Hello all.
I was planning on keeping my fantastic 87,000 mile 2005 QP for many years to come, but the **** ULEZ expansion in London has forced me to rethink this! A 2006 QP is ULEZ compatible, but mine is not, and Maserati confirmed that it would be prohibitively expensive to change the necessary parts to make it compatible. As such, driving the car 3-4 times/week will cost me £2K to £2.5K every year which is maddening!!
It’s so frustrating because I’ve spent over £15K in the last 15 months, fixing virtually all the major things that go wrong with these beautiful machines. I have owned this beauty for just under 5 years, and no expense has been spared.
Just under £11K was spent with the amazing SportsItalia who carried out the majority of the work, including the following, between December 2020 and June 2021:
New clutch, replacement torque tube, gearbox actuator repair, new engine mounts, suspension bushes, subframe welded and powder coated along with rust proofing of entire underside, etc. I can, of course, provide invoices to verify all these expenses.
Previous to this work, GVE fitted a new ABS pump/ECU and brake servo/master cylinder in August 2020. The F1 pump and pipes were also replaced not long before this.
I have two choices. Either I accept this extra tax, and maybe drive the car less, or I sell/swap for a later ULEZ compatible car. The advantage of my 2005 car over a 2006 (and onwards) car is that the road tax is £340 instead of £600, so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t live in London!
If anyone here is considering a 2005 QP in what I believe is the best colour combination - Grigio Alfieri and light tan interior - I would consider selling it, but would not take less than £15K, bearing in mind the recent expenditure on so many of the major things that go wrong with these cars. The car should be much more affordable from this point on. She is now also parked underground.
I would also consider a part exchange with a newer ULEZ compatible car, duo select/auto, or possibly even a Gran Turismo, now that I’m not ferrying kids around anymore!
~Chris
I was planning on keeping my fantastic 87,000 mile 2005 QP for many years to come, but the **** ULEZ expansion in London has forced me to rethink this! A 2006 QP is ULEZ compatible, but mine is not, and Maserati confirmed that it would be prohibitively expensive to change the necessary parts to make it compatible. As such, driving the car 3-4 times/week will cost me £2K to £2.5K every year which is maddening!!
It’s so frustrating because I’ve spent over £15K in the last 15 months, fixing virtually all the major things that go wrong with these beautiful machines. I have owned this beauty for just under 5 years, and no expense has been spared.
Just under £11K was spent with the amazing SportsItalia who carried out the majority of the work, including the following, between December 2020 and June 2021:
New clutch, replacement torque tube, gearbox actuator repair, new engine mounts, suspension bushes, subframe welded and powder coated along with rust proofing of entire underside, etc. I can, of course, provide invoices to verify all these expenses.
Previous to this work, GVE fitted a new ABS pump/ECU and brake servo/master cylinder in August 2020. The F1 pump and pipes were also replaced not long before this.
I have two choices. Either I accept this extra tax, and maybe drive the car less, or I sell/swap for a later ULEZ compatible car. The advantage of my 2005 car over a 2006 (and onwards) car is that the road tax is £340 instead of £600, so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t live in London!
If anyone here is considering a 2005 QP in what I believe is the best colour combination - Grigio Alfieri and light tan interior - I would consider selling it, but would not take less than £15K, bearing in mind the recent expenditure on so many of the major things that go wrong with these cars. The car should be much more affordable from this point on. She is now also parked underground.
I would also consider a part exchange with a newer ULEZ compatible car, duo select/auto, or possibly even a Gran Turismo, now that I’m not ferrying kids around anymore!
~Chris
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The crazy thing is I live within 500m of the North Circular, but it makes no difference. The **** cameras catch me joining the North Circular and 'ka-ching' - £12.50!! I would dearly love to move further out one day, or leave this **** cold country, but I have 3 daughters and a granddaughter in London that still 'need' me. Oh well, I might just have to use the **** Prius for all drives apart from my weekend trips to my girlfriend in St Albans 
