4200 Coupe Pre-purchase Questions

I'll try to help with a few questions...

3) According to many owner reports, clutches seem to last around 20K miles with both the standard transmission and the cambio transmission.

5) Independent shops should be able to service and repair the car without problem as long as they have an SD3.

6) Yes

7) Yes, Eurospares is a great source of deeply discounted OEM parts.

10) As with anything, it depends on what needs to be replaced. As with any Italian car, be prepared for the worst

11) For Coupes and Spyders, the latest software was released in 2004. Older cars can be reflashed.

14) Ask yourself to increase the budget and buy the newest car you can afford. Coupes and Spyders got progressively more reliable from 2002 to 2004. After 2004, all the "bugs" seem to have been worked out.

15) Remember, there are no "deals" with Italian cars. If the price is low, there is always a reason.

 

I own a 2002 Coupe GT with the manual 6 speed. I purchased the car with 8,500 miles and now shows 38,983 on the odometer. I am still on the original clutch. I bought the car just for use on weekends. It has become my daily driver. I have driven over 30,000 miles the last 18 months and I only live 6 miles from my office. Only problems I have had , tires and rims from potholes.
If you can find a 6 speed, buy it. CC's have some issues. Stick with manual transmission.

 

If you go and check on www.************.com you will find that many will recommend the CC gearbox also. Many prefer it over the stick shift because of the sportier nature and the ability to keep both hands on the steering wheel and the fact that it is newer technology. Most seem to be able to get the hang of the CC. Clutch wears out quicker with the CC but with proper shifting and avoiding the 'auto mode' clutches can still last 20k miles or more. Saying that, I would probably go with the stick shift myself also.

 

I have a 2002 Spyder that I bought new with Skyhook and F-1 box. It now has 16 K miles on it but only because I travel a lot and don't get to drive it much. But, when I have it, I use it like a DD --- I park it anywhere, go everywhere, run it through automated car washes, etc. On the open road, it's really comfortable and easy to drive long distances.

Mine has been remarkably reliable. In the first couple of months, I had a problem with the F-1 shifting and the top stopped once. Both were fixed by the dealer and in six years, the only thing I've done is replace the battery and do the routine service. I have mine serviced at the dealer and the cost is similar to what you would pay at a Porsche dealer. An oil change runs about $400. I did the 18K service on the car and it only ran $1400.

Its never stopped running, stumbled around, or dropped any fluids. Honestly, aside from the first few months of teething, it's been the most reliable car I've owned.

As to the answers to your questions, some others have already done a great job but I would like to add:

2) If Skyhook fails, the car still works fine. It's a safety issue that the active suspension be backed up by mechanical. But, mine has never failed and to my knowledge, it's extremely rare.

3) Depending on how you drive and where, 20K seems like a worse case scenerio to go through a clutch. Think 30K typically but YMMV. My dealer told me when I bought the car that the maintenance of an F-1 box is LESS than manual because the shifting is more precise. I'm not sure that it's all BS but to some degree, it does make sense. I have found that I shift more often because I have the F-1 than if I had a manual (because I'm lazy sometimes).

8) I've never seen pubished figures for the sales of the cars but for sure, in the US, it's something less than the 360 or F430. So, figure about 2K per year sent to the US on average with more being spyders sold than coupes (and manual boxes the fewest of each).

11) Mine had an update in the F-1 box and radio in late 2003 (to bring them up to 2004 cars) by the dealer. I don't think they did any more after that.

12) To my knowledge, the only "blue" color option was metallic. I've seen it in person and it's quite attractive with a beige or cream interior. You can go on google images and type in "blue maserati" to see some photos of what it looks like. But, what interior color the original owner selected my have a bigger influence on if you like the over package anb not than just the exterior color. There were 3 silvers from dark to light, 2 reds (metallic and non), yellow (I've only seen one of these in person so they are rare), white, black, and metallic green (I've never seen one). I may be wrong but that's about it unless someone specified an out of range color. You don't get wild color choices on a Maserati like a Lamborghini.

13) To me, the most important thing is whether the car (or any car) has been serviced properly, crashed, or otherwise abused. If it's had some track time, I would like to know. I personally would get a PPI from a dealer or at least an outfit that has some experience with them to know what to look for. I'd like to see service records, preferably from a dealer.

As far as I know, they are not "oil leakers" or have serious electrical problems. They are not clutch eaters (my mini went through it's first clutch at 23K), rusters, or have any serious mechanical "breakdown" issues. Now, the F-1 box is terrible in AUTO mode (I only use the paddle shifters), reverse is a bit slow to engage, the radio is not very user friendly, the GPS is too complicated to bother entering in information (it does work though), and resale value is something not to talk about. The brakes can squeal pretty loud at times. But heck, even the Maserati clock still keeps good time 6 years after I bought it. A Bi-Turbo it ain't.

Get the original books and CD's for the GPS (if it has it-- it was an option). Many came without a spare tire so don't fret about that (it was an option).

I would ask if the exhaust is standard or aftermarket. The standard exhaust is a bit on the quiet side. I put in a Tubi and it's much louder. Now, personally I like it --BUT I have a spyder. I've heard coupe owners complain about the amount of booming noise in the car with aftermarket exhausts. So, you might want to stay stock.

I do agree that tires can wear quickly. I've found that the original Pirrelli's crack around the edges. But, a replacement was about $200 per tire where my Mini is over $240 (gosh I hate run flats!)

One option to look for was Xeon headlamps. They were a pricey option at the time. I ordered mine with it and they work great. The only interior choice you had was the color of the leather and the piping in the dash.

I've heard pluses and minues about the manual or F-1 box. On the manual minus, some say it's a bit rubbery and not precise enough and others will say that shifting for yourself gives it more feel. On the F-1, some say the fun is gone and some shifts are "odd" and others will say it's the quickest way to get from point A to B and driving in traffic is a breeze. Its up to you. One thing I would say: This car is a GT, not a true sports car. It's fast and fun but the steering is not so precise, the Traction Control is a bit intrusive, and the ride is soft for a true sports car. It's still a barrel of fun though. I've got an F430 with an F-1 box and although the Ferrari is clearly superior, the differences between the two gearboxes operation aren't all that big.

I've never been crazy about "garage queens". To me, I'd rather the car got out and about once in a while instead of sitting around like a museum piece slowly wasting away. With some mileage, at least someone had the chance to find something wrong while it was still under warranty. Your buying a DD, not something to win a national meet.

There is not a lot of changes to them through the years. In 2003, they came standard with what I call "flower pedal" shaped wheel rims. In 2005 came the grandsport with an slight boost in power, a louder exhaust, and an upgraded interior and even some carbon fibre. It had some styling changes (that I never liked much) including a aero skirts and cut aways in the tail. Each to their own.

Standard equipment were power seats, auto day/night mirror, electric adjustable outside mirrors, power windows, remote alarm, and cruise control so they all have it. An option was a 6 CD player which fits in the trunk (I have one and it's never failed to work). If you don't get the 6 CD unit, you can put in one CD at a time in a slot by the armrest (the GPS uses the same slot)

The biggest "Italian quirky-ness": the button to release the fuel door is in the passenger glovebox.

Weirdest hard to find option: the mesh wind deflector screen (I have one and never used it) or perhaps the fire extinguisher (I didn't get it-- seemed silly)

The biggest thing that's an acquired taste: the F-1 box.

The biggest plus: For the money, few cars can beat it for looks, sound, interior, and general fun to drive. And, it has one of the best V-8 engines in the world.

The biggest negative: resale value. But, one man's loss can be another man's gain! For the price of an average Toyota, you can get something that most people think costed 30 grand more than you paid for it. That I consider a bargain.

Good luck in your search.

 

12) Here are some Maserati blue colors (not all colors available on all models)...

Argento Luna - baby blue metallic
Azzurro Argentina - light blue metallic
Blu Mediterraneo - bright royal blue, light metallic
Blu Nettuno - dark royal blue metallic
Blu Oceano - midnight blue - light metallic
Blu Sebring - blue metallic - more gray\somewhat muted blue

13) No, no known engine weaknesses. The 4200 engine design is shared with Maserati (4200), Ferrari (F430), and Alpha Romeo(8C)

15) I usually get 17.5 mpg when driving responsibly on a combination of city streets and local highways

 

it is a metallic light blue
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Blu Mediterraneo
Blu Nettuno
Blu Oceano (I doin't think this was available in '02-'04)
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