Review of must have options for a new MASERATI GRANTURISMO SPORT MC SHIFT

[phills1]

Anythning, you'd do on without on. I want full carbon fibre kits apart from the seat backs I don't think are worth it. I kEEP my cars so hence why a new one to spec, as I can't find what I want on the market, right colour, gearbox, alloy and spec combo.

Metallic paint (METL) Blu Sofisticato
Bose surround sound (BOSE)
Comfort pack front seats (heating, driver's seat memory, power steering column with easy exit/entry function) (CMFE)
iPod interface (requires multi-media system) (IPOD)
Electrochromic external and internal rear-view mirror (MIR3)
Matt black-look headlights (LIGB)
MC Sport Line interior carbon package - evo 1 (carbon fibre centre console and door sill plates with MC Sport Line logo) (MCI1)
MC Sport Line interior carbon package - evo 2 (carbon fibre shift paddles and instrument surround) (MCI2)
Interior carbon package - evolution IV (seat head restraint mouldings and backrest cover in carbon fibre) (MCI5)
Aerodynamic package in carbon fibre (front splitter, rear lip spoiler, door mirros, door handles) (MCL1)
Aerodynamic package in carbon fibre ( under door moulding, carbon finish exhaust pipes and rear bumper aerodynamic fins) (MCL2)
MC Sport line design aluminium pedals (inc foot rest) (MCPD)
MC Sport Line gear switch surround in carbon fibre (MCSC)
MC Sport Line steering wheel in carbon finish and black leather (MCSW)
Stitching colour on request - steering wheel, gear knob and gear leather boot excluded (STC3)
Trident logo stitched on head rests (to match STC3) (STCT)
Carbon fibre trim on selected interior details (WD32)
Interior centennial pack (CEP1)
MC Sport Line handling pack (stiffer suspension, 10mm lower ride height, grooved and drilled brake discs) (MCHP)
Homelink - garage door opener (HMLK)
Ventilated leather for front and rear seats (DLR2)
Steering wheel in carbon finish and coloured leather (MCSL)
Carpet piping colour upon request (PIPC)
Coloured brake calipers - anodised matt Yellow(CALN)

 

[bigbob]

Full spec so sounds great. Leather/carpet/seatbelt/headlining/stitching colours?

Alcantara headlining is nice FWIW. Personally I would go for skyhook but it's for you not me! Have you driven all the three suspension options which you have?

 

[phills1]

Navy leather with yellow stiching, looks nice and racey I think, hence the yellow calipers. Yes I have dirven all three as well as a full MC stradale too.

 

[EXCF350]

Bose is rubbish so save your money. I've got the handling pack and prefer the proper springs to active stuff like skyhook. Have you tried a carbon steering wheel? To me it's like plastic and I prefer alcantara.
But in the end it's for you so only you can decide.

 

[bigbob]

Navy leather with yellow stiching, looks nice and racey I think, hence the yellow calipers. Yes I have dirven all three as well as a full MC stradale too.

Contrasting stitching always looks great.

Given you are getting the Stradale suspension are you not tempted to go the whole hog and order the Stradale itself? Much prettier front end IMHO.

 

[phills1]

Drove one but it was wet out and felt way to easy to ditch and slide allover the place in the wet winter roads, so couldn't have a car I'd only use in the summer.

 

[Ewan]

My Porsche 951 has dark blue leather with yellow piping and looks great, so suspect it'll be even better in the Mazer. Not so good at re-sale time, but so what.

 

[Andyk]

Navy leather with yellow stitching interesting combination...That may be a bit marmite for saome and may be harder to sell on but then you keep for a long time so may not be an issue....Seem black and yellow and it looks stunning......not seen the blue and yellow so may look better than the image in my head.

 

[BigR]

Bose is rubbish so save your money. I've got the handling pack and prefer the proper springs to active stuff like skyhook. Have you tried a carbon steering wheel? To me it's like plastic and I prefer alcantara.
But in the end it's for you so only you can decide.

Its not great but brings an awful stereo up to a level of 'moderately' acceptable. You'd probably be better off spending £2k on an aftermarket system, if the stereo is important to you (or on a louder exhaust!)

 

[Fangio63]

I've got to say, putting your options out for review is a very brave move... There's always an opinionated T*@t likely to turn up and question your taste ..... and here I am..

For a start... The Blue Sofisticato .... pretty much all the test / press cars were that colour.. and there are quite a few out there...don't dislike it... but there are plenty of those on the shelf...and I think its a colour that will date quickly.....

And with a blue interior ?.. nah...unless you're a chelsea fan... could easily end up feeling a bit like that green coupe with green leather and carpet ... alright if you're Robin Hood .. but otherwise....

And a coloured steering wheel is a definite no no..

Contrast stitching lovely.... (not sure if they still offer piping... but if they do steer clear)... I'd probably go for the embossed headrest logo's rather than the stitched ones..

The Carbon bits are quite nice... but just a case of getting collar and cuffs to match.. be tempted t keep that fairly discreet.... Carbon on the steering wheel looks nice but the feel of it will ultimately start to annoy you.. (I've had it on a 4200)... Alcantara or the standard leather easier to live with..

You won't miss the Bose..

It would be Skyhook for me, but loads love the springs too..

Alcantara headlining would be nice..

All the other bits pretty sensible and cool..

If I were speccing one from new ... and bearing in mind it will probably be one of the last I'd be tempted to push the boat out on a special order paint job..

Perhaps Rosso Fuoucco ... or the Metallic Red that the Alfa 8C at the Ace was in... I think that would look spectacular ... and probably one of a kind.... ( Saw a Red Stradale yesterday... was jaw droppingly pretty ).... perhaps with a tan or black interior... (don't normally like black.. but good on a red car)...

The Centenary Blue is not bad .. but a bit "steady" IMHO..... But there's plenty of others... Ghibli Rame could stop the traffic too...

Yellow calipers cool ... but dependent on body colours....

And careful on the Wheels... I'm not wild about the new standard spec Sport wheels ...especially in black..... maybe consider the spoked ones off the Stradale... possibly in Silver ?..

It's obviously your car - your choice... But I'd seriously reconsider the Sofisticato....

 

[bigbob]

Drove one but it was wet out and felt way to easy to ditch and slide allover the place in the wet winter roads, so couldn't have a car I'd only use in the summer.

That's a tyre thing not the car. Believe you me the standard issue P Zero on the GranTurismo is really poor at low temps as well. You can't really push any RWD in winter so I would have winter/summer tyres or not bother using it much Dec through Mar.

Fully agree with Fangio about the wheels but paint colour is so personal that any view is pointless really as we've no idea whether you are a top footballer, banker, metal basher or....

 

[davy83]

"And a coloured steering wheel is a definite no no.."

I have a green steering wheel and I love it, every time i get in the car it reminds me i am driving some thing different and special. Do it your own way, you are the one paying the money if you plan to keep it then what other people think does not matter, that's only important if you want to sell it!
I would agree on perhaps being more bold on the colours as its one of the few cars that looks good with bold colours, i have a fairly subtle exterior paint finish (mistral verde) and a fairly loony interior, cream and green, including steering wheel and its great, you just don't see cars with that sort of interior. remember its a special car it should show, somewhere, don't be tempted to tone it down its not the Italian way.

 

[Fangio63]

I have a green steering wheel and I love it, every time i get in the car it reminds me i am driving some thing different and special. Do it your own way, you are the one paying the money if you plan to keep it then what other people think does not matter, that's only important if you want to sell it!
I would agree on perhaps being more bold on the colours as its one of the few cars that looks good with bold colours, i have a fairly subtle exterior paint finish (mistral verde) and a fairly loony interior, cream and green, including steering wheel and its great, you just don't see cars with that sort of interior. remember its a special car it should show, somewhere, don't be tempted to tone it down its not the Italian way.

Ha Ha... I knew I'd flush you out !.... and there's another one on here too I think.....

I think you are bang-on about " The Italian way".... by and large they get it right...

These are pretty rare cars, and part of the joy of having one I think, is that it's an event when you see another one..... Be a shame to turn up at a meet though and park up next to another one the same.... or even meet it's doppleganger out on the road...

Was reading James Mays article in the Times about speccing his 458.... Gold Wheels !.... who would have thought that ?... bet it'll be great...

And saw a Fezza 360 in a showroom recently Red with Red interior, red carpets and complete with Red steering wheel... as my son would say "Special"... and not in a nice way...

It's very odd that sometimes things that seem sensible in the showroom just don't work in the metal.... But... Things like Bordeaux Pontivechio - a colour only your dad would order from a brochure ... end up looking very cool when done for real..with the right interior/wheel combo...

 

[Andyk]

Perhaps Rosso Fuoucco ...

That is a stunning colour....but......Meridien had a QP for sale is this colour and quoted it as a 15k option...You would have to be well healed and slightly bonkers to spend 15k on paint.....

 

[Fangio63]

That is a stunning colour....but......Meridien had a QP for sale is this colour and quoted it as a 15k option...You would have to be well healed and slightly bonkers to spend 15k on paint.....

I thought it came in about £9k... which is still a lot ... but I think I might be prepared to sacrifice some of the eye waveringly expensive carbon bits to get it...

There's always Rosso Trio (which might be cheaper) .. and plenty of others... but you'd end up with something that would blow the doors off anything it was parked next to...

 

[bigbob]

The mid/bright blues are very popular these days so I understand the QP's preference. Not for me but that's not a problem.

Talking of meeting your double I drove past another dark blue GranTurismo a couple of days ago in rural Scotland. We gave each other a big wave probably of shock.

 

[Fangio63]

The mid/bright blues are very popular these days so I understand the QP's preference. Not for me but that's not a problem.

Talking of meeting your double I drove past another dark blue GranTurismo a couple of days ago in rural Scotland. We gave each other a big wave probably of shock.

I've yet to see another Sport in Blu Oceano... and not yet come across a GTS on the road at least - though I know the exist...

So far as Sofisticato is concerned.... If you Google "Granturismo Sport" and click images ... then you'll see what I mean.... It must have been a launch colour and will go the same way as Argento Touring with Red on the original GT...

Nothing wrong with it... just too many about...

 

[bigbob]

I've got a thing about dark blue - my 3200 was Blu Nettuno and my GTS is Blu Oceano. I went off piste with my 4200 and had Rosso Mondial which I loved but it's the only Maserati I have had hassle in from other road users.

As well as seeing the Blu Oceano GTS the other day I saw two Blu Oceano GCs a few days apart in Edinburgh and St Andrews - common cars!

 

[Fangio63]

I've got a thing about dark blue - my 3200 was Blu Nettuno and my GTS is Blu Oceano. I went off piste with my 4200 and had Rosso Mondial which I loved but it's the only Maserati I have had hassle in from other road users.

As well as seeing the Blu Oceano GTS the other day I saw two Blu Oceano GCs a few days apart in Edinburgh and St Andrews - common cars!

I think Blu Nettuno became the default colour for 4200's.... (at least it seemed that way to me)... Mine was Grigio Alfieri... (which is a bit of an Aston colour)...

My previous GT was Nero Carboni / Tan... and was stunning...

When looking for a Sport they were all White or Sofisticato or Black... Would have had a black one if I could have found a pale interior... So the Oceano was not my first choice... Have to say it's really grown on me... When spotlessly clean in the sunlight there's a little hint of a red flake in it... looks utterly brilliant to my eye

 

[Andyk]

I thought it came in about £9k... which is still a lot ... but I think I might be prepared to sacrifice some of the eye waveringly expensive carbon bits to get it...

There's always Rosso Trio (which might be cheaper) .. and plenty of others... but you'd end up with something that would blow the doors off anything it was parked next to...

It may have come down in price over the years maybe...As you say that is still a lot and the price of a everyday run around.........but it is a lovely colour agree....Wasn't it originally a Ferrari colour?