Today I was asked...........

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1,687
You don't see Granturismos in this neck of the woods very often and the car often attracts comments and questions of all kinds. The odd time there are questions here from prospective owners, wondering what kinds of reactions to expect. So, I thought a thread of questions we've been asked or comments made might be helpful / humorous etc etc

When out and about in your Maserati recently, what have you been asked or what comments have been said, that are note worthy or typical?

Parked outside my house today, I was sitting with the engine still on, checking something or other. A group of kids that looked about ten years old came over and incredibly politely (which surprised me) asked if I'd rev the engine. I recently had the centre silencer taken out so now the car is louder with a more raspy tone. Sure enough, when I red lined it a few times, the kids had grins like Cheshire cats.
Not really note worthy, but typical. Along with shouts of 'nice car' or thumbs up, from kids as I drive past.
I must admit. The uniformly positive reactions from people of all ages, has been a very unexpected bonus.
 

iainw

Member
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3,386
I am sure everyone on the forum has been ask to 'Rev it' or 'give it some beans' many times. I had never come across that term before I have to say!
More intrusively recently I have had people asking for photos either of of themselves or their kids...one person said they had never sat in one before....and jumped in and gave me their camera to take a photo!
It probably depends where you are at the time. In Kensington you would probably just get told to move on
 

Wack61

Member
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8,764
I had 2 lads in a polish registered car behind me at the lights , looked in the mirror and one was moving his hand like he was pressing something , then oh right ,into neutral, a bit a right foot followed by a big grin and a thumbs up
 

Doohickey

Velociraptor
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2,496
I quite often get asked how much does it cost to fill up. My reply is usually 'the issue is how long does it take to empty it again!'.
 

safrane

Member
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16,746
The thoughts on reactions in London are pretty close to the mark... The big city's are the places where I have experienced the negative side.

Poor mans Ferrari and deliberate attempts to cause a crash/damage... same happened in Nice.

However outside of the city things are for more cordial.
 

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,795
I quite often get asked how much does it cost to fill up. My reply is usually 'the issue is how long does it take to empty it again!'.

When asked about the fuel consumption of the QP, I usually say "The same as a Lancaster".
 

TridentTested

Member
Messages
1,819
The thoughts on reactions in London are pretty close to the mark... The big city's are the places where I have experienced the negative side.

I've had nothing but positive comments in London.

Maybe some will make the "Italian electrics" jibes but they just wash over me. I was on a motorbike ride out yesterday and at one of the coffee stops I was asked the inevitable "nice Ducati, have you had much trouble with it?" (answer: No, owned it for 17 years, nothing has ever gone wrong with it).
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
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21,012
Someone once shouted "Midlife crisis" at me. Which was strange, because we don't even look that similar.

Comments have been almost universally positive and sometimes favourably compared to a Ferrari. Quite a few question / comments about how often it breaks down. A reply that the battery went flat once and it needed some new tyres last year just seems to disappoint those who love to hold on to the idea that Maseratis aren't reliable.

The noise gets the best response, and every time I think about selling it (which is fairly often) there is still no other car which sounds quite as good. Which is why 6 years on I still have it.
 

Contigo

Sponsor
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18,376
I've had everything shouted from "Corr Sick car Mister" to a cop leaning out of his Black Mariah shouting "Go on then rev is some". They just seem to really inspire positive comments from people which is not what you would get from a Fezza. The amount of people who look round and mouth "Maserati" is crazy.
 

davy83

Member
Messages
2,809
I have had a pretty wide range, one couple were admiring it in a hotel car park and asked if it was the new model (its 16 years old!) and were amazed at how nice it looked at that age. I also had some one without my permission take photos while sitting on the front of it and requiring the bumper removed and some dents sorted, she was not a small person :). Many kids pointing at it while you drive past, and the occasional "can i sit in it" , or "give it some beans". Never had such a totally positive reaction to car before, its pretty cool.
 

montravia

Member
Messages
1,617
I have had a pretty wide range, one couple were admiring it in a hotel car park and asked if it was the new model (its 16 years old!) and were amazed at how nice it looked at that age. I also had some one without my permission take photos while sitting on the front of it and requiring the bumper removed and some dents sorted, she was not a small person :). Many kids pointing at it while you drive past, and the occasional "can i sit in it" , or "give it some beans". Never had such a totally positive reaction to car before, its pretty cool.
Returned to the car (not a Maserati at the time) which was parked in Fleece Street Stratford upon Avon to find a group of Japanese tourist girls sitting and draping themselves over the wings and bonnet having their pictures taken.

Hand rolled aluminium bodywork can't taken even slightly built human frames. Not just the expense but where do you find expertise in hand rolling expertise of wings and bonnets other than Morgan down the road in Malvern, andmI'm sure they'd have been pi $$ed off taking in a competitors brand.
Quite a faff.

Back on track, and i have posted this before, returning to the GT in motorway carpark, a gentleman approached with hand outstretched declaring that this must be the most beautiful machine hed seen. Makes the heart hummmmmmmm.Nothing but positive in tbe UK. Egalitarian French towns can be much different with malicious damage as Peter said.
 

Serkie

Junior Member
Messages
94
I've received many positive comments but to balance things up a few negative too...

1. I had two middle age women accost me when I parked in a parents bay at a local supermarket, they were quite upset and said it was a disabled bay and I shouldn't be parking a car like that there. I said no it's a parents bay, I have my children with me and have every right to park there. I then asked them to kindly mind their own business to which they stomped off tutting. I then stood and watched them drive away before leaving the car. I guess the fact it was a Maserati offended them, if I was in my daily driver they wouldn't have looked twice.

2. Driving down to Cornwall for a family holiday back in the summer, chap in a pickup truck thought it was funny to repeatedly swerve into my lane alongside me causing me to go into the hard shoulder. I guess again the car offended him.
 

davy83

Member
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2,809
2. Driving down to Cornwall for a family holiday back in the summer, chap in a pickup truck thought it was funny to repeatedly swerve into my lane alongside me causing me to go into the hard shoulder. I guess again the car offended him.

sounds scary, never had any thing like that happened to me, maybe the older cars are viewed differently? or different part of the world?
 

Roger Bassett

New Member
Messages
15
Someone once shouted "Midlife crisis" at me. Which was strange, because we don't even look that similar.

Comments have been almost universally positive and sometimes favourably compared to a Ferrari. Quite a few question / comments about how often it breaks down. A reply that the battery went flat once and it needed some new tyres last year just seems to disappoint those who love to hold on to the idea that Maseratis aren't reliable.

The noise gets the best response, and every time I think about selling it (which is fairly often) there is still no other car which sounds quite as good. Which is why 6 years on I still have it.

Same here


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Moz1000

Member
Messages
820
A couple of 'ladies' in Tesco's car park muttered 'p3nis enlargement' as I passed them........
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
The public has a perception that Maserati's are expensive so it probably comes as a surprise that a fully specced up VW Golf costs more than most Maserati's for sale on Ebay at the moment.

Thats because they don't see their car as being 25k, it's just £299 a month
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,539
Someone once shouted "Midlife crisis" at me. Which was strange, because we don't even look that similar.

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Never had a negative comment about either the 4200 or the GT. Plenty of people asking for some beans. Bikers as well. People randomly walking up and asking what it is. Took it to the Kosovan Kar Wash last week (yes I know) and they were handling it with kid gloves.

C