The 3200GT at Port d'Envalira, Andorra, 2.409 m (almost 8,000ft) above the sea level. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Gabriel! very nice Are you still in this part of the world? I am half an hour west of Macon in Burgundy when the main north south autoroute passes so when you drive up if not already back home let me know and we can meet for a coffee. Good for you to do proper Maserati grand touring I might head to Oslo early next month for two or three days, my first visit. best regards, Marc
Hi Marc, Back home now, but the "kids" (17 and 15) and I had a great time throughout our Grand Tour d'Europe! Route and stopovers: Oslo-Kiel (by ferry) - Mulhouse (F) - Barcelona (E) (via Millau viaduct) - Biarritz (F) (via Andorra) - Pornic (F) - De Panne (B) - Bremen (D) (via Afsluitdijk) - Copenhagen (DK) - Oslo. 6000 kms in all, and the 3200GT performed totally reliably and faultlessly all the way. It is a fantastic driving machine! I am away next week, but back in Oslo from August 7. Would be great to catch up! Gabriel
Hi Gabriel. Looks like you had some intense driving fun. Great photo, thanks for sharing. Ciao, George
Glad you enjoyed it, yes I have driven across the Millau viaduct (for those who don't know about it it has the tallest pillar of any bridge in the world higher than the Eiffel tower, driving in the sky...) a couple of times amazing experience and was in Barcelona last week but I flew. Will let you know if and when Oslo plans firm up. All the best, Marc
Hi George, Great fun, and we did it over 11 days so it wasn't just driving all day long. I think the kids got new perspectives on Europe and on travelling Best, Gabriel
Thanks - this one is from De Panne, much closer to where you live I had never been to that coast before. Very nice, but a bit windy that day. We took a swim before breakfast the next day. The water was chillier than in the Oslo Fjord! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes, PM me when you know more. The Millau viaduct is just amazing, especially when you approach it from the north as we did. Actually, the whole A75 autoroute from Clermond-Ferrand to Béziers is a must-do; some 300 kms of ups and downs over several mountain passes, curves all the way, and fantastic scenery. And, unusual for French motorways, it is even free (no toll apart from the Millau viaduct) Cheers, Gabriel Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Yes will do. That itinerary is stunning but best avoided in winter as some sections are 1100 meters high. The temperature difference in late fall between Collioure on the Med and the nearby Spanish coast village where I had a swim and the cold up there by the bridge was like changing seasons within hours! MS
They have their electronic gremlins, and a few items, such as the throttle body, are known to cause issues. However, more durable replacements and fixes are available, and most cars have probably been sorted out by now. Otherwise, dependable if properly serviced. I have had mine for 2.5 years now and done about 12,000 kms; no issues at all.
Of course, I had a major service on the car before the trip: - all fluids changed (engine oil, gear oil, diff oil, brake fluid, steering servo fluid, coolant) - all filters changed (oil filter, air filters, anti-pollen filter, petrol filter) - cam belt and auxiliary belt, plus bearing - plugs - water pump - general inspection Car performed faultlessly throughout the journey. It is not too thirsty; not much more than 1.1-1.2 liter/10 kms, on average (but depends a lot on the driving ). Oil consumption was negligible. I also found it amazing in its combination of being both a truly fast and sharp sports car and a comfortable grand turismo that just gobbles up the miles. The 3200GT is smaller and nimbler than the current GT, yet still a comfy 2+2. A great machine!
I'm glad yours is so nicely set up in such great condition. Is it that much different than a 4200? I expect that the turbo rush is more exciting. The tail lights are much more alluring! I wonder if a 4200 with a six speed transaxle is so much different? Having done the heads a couple times on my GOC race car's V6 I certainly wouldn't miss having to think about that ever again. The 3.2V8 looks like you can change the clearance shims WO removing the cams but that rear chain on the cams is a bear if you have to replace it. It will take a very talented mechanic to do that precisely WO pulling the engine. This is what was so wonderful about the collaboration between Maserati & Ferrari on the joint engine design at that time. Both got dragged out of the stone age with that new valvetrain design and lots of other things on those engines. Enjoy your car!
Thank you! The 3200GT is a very quick car, and aside the original (Euro-spec) GT Stradale (and of curse the MC12), I think it feels like the most light footed Maserati since... what - the Shamal (and/or the Karif), perhaps? It was seemingly rather misunderstood when new due to its dual personality. It is both a sports car and a GT. And, it requires a dedicated and sympathetic owner. It would probably not have fared well in the US! The 4200GT and its various derivatives are great cars, most likely as quick as the 3200GT, but without the turbo rush - and without those divine rear lights. They are truly sensational - a real design masterpiece. I have not done the rear cam chains yet (the service book states they should be replaced at 120,000 kms), but so has seemingly (almost) nobody else either. Supposedly, they will let one know when they need to be attended by getting noisier. The engine in my car is super smooth, so no such signs yet I too think there was more collaboration between M and F than is being told by the current narrative. All positives are seemingly attributed to F, with M just being a passive recipient. I don't know much about the story though.
