| Author | Message | ||
| Eric Brigham (Ebrigham)
Junior Member Username: Ebrigham Post Number: 82 Registered: 4-2003 |
Vishal, my personal record was transporting myself and 3 women to a wedding. The fact that the Maser could haul 4 people in relative comfort wasn't a surprise. The fact that it could haul 4 people AND their luggage was nothing short of a miracle! It took some doing to say the least, and included a stern warning from yours truly demanding that all passengers pack "frugally" beforehand. All kidding aside, when it comes to weekenders and transporting occupants, the limiting step on the coupe is the luggage space. If 4 people are traveling together in this car, it better be a short trip (or a trip to a nudist colony). Anyway, you will find that the back seat quite frequently does double duty as a trunk, so it helps to travel with a nice blanket to lay down in order to protect the leather seats� | ||
| Vishal Soin (Vs1)
Junior Member Username: Vs1 Post Number: 115 Registered: 10-2002 |
Thanks for all the input. I was leaning towards the Maserati anyway and now I'm definitely convinced. Around these parts, the Maser is much more exclusive [and our local Porsche dealer is a royal JackA$$], and the back seat of the Maser at least seems usable. I'll be at Midwestern Auto Group on Friday so I can test drive the F1 and 6-speed and will let you all know my thoughts on the two trannys. | ||
| 911 Fan (911fan)
Junior Member Username: 911fan Post Number: 86 Registered: 5-2003 |
"but in 5 years the Porsche will still be worth $55k" Don't count on it! Porsche has ramped up production so much in recent years that the market is flooded with used 911s and will be for some time to come. The good old days of amazingly high resale values for 911s are over. | ||
| Vince (Manatee)
Member Username: Manatee Post Number: 410 Registered: 6-2002 |
The Maserati is worth a test drive. It certainly surprised me. It was better than I thought it would be. I definitely preferred the F1 transmission. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Advanced Member Username: Parkerfe Post Number: 3115 Registered: 9-2001 |
SJP, but in 5 years the Porsche will still be worth $55k whereas the Maserati will be a $40k car at most. I've already seen 2002 Spyders advertised for $62k ! | ||
| SJP (Sjp3003)
New member Username: Sjp3003 Post Number: 15 Registered: 7-2003 |
Well, I traded in my former 996 911 (and a C5) to get my current Maserati Coupe. I actually think the Maser is MORE car for the money than a comparably priced 996. In fact, Porsche now makes the highest profit per car in the industry thanks to the 911. I'd bet Maserati is not making half Porsche's margin on its cars yet. The Maser interior is superior-- I think it's one of the best bar none. The Porsche interior is frugal & disappointing & the quality is fair at best-- my graphite gray interior did not look that good after a few years' use. While the 996 has a distinctive sound with the PSE (Porsche Sports Exhaust), I like the sound of the stock Maser V8 better too. You get more HP compared to the 996 as well. For long trips, the Maser is a true GT offering more comfort. The rear seats are superior to the 996's. Finally, the Maser offers the F1 box, much superior to tiptronic. Now, this is not to slam the 996. I think it's an excellent car. But it is a purer sports car more suited to flitting through tight traffic and track days. The maser is more suited to taking extended trips at a quick pace surrounded by a luxurious interior. | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2893 Registered: 10-2002 |
The back seat is very good. | ||
| Jim Avery (Boxer12)
Member Username: Boxer12 Post Number: 409 Registered: 6-2003 |
My kids were OK with the back seat of a 911 until the age of about 9. Never even sat in a Maser, so No opinion. | ||
| Eric Brigham (Ebrigham)
Junior Member Username: Ebrigham Post Number: 81 Registered: 4-2003 |
Jim. Yes those things do serve a purpose. They are removable, but they do not seem intrusive to back seaters so I left mine in... EB | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2846 Registered: 10-2002 |
Eric I wondered what those weird black brackets were. | ||
| Warren Balla (West662)
Junior Member Username: West662 Post Number: 83 Registered: 8-2003 |
If you were considering a Maserati Spyder, then I would say go for that, but, since you do need a back seat, I think the 911 is a truely amazing car, looks great, obviously great performance. | ||
| Eric Brigham (Ebrigham)
Junior Member Username: Ebrigham Post Number: 80 Registered: 4-2003 |
Getting a coupe is not a bad idea at all; it�s a great GT car. Great on the highway; quick, but still solid and heavy with plenty of air bags. The back seat is even baby-seat ready and suitable for adults for short journeys. Getting a used one is a great idea if you are trying to avoid a depreciation hit. You might even consider a used 2003, as I imagine a few are available by now. Some of the early glitchiness of the F1 system was sorted out for the 2003s. If you decide to get a 2002, make sure it has been given all the requisite upgrades to the cambiocorsa system, it�s a must. Overall it�s a pretty good system, but my experience has been a bit more �rusty� than Jim�s. I wouldn�t rule out a 911 TT either. For a bit more, you get more performance, but sacrifice most of a back seat. AWD might be of use to you during the winter as well. I guess it depends on how much you need. | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2833 Registered: 10-2002 |
Alan's idea isn't a bad one. It's really a question of what you want. The Maser is a GT car. It's best on long drives and isn't as fast or as much car for the $ as a P. I'm very impressed with my wife's turbo Cayanne. I'd drive them both and see which one you like. I've always liked Italian cars rather than German ones but that's my taste it may not be yours. | ||
| allan fiedler (Allanlambo)
Intermediate Member Username: Allanlambo Post Number: 1329 Registered: 6-2002 |
996TT!!! | ||
| James Glickenhaus (Napolis)
Advanced Member Username: Napolis Post Number: 2832 Registered: 10-2002 |
I have a coupe which I like very much and use as a daily driver. Love the nav sys and F1. Back seat is usuable. No problems. Great car. Congrats! | ||
| Vishal Soin (Vs1)
Junior Member Username: Vs1 Post Number: 111 Registered: 10-2002 |
First the great news. We're expecting our first child in February  . So, in trying to think like a Daddy, I've been thinking that one of the less used toys [specifically the 328] should be changed to something with rear seats. Originally, I thought about a 911, but now I'm think about a Maserati Coupe. So, what do you Maserati folks think of the Coupe? I'd probably look for a 2002 - or at least one that's taken some amount of a depreciation hit. What does everyone think of the early Coupes? 6-speed or Corsa tranny? |