Leaving aside future values and resale, which would you choose?
A fully-specced GranSport LE for, say, £35,000, or a manual 4200 for £20,000 but with £15,000 worth of engine and chassis tweaks?
Some have done this already on here. The face lift 42 has many of the updates the GS has already
To make it look like a GS you need deeper front splitter/GS grille/surfboards/rear boot spoiler/19" GS alloys that could cost a bit but I know SopranoStu has all these items if you wanted to take that path (hypothetically)
BennyD has taken a 2003 cab and changed the classic 42 into a GS front and sides and then even put a set of hocky stick back lights on the back and it looks great (but don't tell him I said that)!
Ahem... 'leaving aside future values and resale'...
Was watching the Cironi 4200 video and it got me thinking. I love the GranSport, but it's a shame it never had the manual. With a bit of tinkering, could you achieve the same or better, mechanically, with suitable tasteful modifications?
Gransport by a considerable distance if we are limited to engine and chassis tweaks. The engine nor chassis require tweaking, the gearbox is the issue in the manual cars.
This is interesting as a concept.... I actually preferred a lot about the more GT feel interior of my late 4200 Spyder to the more sporty interior of the GS Spyder. So, if I could have the interior styling of the 4200 with GS switchgear etc., the GS bucket seats, all the mechanical improvements of the GS and exterior aesthetics of the GS then I'd be very hapPea.
As it is, I s'pose I'll just make do with the gorgeous stock GS LE!
The GS for me I would say, never tried a 4200 manual but I have driven a number of transaxle Italians and the gearchange wasn’t a lot of cop. But aside from any of this, I chose a GS because of the seats, interior and the lovely lovely wheels. And I would do so again without hesitstion.
I would take the GS because I’m not sure modifying these cars actually makes them look any better or drive better unless you spend a small fortune with novitec etc
Love my 03 manual 4200 to bits. The gear change is a little clunky especially when cold but God **** it's the most rewarding manual car I have ever had
I have been slowly modifying mine as part of a long term project. Mine does not have a full service history so I am not exactly taking a Stanley knife to the Mona lisa lol.
So far I have done sports cats, x pipe, gs back boxes with working valves, Formula dynamics Engine control module, fd rose joint rear track rod ends. Along with a fist full of maintenance which applies to any 4.2 M138 although obviously I don't have to worry about a 15 year old F1 hydraulic system that will need some maintenance/restoration... One less thimg to worry about, the manual cables can be easily fabricated and the gear shift mechanism is simple to service
I have driven both and found the CC slow and unresponsive - perhaps also clunky in a way - particularly compared to what I was considering instead of a Maserati 4200 - a BMW V10 M6 with the SMG gearbox that is more notorious for breaking than the Cambiocorsa box but it's a lot more responsive. The manual is definitely more of a "Grand Tourer"... You pick your gear sit back and hear it roar... the only time I though a CC box with paddles would be better was when I was once belting round Brands Hatch on a parade lap and didn't want to take my hands off the wheel.