8, 997 turbo etc. I've owned examples of both and they were crushingly competent but totally and utterly devoid of any ability to generate any passion whatsoever. When paying out that sort of money I want to feel like the car is special not just competent. I could buy a Lexus or S class or 7 series etc for that. Compare a Gallardo and R8 back to back and you can quickly see that the Audi has taken the DNA of the Lambo and clinically removed all of it's character imperfections. In so doing it also turns a raw exciting, sometimes scary and thrilling car into a devastatingly competent one that totally fails to stir your emotions. Sometime it's good to leave a bit of badness bubbling away below the surface just to keep the driver on their toes. So I completely disagree with your real world value and worth statement. Not everyone seeks the same things in a car as you 
Once you get to this level of pricing you are generally buying low volume cars that have corresponding shortcomings. It's a bit like expensive designer clothing which looks fantastic but won't wear well and may not be as comfortable as high street fashion copies which are more robustly made out of harder wearing, washable fabrics but don't have the same attention to design details or exquisite cut.
I do find it incredible though that you take what some road tester says as being gospel without having driven the car yourself and are happy to restate their views here as though they were fact. I've lost count of the number of times I've read reviews and thought "did they drive the same car I did or did they just write this nonsense without thinking?" Everyone has an "opinion", no more no less, and those of the testers at Autocar are not infallible by a long margin. They frequently change their minds on cars if they get them on long term test and live with them daily. More often that not these daystheir criticisms end up being about stupid things like poor ipod or bluetooth connections, or some plastic graining that's sub par. What on earth do those things matter if the drive is involving and rewarding 
Thanks for taking the time for this analytical reply with some very valid points 
However, all FIAT Group cars are like that (some very strong points and nice style but glaring omissions and defficiencies too), not just the limited production ones and the exotics that can be attributed to or excused for "passion and character".
I rather suspect it is a matter of flawed competence on the part of FIAT and its subsidiaries and the absence of a corporate philosophy of perfectionism.
--
"Form follows function"
ISUK:
You miss the point of these cars completely reginos. They are emotional purchases which is something that isn't for you it seems.
Autocar sum it up perfectly...
"As a single-car purchase, the GranCabrio would need careful consideration, but within a multi-car garage we can certainly see its merits. Especially if that garage happened to be on the Cote d’Azur."
The GranCabrio was never planned at the outset of the GranTurismo product line as Maserati were developing a replacement spider model for the 4200 series which Ferrari took and turned into the California when Fiat Auto reorganised it's brands into different reporting structures. As a result of this Maserati had to take the GranTurismo and create a convertible on a much longer chassis than they had expected to use and one that had little space for a folding roof mechanism. Apart from the ludicrously small boot, which is dictated by the strengthening bar they had to add across the rear suspension turrets, I'd say they've done a spectacular job. The car is breath takingly beautiful to a lot of eyes. Its not intended to be a sports car but for glamourous transport it's hard to beat. No german brand has anything to hold a candle to it stylistically and in this part of the market it's style that counts. For many buyers £100k will be seen as something of a bargain compared to the far frumpier looking Bentley Continental GTC for example.
And as far as build quality and reliability go the two GranTurismos I've owned were amongst the best built cars I've ever had. The leather work and paint finish are superb.
I would prefer Ferrari Cali over GrandCabrio without any hesitation. If I were to go İtalian, it is always Ferrari for me. 
I see no point of getting a Maserati over a Ferrari.
On the other hand, I test drove a Maserati Grand Turismo S 3 months ago. I like the engine sound and here in Turkey, Maseratis are tried to be sold as daily sports cars which, IMO, are NOT. Evenif you can drive it daily, they have high maintenance cost, service bills are high, very fragile, and used ones depriciate a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against italian cars. Actually I'm in love with Ferrari's. Scuderia is my DREAM CAR, till the 458 succesor. I wish to buy 458, too.
BUT, I would never ever buy an italian car by assuming it is daily. When the word "daily" comes in play, Germans are only way to go, IMO.
Back to my Grand Turismo S test, that car had auto tranny, not the sequential one. Very nice engine sound, handsome looks, I don't like the rear much though.
And first time, contrarily to your opinion Iain, I didn't like the interior material and quality of the car. Maybe, it can be changed with options, BUT I don't like it when the dash is covered with leather but the insturment cluster for the lights and mirrors are FIAT quality cheap plastics. The interior of the car wasn't in harmony. It wasn't complete. Some places are nice, especially leather covered dashboard. Then quality of the plastic is very low and you feel them. That black plastic covered light and mirror control cluster just left side of the steering wheel irritates me alot. And the wood interior trim feels like plastic. But from the outside, the exterior and interior has elegant looks. They just don't feel the same once you sit in it.
I would choose Audi R8 over Grand Turismo S, any time. However, If I can stretch to 458 or Scud, Ferrari would be my obvious choice with another car in the garage, which means 458 or Scud + another daily car which would be German.
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ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
Since a friend owns the local Maserati dealership, he also has a GranCabrio in stock. The car looks great, the engine/exhaust sound is great too but paying so much money for a car which is basically not faster or sportier than a BMW M3 Cab ? I don't know, I couldn't do it.
For 80000 EUR, this would be a great product. For this kind of money, this car is a no go for me.
Let's just hope that Maserati surprises us with better performance products next year. They can't charge more than Porsche for less performance.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW
I was test driving this car couple of weeks ago. The car is beautiful. The inside is kind of tight and sporty. From the drive style it feels anything in between a Porsche and Mercedes (kind of awkward). Its not connected as direct to the street as the Porsche would its also not as comfortable as a E-Convertible.
I drove the car right after I was driving a E-Convertible E500. The E-Class felt more powerful and the whole set up felt more modern. The winning point of the Maserati would be its uniqueness and its amazing sound!
I'm really with you guys, for 100.000 € I might consider it. The test car was 145.000,- € - far to much. The E-Class is the much better deal, better technology, great engine with lots of power, and a considerably lower loss on value.
SciFrog:
Listen to ISUK, he gets it. These cars are not made to be perfect or value. They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
Thats what I said!
And - being honest, there is a reason why you see black Mercedes at every stop light 
Thanks SciFrog. Maseratis are not meant to be bought as a value for money proposition. They are a very low volume manufacturer selling a car that can be tailored to the owners wishes. To try to compare a GranCabrio to an E Class coupe is just wrong on so many levels. Mercedes Benz long ago lost any hint of brand cachet or glamour by moving into the volume market segment. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but it's not the target audience Maserati are going after. The car is about style, glamour, exclusivity, the incredible sound and the special feeling owning and driving one imparts.
A low volume manufacturer is never going to have everything in their car finished to exacting standards and in the finest materials at the price point of the GranCabrio. Making bespoke switchgear is ludicrously expensive and that is why even most VW Audi group products from basic economy models to performance exotics share it. My Gallardos had the same mirror switches and nav unit as an Audi A4 for example. Did it worry me? Heck no..... the car was an event to drive and frankly, as long as the mirrors work, I couldn't care less about the switch finish 
The California is another point in case. It's being panned on some boards for having a nav unit that is also fitted to Chrysler/Jeep vehicles. Who cares! If you are truly worried about the incar entertainment system above the driving dynamics of the car then don't bother wasting a large sum of money on a Ferrari would be my answer. Buy at car at half the price with a Mark Levinson/B&O system as standard etc and revel in your rich audio quality but accept that you'll likely get average handling and zero character to go with it. I accept that people expect to see a value proposition but get this confused in their minds when looking at low volume, high price tag cars. VW group will build more Golfs in one day than Maserati build of their entire range in a year. They therefore have to parts bin share some items in their cars with other Fiat Auto group companies. It's a small trade off worth paying IMHO for such a beautiful car with a glorious, handbuilt engine assembled for Maserati by Ferrari.
Do not expect to find the gazillion electronic toys either that Audi, BMW and Mercedes cram into their luxo barges to outdo each other in their continued and increasingly silly tech fests. Head up displays, night vision cameras, 360 degree viewing cameras, auto parking, lane warning assist, brake assist... the increasingly silly list goes on and on. We used to call all of these things basic driving skills - look out the window to see where you are going using your own eyes, use your mirrors when parking, be alert at nightime and drive a bit slower in case animals or people stray onto the road etc. Marketing departments have convinced swathes of drivers that gizmos are good and you need more of them, not less to be safe. Utter nonsense. Apart from Germany and it's shrinking network of unrestricted Autobahns, the rest of the world hasn't lifted it's road speed limits so trying to justify these tech toys like HUD's on the basis of cars being faster is somewhat contradictory when legally you shouldn't be driving them any faster 
These gadgets are hugely expensive to develop and are funded by the vast sales of humdrum A4/3series and C class models etc. None of them are needed for anything other than bragging rights. And because you won't find any on the Maserati yet will find all of it on a Benz at the same money the Italian car is always going to be panned by those who don't get the whole "low volume" build part.
SciFrog:
They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
...because they are top cars. Not everybody is willing to accept inferior products for the sake of being different or "exclusive and fashionable".
"Form follows function"
SciFrog:
Listen to ISUK, he gets it. These cars are not made to be perfect or value. They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
You can be sure that with this car, you draw more attention to yourself than with a Ferrari. 
Seriously, if I have the urge to be different, I can get something more interesting for 145000 EUR than a GrandCabrio. I just think that people forgot about what it means to value money and what you can get for it.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW
ISUK:These gadgets are hugely expensive to develop and are funded by the vast sales of humdrum A4/3series and C class models etc. None of them are needed for anything other than bragging rights. And because you won't find any on the Maserati yet will find all of it on a Benz at the same money the Italian car is always going to be panned by those who don't get the whole "low volume" build part.
Iain,
I get the low volume build part.
Therefore, I don't criticise Maserati as having low build quality. BUT if it is claimed that it has lux. high quality, best material interior (claims by Maserati Turkey Sales Manager, NOT you) I cannot be agree with this.
If low material and fit&finish interior quality is the weak point of a car, then one should not bring it on top.
By the way, my father used to have an Maserati Quattroporte in 1998. The car was MY96 and had 2.0L ghibli cup twin turbo engine, producing 306 hp, sending the power via 6 speed getrag manual transmission. That car was a decade ago but it was very problematic. In 20.000 km, the car ate 3 sets of clutches, there was no power under 4500 rpm, it had 225 skiny tires at the back, 400 mm huge wooden steering wheel, offset pedals, broke down 5 or 6 times on the road. We used the car 3 months and tried to sell it and succeed it finally at the end of 10 months. It was the worst car we had ever owned. So I'm a little biased against Maserati
ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
reginos:
SciFrog:
They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
...because they are top cars. Not everybody is willing to accept inferior products for the sake of being different or "exclusive and fashionable".
It's not about being "fashionable". You are blissfully happy with your Porsche and also apparently anything that is German. That's fine but your strident views make you sound as though anyone who dares to believe differently is somehow seriously flawed and willing to waste lots of money That simply isn't the case. If I were really stretching my budget to buy a car I doubt the Maserati would be the car I'd buy as a daily driver. However for most people buying this car it will be a second, third or even fourth car in their garage and the buying agenda becomes somewhat different. This is the perspective you fail to recognise.
I could make the same value arguement with the 997 against the Boxster or Cayman as it's well known and acknowledged that the two models are not dissimilar in terms of build costs to Porsche yet they charge you almost twice the amount to buy the 997 because it is "perceived" as a high end sports car. The same arguement can then be taken for the turbo versus a Carrera. It does not cost twice as much to build the range topper. So who is being taken for a ride?? And as for value for money in terms of standard equipment I don't think we should even go there with Porsche, the masters of the expensive options list 
Until Nick had his epihany with the speed of the turbo he'd have been on here in a second backing up my "value" arguement on Porsche as it's exactly the same one he used to espouse at every opportunity
The current Maserati GranCabrio looks great. I had the chance to look at this car in detail. I refused to drive it because I didn't want to take advantage of my friend who owns the dealership. Why use a car I won't buy, he can give it to potential customers to testdrive it instead.
Don't get me wrong, please: the quality of this car seems to be flawless. Very good materials, very good finish, at least at par with Porsche at first look. There is no doubt that Maserati made a huge progress regarding quality.
In my opinion, Maserati has completely different problems now:
1. those who know Maserati, get the feeling that Maserati is getting Ferrari's "old stuff".
2. for the price tag Maserati is asking, their cars are just plain underpowered...or too heavy
3. the reputation of Maserati is still pretty bad, at least over here in Germany. Many people don't even know that Maserati was initially associated with Ferrari.
4. Fiat made a huge mistake by associating Maserati together with Alfa Romeo. HUGE mistake. The Ferrari brotherhood would have been much better for them, from a PR point of view.
5. real "wow" models are missing, models which keep your heart pumping, models keeping your adrenaline high
To make it short: Maserati got too expensive but at the same time, they don't offer enough. If I can afford a Maserati, I can also afford a Porsche, maybe a Ferrari, an Aston Martin or a Jaguar. Not even starting with BMW or Mercedes.
Sorry but for this kind of money, I expect definitely more. Much more.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW
Pride,
I think it's a little unfair to tar the current Maserati offering with the cars of 1998 They were models developed prior to Ferrari taking the helm and radically altering the company. The series 4 Quattroporte and 3200 GT were the first attempts under Fiat to rejuvinate the brand from a very low base point and did their bit to get things moving but were in no way held up as being of exemplary quality. Compare Ferraris of the same era and there is also a distinct improvement in quality in the cars coming out of Maranello today. The whole automotive industry has moved a long way in those 12 years. Just look at how Skoda and the Korean brands have transformed themselves over the same time frame.
ISUK:
reginos:
SciFrog:
They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
...because they are top cars. Not everybody is willing to accept inferior products for the sake of being different or "exclusive and fashionable".
..... However for most people buying this car it will be a second, third or even fourth car in their garage and the buying agenda becomes somewhat different. This is the perspective you fail to recognise.
This is my point; IF it is going to be 3rd or 4th car in my Garage, I would not buy a Maserati. I would and will buy a Ferrari.
However, here, it is marketing as daily Sports car. Current Quattroporte is claimed to be used as daily as any 7 series or S class Mercedes. BUT it is not possible. You may drive it daily but at the end of 50.000 km, an exclusive Quattroporte would definately lose its exclusivity.
--
ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
ISUK:
reginos:
SciFrog:
They are for people who want something different. You see black Mercedes at every stop light around here...
...because they are top cars. Not everybody is willing to accept inferior products for the sake of being different or "exclusive and fashionable".
It's not about being "fashionable". You are blissfully happy with your Porsche and also apparently anything that is German. That's fine but your strident views make you sound as though anyone who dares to believe differently is somehow seriously flawed and willing to waste lots of money
It is obvious that you fall in the "money no object" category of consumer. And you are "blissfully happy" to buy whatever is "du jour" play with it for a few months and change it. Which is fair enough and no envy at all 
Under these circumstances you cannot make the same realistic assessments of the value of a car or its worth in the real world given the price, as a lot of us mere mortals here, do.
You are on Cloud 9 and we are on Earth
--
"Form follows function"
ISUK:
Pride,
I think it's a little unfair to tar the current Maserati offering with the cars of 1998
Iain,
I accept this and I agree on this as I stated before. BUT I'm still prejudice and biased against Maserati. I can't help it.
I still think that it is still no Audi, Mercedes, BMW, or Porsche in terms of reliability and driveablity on DD bases after 12 years. It is not that catastrophic but still behind the competition. It is an exclusive car. It is no Ferrari for me. IT is not emotional for me as Ferrari is. Therefore, Maserati has no use for me. It is neither bullet proof DD car nor emotional exclusive garage queen.
I just confirm this opinion with my Grand Turismo S test drive, 3 months ago. The car was good, it attracted attention but not as good as an Audi R8, IMO, slower than R8 and more expensive. Maintanance costs are higher than R8, too. However, I find the R8 interior more high quality even it uses A3 light switches.
It is Off topic, but using same parts across the model range in mass volume production cars, such as Audi/VW/Porsche, BMW, Mercedes, it may lessen the exclusivity of the higher model however, it makes the lesser models look more classy. Just look at the Audi TT and R8. IMO, my TTS has one of the nicest interior, especially with my recaro bucket seats. Its dashboard wasn't wrapped in leather (but some of the parts were also covered with leather) BUT has a more complete finish feel, IMO then Maserati.
ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
RC,
Your arguement keeps centring around the value element. I agree that taking Maserati out of Ferraris control was a mistake as they were carefully nurturing the brand by aligning it with their own as a more affordable stablemate proposition to existing Ferrari owners who were looking for a more exclusive alternative to an S class or 6 series etc. This strategy was working nicely and Maserati were growing their model offering at a pace that was supportable in terms of build quality and R&D. Fiat then decided to use Maseratis growing brand cachet to lift the moribund Alfa Romeo brand. This is a potential disaster in waiting as Alfa are in now way ready to aim their products more upmarket towards Maserati so the platform sharing opportunities just do not exist to exploit such a relationship.
This whole issue centres around "brand" and that is the point the value arguers just don't get. To remain aspirational a brand needs to control it's volumes and not grow too quickly otherwise it quickly loses the aspirational value that justifies the high asking price to begin with. Ferrari were carefully expanding the product offering from Maserati but not taking it "down market" (in pricing terms only) into direct competition with the much larger volume operations of Porsche or Jaguar where it was not ready to compete. Maserati simply cannot churn out the 20k-30k cars Porsche can with it's 997 range alone. It does not have the production capacity to do so nor could Ferrari supply the demand for engines that such numbers would mean. Maserati was carefully set up as GT car operation by Ferrari so as not to tread on the toes of their sports cars. It is therefore unfair to criticise it on one hand for no longer being under Ferrari's control whilst on the other saying the cars are not sporting enough. The California was the more sporting model that Maserati had under development.
More new models are in the pipeline at lower price points as part of Fiat's strategy but these could prove to be more damaging to the brand as they most certainly won't have the tech fest goodies of the corresponding Audi's and BMW's and will have to be incredibly outstanding to beat the likes of the new 5 series on driving dynamics. That is unlikely to be the case if the floorpans and underbody tech are shared with Alfas and Chryslers 
RC:To make it short: Maserati got too expensive but at the same time, they don't offer enough. If I can afford a Maserati, I can also afford a Porsche, maybe a Ferrari, an Aston Martin or a Jaguar. Not even starting with BMW or Mercedes.Sorry but for this kind of money, I expect definitely more. Much more.
+1
This is what my main point is. If I want an exclusive garage Queen, there is always Ferrari.
With this price tag, Maserati, at least for me, is no Ferrari and has no use.
ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
Exactly. I would rather get a Ferrari than a Maserati.
Of course you get a lot of rebate on a Maserati and delivery times aren't Ferrari-like but still, a Maserati is not a cheap car.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW
Here in Turkey, Grand Turismo S starts from 260.000 Euro and Cali starts from 300.000 Euro.
Ferrari is more expensive BUT NOT that much for its class segment.
If I were to spend 260.000 euro (for refrence My M3 will cost 150.000-160.000 Euro range without the rebate), I would rather spend 300.000 and get a Cali or spend that 260.000 for an R8 V8.
--
ONUR
11 M3 Coupe AW (On ORDER)
09 Audi TTS Coupe / 07 997 Carrera S / 05 M3 Coupe / 03 M3 Coupe / 96 M3 Coupe EVO (ALL BUT HISTORY)
reginos:
It is obvious that you fall in the "money no object" category of consumer. And you are "blissfully happy" to buy whatever is "du jour" play with it for a few months and change it. Which is fair enough and no envy at all
Under these circumstances you cannot make the same realistic assessments of the value of a car or its worth in the real world given the price, as a lot of us mere mortals here, do.
You are on Cloud 9 and we are on Earth
--"Form follows function"
reginos,
As usual you have resorted to insults cloaked with smilies which is somewhat childish. I can assure you I know the value of money as it took a lot of effort on my part to be in a position to buy these cars. I therefore do not throw it away lightly nor do I live on Cloud 9 as you suggest. Anyone who disagrees with you must therefore by default occupy a plot of real estate on the same cloud 
To say I cannot make a realistic assessment is breathtakingly insulting and arrogant of you at the same time. You know nothing about me to make such judgements and you couldn't be further from the truth with your assertions. Come back and have a proper debate when you have learned some civility 
ISUK:
reginos:
It is obvious that you fall in the "money no object" category of consumer. And you are "blissfully happy" to buy whatever is "du jour" play with it for a few months and change it. Which is fair enough and no envy at all
Under these circumstances you cannot make the same realistic assessments of the value of a car or its worth in the real world given the price, as a lot of us mere mortals here, do.
You are on Cloud 9 and we are on Earth
--"Form follows function"
reginos,
As usual you have resorted to insults cloaked with smilies which is somewhat childish. I can assure you I know the value of money as it took a lot of effort on my part to be in a position to buy these cars. I therefore do not throw it away lightly nor do I live on Cloud 9 as you suggest. Anyone who disagrees with you must therefore by default occupy a plot of real estate on the same cloud
To say I cannot make a realistic assessment is breathtakingly insulting and arrogant of you at the same time. You know nothing about me to make such judgements and you couldn't be further from the truth with your assertions. Come back and have a proper debate when you have learned some civility
I cannot find anything insulting in anything I wrote and anyway no offense was intended.
Rather your remarks in your lat two posts above about myself and my intentions could be taken as a defense of last resort in lieu of objective facts. But I don't mind.
I don't want to continue this debate with you anyway, as it is unfair to the rest of the members.
I began this thread to post the Autocar verdict on the GranCabrio. If you disagree, drop them a line in the Readers' Letters section.
Have a good night!
--
"Form follows function"
Iain, I will always back you in a fight. It would be my pleasure to hold your jacket.
Iain is right regarding not valuing a car by adding up the sum of its parts. I have known since the first day I owned a Ferrari that Porsche built a better car and more reasonably priced car. Yet I continued to buy Ferrari. Because of their exclusivity Ferrari's have more value then the adding up of their parts. In addition, nothing can rival the rush one gets from a driving a Ferrari.it does not matter at what speed. The excitement and thrill consumes you.
My wife wanted the Turbo and had she not been so insistent I am not sure we would have one in our household. That said, it is a fantastic car. Much more than I thought it would be. But does it give me the rush a Ferrari gives me? Only at certain times and it has to be done near full throttle.
You really cannot judge cars like Ferrari or Maserati unless you have owned one. Then you will understand.
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