Maserati Gransport drive + Pics
Hey all 
So I've been looking for a new car for a while now...
Thing is as some of you will know now, I love Porsche and I miss my old GT3 soooo much. I'd love a 997 GT3 but I flat out refuse to support the company at this stage...Greedy buggers
.
I always had a soft spot for Maserati's so thought I'd take a GS for a drive...
Gotta say, even though the basic 4200 platform is ageing (you can see it in the lights and some other details) the Gransport addons make a difference and its still a gorgeous car and cannot be mistaken for anything else but an Italian
.
The kit really makes it look agressive and wider than the normal 4200...
The interior is relatively well put together, much better than my previous GT3 for example and is good looking, nice and sporty but isnt quite as good as a 997 series 911 for quality. I gotta say though I love the layout of the interior alot. It's a very nice compromise between sporty and attractiveness, versatility and comfort. Seats are also a good compromise between sporty and comfort.
Dislike?? The T-bar for gears... It just makes me so paranoid that I'm gonna hit it by accident while driving...
Something that really suprised me is the ammount of space in the back! It makes the rear of a 911, Jaguar coupe', BMW M6 Aston DB9 look like they were built for lego men lol...Cool The only thing I dislike about the rear seats is that they resemble toilet pots lol...The round shape does make it very supportive for rear passengers though as you sit in them, rather than on them...
Starting the car up is fun
. The active exhaust switches to sport by default when starting up so you get a nice rumble that will definately cause a few bystanders heads to turn.
The Cambiocorsa 'box has a few shifting modes you can choose from. As you can imagine, this gearbox has nothing on the types found in newer Ferraris, etc. Driving in automatic mode the shifts are quite slurry and jerky. Its not very bad, but its noticeable. Its much better when using the paddles though, esp if you just lift off slightly when changing gears...For other people this may be irritating, but I dont really mind. I like my cars to have a few quirks.
When in sport mode the changes are nice and snappy, I wouldnt say lightning quick, but its fast nonetheless. Wish it came in manual though
. The engine's really a beauty. When in sports mode the rumble from the exhaust is very muscle car-ish. The sound when really pushing it is intoxicating! Its got that american V8 rumble mixed with a hard edged Italian note (not as high pitched though) when reaching the redline. I LOVE IT!
Its got a decent ammount of shove too... I'd say its about as fast as a Carrera S in a straight line. Compared to my old GT3, even though the 911 was less powerful, it feels more powerful, esp at the top end. Of course the GT3 is lighter, but I must say that old GT1 block is a masterpiece..
Handling -wise, the cars quite good too.. It doesnt have the feel of a CS, but its quite good nonetheless. It understeers but its also quite easiley countered with the throttle and oversteer is quite progressive and easy to counter. I was quite suprised by how capable this car was through bends. Also, while steering is maybe a LITTLE vague when cruising, when pushing on, it really gives nice feel...so you can really tell what both ends of the car is doing.Even though I much prefer a manual, I gotta say, charging to a bend and changing down with the paddles make you feel like F1 racer. It does roll more than I expected though.. Its not bad but was more than I expected. Same applies when accelerating fully...
Suspension wise, its reasonably comfortable when driving slowly. You feel the bumps but its not bad. It doesnt really shudder unless going fast over bad bumps. Nice thing is the steering doesnt tramline like in the GT3. Makes cruising high speed more comfortable.
Overall, even though its pretty much an old platform, the changes make the car quite capable. Theres nothing else Id be interested (besides a 911 )in buying when in the market for a car like this...The GranTurismo isnt sporty enough for me even though its a beautifull car and I'm a bit dissapointed in the GT-S. Mayeb later...M6 is much faster in a straight but isnt as involving IMO... Same applies for a XKR...
I'm really close to buying this car...
BTW its a silver one, black and red interior...pics will follow...
So I've been looking for a new car for a while now...
Thing is as some of you will know now, I love Porsche and I miss my old GT3 soooo much. I'd love a 997 GT3 but I flat out refuse to support the company at this stage...Greedy buggers
.I always had a soft spot for Maserati's so thought I'd take a GS for a drive...
Gotta say, even though the basic 4200 platform is ageing (you can see it in the lights and some other details) the Gransport addons make a difference and its still a gorgeous car and cannot be mistaken for anything else but an Italian
.The kit really makes it look agressive and wider than the normal 4200...
The interior is relatively well put together, much better than my previous GT3 for example and is good looking, nice and sporty but isnt quite as good as a 997 series 911 for quality. I gotta say though I love the layout of the interior alot. It's a very nice compromise between sporty and attractiveness, versatility and comfort. Seats are also a good compromise between sporty and comfort.
Dislike?? The T-bar for gears... It just makes me so paranoid that I'm gonna hit it by accident while driving...
Something that really suprised me is the ammount of space in the back! It makes the rear of a 911, Jaguar coupe', BMW M6 Aston DB9 look like they were built for lego men lol...Cool
The only thing I dislike about the rear seats is that they resemble toilet pots lol...The round shape does make it very supportive for rear passengers though as you sit in them, rather than on them...Starting the car up is fun
. The active exhaust switches to sport by default when starting up so you get a nice rumble that will definately cause a few bystanders heads to turn.The Cambiocorsa 'box has a few shifting modes you can choose from. As you can imagine, this gearbox has nothing on the types found in newer Ferraris, etc. Driving in automatic mode the shifts are quite slurry and jerky. Its not very bad, but its noticeable. Its much better when using the paddles though, esp if you just lift off slightly when changing gears...For other people this may be irritating, but I dont really mind. I like my cars to have a few quirks
.When in sport mode the changes are nice and snappy, I wouldnt say lightning quick, but its fast nonetheless. Wish it came in manual though
. The engine's really a beauty. When in sports mode the rumble from the exhaust is very muscle car-ish. The sound when really pushing it is intoxicating! Its got that american V8 rumble mixed with a hard edged Italian note (not as high pitched though) when reaching the redline. I LOVE IT!Its got a decent ammount of shove too... I'd say its about as fast as a Carrera S in a straight line. Compared to my old GT3, even though the 911 was less powerful, it feels more powerful, esp at the top end. Of course the GT3 is lighter, but I must say that old GT1 block is a masterpiece
..Handling -wise, the cars quite good too.. It doesnt have the feel of a CS, but its quite good nonetheless. It understeers but its also quite easiley countered with the throttle and oversteer is quite progressive and easy to counter. I was quite suprised by how capable this car was through bends. Also, while steering is maybe a LITTLE vague when cruising, when pushing on, it really gives nice feel...so you can really tell what both ends of the car is doing.Even though I much prefer a manual, I gotta say, charging to a bend and changing down with the paddles make you feel like F1 racer
. It does roll more than I expected though.. Its not bad but was more than I expected. Same applies when accelerating fully...Suspension wise, its reasonably comfortable when driving slowly. You feel the bumps but its not bad. It doesnt really shudder unless going fast over bad bumps. Nice thing is the steering doesnt tramline like in the GT3. Makes cruising high speed more comfortable.
Overall, even though its pretty much an old platform, the changes make the car quite capable. Theres nothing else Id be interested (besides a 911 )in buying when in the market for a car like this...The GranTurismo isnt sporty enough for me even though its a beautifull car and I'm a bit dissapointed in the GT-S. Mayeb later
...M6 is much faster in a straight but isnt as involving IMO... Same applies for a XKR...I'm really close to buying this car...
BTW its a silver one, black and red interior...pics will follow...
... very nice
