New Gransport Owner

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Well after nearly owning a Maserati several times over the last 15 years I finally have one.

It is a 2005 Gransport, Nero with Nero/Avorio full leather. This one in fact: http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showthread.php/23802-For-Sale-2005-Gransport-%C2%A323500

Full spec is as follows:

2005/05 Maserati Gransport

Original Price - £66645

Standard Equipment

Skyhook Adaptive Suspension
19 inch Trofeo design alloy wheel
Maserati Stability Control
Sports seats
Start button
Deeper front and rear bumpers with chrome front and rear grilles, side skirt under door
Four airbags
Cambiocorsa model F1 derived 6 speed paddle shift transmission with electro hydraulic clutch actuation and automatic double declutching (35% quicker changes than CC)
Immobiliser and alarm
Three spoke sports steering wheel and centre console in carbon fibre
Exterior colour - Nero Carbonio (Carbon Black)
Sports exhaust system

Options Fitted:

Coloured brake calipers (Red) -£388
19 inch Trofeo alloys - Grigio Mercury - £470
Cruise control - £341
Sat Nav - £2465
Auditorium 200 Hi fi - £645
Electrochromic rear view mirror - £235
Xenon headlamps and washer jets - £964
Rear parking sensors - £447
CD changer Becker six disc - £540
Indoor car cover - £183
Heated electric front seats with driver memory - £530
Full Leather (Nero/Avorio) in lieu of brightex racing fabric - £1680

I have always really liked Maseratis but was less enamoured with the idea of owning one after test driving a 3200 when launched. I did not get on with the manual at all but did look at the auto but the servicing schedule and costs even for a new car scared me off. The 4200 and Gransports passed me by at the time and I owned a succession of fast saloons (mostly Audi with the odd Volvo and Saab) until 2014 when I was eagerly awaiting my local dealer to get their demo Ghibli which seemed to take forever. Finally it arrived, and I was finally almost certainly going to get a Maserati. Well I hated it! I don't do touchscreens and found the ride and handling mix strange (somehow it wallowed AND crashed) and the petrol version was a huge price delta. My dealer visits however reminded me what a great looking car the Granturismo is and I saw that it was in fact a true 4-seater. I drove an auto and enjoyed it a lot, enough that i started to explore a deal on a new car. As part of the process of spending that kind of money though I looked at some other cars at the price point. Used DB9 (did not like) but also I was given the chance to spec up a new Aston Martin Vantage V8S with factory visits etc. Test drove both manual and sportshift (think MC-Shift) versions, did not like the manual but loved the sportshift. Then started to think about did I really need 4 seats and could I have a Vantage (yes I could was the answer)? Back at Maserati they put me in a MC-Shift Granturismo and wow I loved that too, far better still than the auto for my purposes. It was a really difficult choice but I chose the Aston as built in England and I got to see it being built at well. Chance of a lifetime really and one I would regret not taking if I did not.

Fast forward to 2016 and I was looking to change after putting 20K miles on the Vantage (superb car, daily driver, cheap to service as well). And I was pretty set that I was going to buy one of the last new MC Stradales or a lighlty used MC-Shift and use it for a year or two whilst waiting for Aston Martin Vanquish 8-speed cars to depreciate a little more. Well yet again I was fated not to buy a Maserati as a Vanquish to my exact spec happened along and at a price my man maths could cope with.

I honestly thought given the direction Maserati are currently heading that was it. My last chance to buy one had gone.

However a couple of things happened recently. I got offered the use of a garage (which will not fit the Vanquish) and, as great as the Vanquish is (it really is) I found myself sometimes missing a true (automated) manual sports car/GT such as the Vantage. But if I was going to get a second car then it really did need 4 seats (the Vanquish is a 2+0 as has lightweight CF bucket seats fitted) and it needed to fit in the garage. Sadly this latter requirement ruled out the Granturismo which is just too large. I looked into 3200s again and I do like them but I felt I would be sitting on a time bomb (rightly or wrongly). A facelift 4200 CC looked like a much better bet for me and there were a couple of crackers on the market at fair prices. They were lower mileage examples though and I realised if I bought a garage queen I would feel obligated to keep it as such which was not the point of the car at all. This was going to be used, perhaps even as a daily.

Gransports were not on my radar as I could not justify the price premium over the 4200. Then the car in question came up. The mileage I see as a good thing, it has been serviced on the button every year and seems to want for nothing mechanically (though I know **** can happen). There are a few cosmetics (commensurate with age and mileage) I will deal with once I have lived with the car for a while and decided on priorities. It is a hoot to drive, as good as the Aston Vantage but a little more raw perhaps. It seems to be as big inside as the Granturismo, just as generous a boot but in a smaller, easy to live with exterior package size. The packaging is very much a strong point of the Coupe. Went out yesterday and it coped well with shopping trips, parallel parking etc, and today I got it in the garage with no problem. Happy Days! Oh and people seem to love it. A few comments and certainly smiles.

I have a bunch of questions lining up and shall start asking away in the appropriate parts of the forum in due course. Thanks for always making me feel welcome with my odd lurker posts over the years.
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
Congratulations and welcome to the club! Still loving my GS 18 months into ownership. I agree that it has a certain rawness to it, which I really like, and can't be beaten in terms of packaging.
 

StuartW

Member
Messages
9,306
Congratulations & welcome along, it looks like you got yourself a good one there - enjoy
 

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,958
I was going to say congratulations, until I got to the "manual 3200" bit! lol. Seriously though that looks a great car, and a lovely colour combination.
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,746
Welcome along.

i have a near identical car and they really are a nice thing to own...I am sure it will bring you many years of joy.
 

philgarner

Member
Messages
226
Welcome, good story and sounds like a great car well bought.

Just been out for a hoon in mine. Serious motor. Agree on the mileage thing, I always go for high mile examples of cars that have been well-maintained. You get so much more for your money, and the tax for very little extra wear/tear on high end stuff like Ferrari and Maserati is crazy.
 

MrMickS

Member
Messages
3,951
Welcome, quite a story of how you've got here. The reactions of people are fun, I had a chap yesterday tell me that he'd always wanted a Maserati and had a good natter with him.
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Thanks for the welcome all. Used a tank of super unleaded over the weekend (not difficult) and tried everything from shopping, parallel parking, A and B-road blasts, motorways, classic car show in a field and it handled everything with ease. It really is a car for all seasons and reasons. Maybe as I have previous experience of the Aston automated manual I find the CC 'box very easy and intuitive and maneuvering not difficult. Not that I would use it much but the 'Auto' mode is better than the Aston equivalent I would say.

One thing I am not sure of is if my exhaust valves are opening in Sport mode. I definitely get crisper gear changes, firmer suspension and blips on downshifts but I have not really noticed a difference in the exhaust noise. But I have also not stood outside the car to see if I can tell. The car is standard and I want to keep it that way as I like a quiet mode and I guess it is easy enough to check the valve operation which I will do next trip out. Everything else seems to work (except map light, driver's lumbar support and from the inspection report the heated mirrors (not sure how they test this though I assume it is the mirror glass).

IMG-20170624-WA0004.jpgIMG-20170625-WA0002.jpg
 

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
Well done John, looks great and I'm sure you will enjoy it for many years. Finally got you into a Trident! :D
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Thanks Phil.

I confirmed today that the Sports Exhaust is working as intended :)

Confirmed Map Light fault is not a bulb. Replacement light unit on order.

Confirmed one key not working is the tiny microswitch on the key rather than just batteries but I have two other working keys so no matter.
 

Steve GS

Member
Messages
1,526
At least they put the correct colour on top of the dash. I have cream on top and not great in the sun. Loving the car.
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
At least they put the correct colour on top of the dash. I have cream on top and not great in the sun. Loving the car.

I never understand why they do that. As you say, terrible for reflections etc. Maybe just the cost of having two colours however minimal the second colour.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Thanks Phil.

I confirmed today that the Sports Exhaust is working as intended :)

Confirmed Map Light fault is not a bulb. Replacement light unit on order.

Confirmed one key not working is the tiny microswitch on the key rather than just batteries but I have two other working keys so no matter.

I have about 8 microswitch left from a batch I bought, if you can solder or know someone who does, PM me your address and Ill send you one FOC.

If you want to post me your key ill do it for you FOC.
 

BL330

Member
Messages
1,121
Welcome to the club with a great example there.
To check the sports exhaust, just idle the car in both modes, checking the exhaust is coming out of all 4 pipes in sport and only 2 out of sport mode.
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Welcome to the club with a great example there.
To check the sports exhaust, just idle the car in both modes, checking the exhaust is coming out of all 4 pipes in sport and only 2 out of sport mode.

Thanks. I checked in idle earlier and whilst I was unaware of the 2 pipe/4 pipe thing there was definitely a change in exhaust note bettwen the two modes. I will check the pipes next time out!
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
I have about 8 microswitch left from a batch I bought, if you can solder or know someone who does, PM me your address and Ill send you one FOC.

If you want to post me your key ill do it for you FOC.

Conaero that is very generous indeed. PM sent.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Key repaired and in the post to you today.

New button fitted and tested ok.

Cost: a beer :)
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Key repaired and in the post to you today.

New button fitted and tested ok.

Cost: a beer :)

Blimey top man! Beer will be gratefully delivered when we meet. Thanks again.

I suspect I will need to pair the key again but found information on that on here somewhere before.
 

hashluck

Member
Messages
1,515
Thanks. I checked in idle earlier and whilst I was unaware of the 2 pipe/4 pipe thing there was definitely a change in exhaust note bettwen the two modes. I will check the pipes next time out!

I can confirm the 2 pipe/ 4 pipe thing is spot on. Thanks for the tip!