Thanks Gordon!! Interior looks fantastic. I love that roll bar and empty space in the back. You did a good job specing out the interior and exterior options. Did you think the Trident on the roof would have been too much? Too much attention?
I spoke to the dealer about the car before it came out and was advised the U.S. version is basically cosmetic stuff. The problem is that they are under the impression, and may be correct, that most Maserati owners are going to use this car for errands and daily driving. With the troubles they had on all of the f-1 coupes/gransports, they opted to let an auto transmission shift the car and for those whose wanted paddles to offer that as a play toy option like bmw & mercedes provides. I was also advised the service centers received many complaints and demands for new clutches after 4-8k miles because certain drivers were clueless on how to handle a true f-1 system. I've actually seen this first hand in a few very weird situations. Even on other Maserati sites, I've read statements like: "I'd get the MC version if it only had a back seat....i love the rims, carbon fiber" etc...so they took it to heart and gave us a sporty family friendly car. I just wish they would have offered the U.S. the same euro version but as a limited edition. It would have captured the market for the more sporting/aggressive driver as did the Challenge Stradale & 16M. I wonder how many 360 Challenge Stradales would have sold in the U.S. if they only offered it with an auto transmission and back seat. "to meet the preferences of the U.S. Market"
Thanks guys. Apologies again for the terrible photos. I think it is the current production uber Maserati to be honest (I'd give the overall accolade to the 250F!!). The finish inside the car is - for want of a better way to express it and in order to benchmark it a bit - definitely "GT3 quality". The roll cage and harnesses are a factory option. The base car comes with carbon seats and regular intertia reel belts over here. Then you can added the 4 point harness and the cage as an option so I color coded the harnesses, stitching, crests, belts and calipers. I also looked at the Trident on the roof in the configurator but, yes Greg, I decided it would be a bit too much on a car that was bright yellow anyway!! The only thing I wish I had done now which I have seen on another car since, was to trim the leather parts of the seats (around midriff level) in red. At the weekend I was reading the current "evo" magazine over here which is the "Car of the Year" issue. I guess we all take those things in general with a large grain of salt. However the owner of the magazine is a big Maserati fan (he drives a Gran Turismo S) and apparently they asked Maserati for a Stradale for the report and they said no, they only lend cars for "comparison" (i.e one to one) purposes, not group tests. Aside from the fact that I don't really know what the difference is (other than in the former the worst you can come is 2nd), it just seemed a shame that the car never got put through its paces against a more complete peer group. As usual their chosen victor was the GT3 (4 litre version). Yawn. What I also found interesting was the same guys comments later in the issue on the MC shift in his GTS. He reckons its the best F1 'box he has ever used and has converted him from stick to paddles forever. Apparently there are some limitations on its use (above 5,500 rpm, certain engine and gearbox temperature levels, 80% throttle) but he is a huge fan.
So true. So Ferrari has offered the Challenge Stradale and 16M in the US market, but Maserati doesn't offer the MC Stradale? Thats weird. Is there a high cost to get a single model derivative like the MC Stradale approved for sale in the US? (given the GTS etc are already on sale). I'm not altogether clear why Maserati would omit a model altogether.
G., when it comes to the GT-erivates of their cars, Ferrari don`t like competition. And what Ferrari says is THE LAW in Italy - no matter how good a Maserati is. Was the same situation with the Enzo vs MC12. Never permitted by Maranello (...and Modena!). Ciao! Walter
Sure i Can help. 2 big differences. In Europe the car is lighter and sportier with lightweight interior similiar to a scuderia verision of a Ferrari or a GT2 for Porsche while in the states there are back seats (none in the euro version) which makes the car much more usable. Also the European version has a Cambio-corsa Gear box while in the states it is an automatic. I must admit i am partial to the CC but the auto works great and the car is just awesome as it is. BOth Euro and US have the same power and the better rear center bumper mounted exhaust which gives the thrill to the drive. In short, unless you are going ot tack the car, the US version really is a better fit for most people. I hope this was helpful. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Garrett
Here is an official invite. come in and drive one? no pressure and no need to buy. Tell you what here is what you can do in return. just come back in here and tell everyone honestly what you think of the car. Sounds like a good deal? Garrett
The engine is actually not different. The reason for the 6 HP difference is due to the way the ratings are measured in differnet countries. The gearbox is an automatic (the 2009 Cambio-Corsa and the MC Stradale in europe both have the same gearbox from the 599 with a software tweak to amke it a bit easier to drive in auto mode). THer reason that this is not available in the US is that it changes the emission ratings and the car woudl have be homologated to US standards which is expensive by keeping the auto it fits under the filing that covered all GranTurismos. The interior is differnt but for me personally, i prefer the full interior (just order it with alcantar nad make it sporty) because after all this car is great performance touring car and while it may perofrm great on the track it is not a true track car. I simply dont see the need to lose 100 pounds or so, lose the back seats and all the features taht make it such ag reat touring car that you will use daily for the small advantages that you will use once in a blue moon. The car already has a stiffer suspension. I think they went the right route. I admit i prefered if they had theopiton for the CC gearbox but i understand why they did what they did. I drive one personally and i love the way it drives and handles (keep in mind i am atrack guy) but i use a different car for that purpose. I hope that helps Garrett
the issue is that the CS and the 16M are deroivations of a car that already have the F1 gearbox homologiated for the US. In this case the originall car (the Granturismo and Grantursmo S) are autos. That means they would have to go through the entire process or thse limited numbe of cars. I hope that you find that info helpful Garrett
Just for reference, I'd like to add that horsepower output is quite messed up due to historical reasons. For example, you have HP, PS, CV, so on and so forth! Then there is the difference between metric and mechanical measurements (in addition to the British Imperial one). I personally use this definition: HP = horsepower in general CV = HP in Italy cv = HP in France PS = HP in Germany BHP = Brake HP (before any loss of power) Please correct me if I'm wrong. More crazy details can be found in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepower#Metric_horsepower
All true. But additionally it is the method of how it is measured. ex. at the wheels, at the output point and under what conditions.
Thank you for posting the additional information about the MC Version. Please don't take this as a direct response to you but rather toward MNA: The 2009 Model had the CC so I don't really see any need for new homogolation...it was already done no? I thought U.S. emissions issues were traditionally dealt with by using a 2nd cat for U.S. cars. The Granturismo has been here and already has passed U.S. emissions for that Model. If the back seat is better, and makes the car more usable, why was the rest of the entire car buying World denied a back seat for this sub-model? I think they are making up b.s. excuses and passing them along to the dealers. Clearly, Ferrari should start adding back seats to all models & import fully automatic vehicles only to the U.S. They should also offer attractive lease programs to boost sales. The car would be much more user friendly to a wide range of drivers and lets face it, how many ferrari owners track their cars. How many drivers would be at a disadvantage with an extra 100 pounds? As far as I'm concerned, Maserati screwed the U.S. because they think we are all a bunch of puss'es that haul their kids to and from the soccer field, are more interested in cupholders, poofy suspension, transparent shifts, and the status of a trident symbol on the grill. While that may be true with a good %, there is a % that wants a Scuderia style Maserati and would buy it over the Ferrari. That is why car companies offer "special limited edition models."
Thanks. I am indifferent on the 2+2 or only 2 seats. But, the auto transmission vs. F1/CC is a big deal. I'll drive one with the auto and see what I think. I also saw your note re the engine, so the MC in the US gets the MC Stradale engine...that's good! Can you also confirm it gets the suspension tweaks (larger roll bars etc), the CCM brakes and the special formula new Corsa tires? Thanks!
Arizona and Gregg, I think you guys both make excellent points. Let me say that i didnt take offense and i am not arguing about your opiions but here goes..... The seats issue is more than just backseat or no back seat it was more of a decision to market the car to the lartgest cusotmer base. The truth is that US market is very different than the rest of the car buying world. I can only speak as to my personal experience but to have made the car with the lightweight race seats and no back seats and skimpy interiro would have narrowed the audience significantly. Not jsut the bulk but i would say almost 99% prefer the car with leather interior, electirc seats and rear seats. We listen to cusotmers comments daily. Additional proof that this market is smaller is that when Ferrair released the Challenge Stradale the number of cars was in the low hundreds and the car is still worth close to what it was new. When Ferrair estimated the Scuderia demand they builts several thousand cars. That demand fell off quite a bit. Here is why. Everyone wanted the most aggressive new Ferrari but with the exception of the real enthusiast drivers, most really could not handle how raw the car really was. I heard stuff like : "it is too loud, too rought, no carpet, my wife thinks i got the cheap model" Those guys really miss how terrific the Scuderia is. The car is the most amazing street car i have ever driven. There is no shame in enjoying a Fast great Ferrari that is not necessarily a virtual track car. So in short I think that Maserati made the right decision to offer this car with a full interior. NOw on to the gearbox. We all agree, including Maserati that the CC gearbox would have been a perfect fit for this car. But i am sorry to say that Arizona is a bit off on the homologiation issue. The reason they were able to get the CC in for 2009 was not because they went through the process but rather because they used an exemption that existed in that year for a small enough quntity. That is why they did not continue to offer the car in 2010. Once they squeezed as many cars through as they could they had to stop or go through the significant expense to get it approved. IN short, having driven my car now for just under 4000 miles i can tell you that I love it!!!! I have enjoyed every mile of my long commute much more than i did before i got the car. the sound is incredible and brings a visible smile to my face regularly. I definitely prefer the fully featured leather seats and i have used the back seat often enough to say i am glad it is there. I admit at first i wished it had the CC gearbox but after the frist few days i have come to love the auto because it fits the touring use of this car very well. I admit that i do get my fill of hard hitting shifts when I drive my SCUD but I really think that Maserati made great decisions here. I hope that was helpful. Garrett
Garrett, Thanks for the info on the CC. It makes sense that they would not offer a 2 seater with the auto trans...that would be foolish and borderline absurd. It's too bad they didnt want to spend the $$ on the CC approval here in the U.S. But again this is the U.S. where old ladys wander into a mercedes dealership and ask for the salesman for the car with the biggest # on the back...and where magazine writers rip the s.it out of Maserati's cc's because they dont shift as smooth as that lexus they just test drove. I'm sure the U.S. version sounds great, as I heard similar on the track in Verano. I won't buy the auto system though. From your post, it sounds like Ferrari should blow off the U.S. for future challenge/Scud Verisions as well. Thanks MNA.... There are plenty of dailys...bmw, merc etc that I dont need to worry about and care for like I do a Maserati. I have the paddles on my BMW & prior CLK....After a few times, I never bothered using them again because they were a joke. Let me ask you this...would you have bought your scud if it had a back seat and was fully automatic? Knowing the rest of the world had the current version? I wonder...Is someone who worked for AMG and now MNA...still holding the CL65's failure in the U.S. as a reason not to bring over special hi-performance cars for Maserati? I'm just curious as to why Maserati would not explore hi-performance versions. Are they really held down by Ferrari?
I'm sorry this thread went off track!! Gordon, I hope you will give us a review of the car after you have settled in with the car and have some spirited driving time with this fine machine!!
Unfortunately, Maserati is still held by the various "rules" imposed by Ferrari, even today. It is not that strange, if you understand that Ferrari is GOD in Italy, a "government" within the government. For example, the GranSport was marketed as a 290km/h car because Maserati wasn't allowed to market a car with the number 300km/h at the time. That is also why we couldn't have a GranTurismo with 500 hp or over. Hopefully that will change and eventually Maserati will be allowed to release a car with 500 hp or over. But once that happens, Ferrari will be at 600+ hp. (the MC12 was an exception, since it came out for specific purposes and was limited in production) This has been going on forever, another example is the Barchetta, Ferrari put its foot down and said they didn't want more competition, especially from the "inside of Italy", so that car was scrapped. If you think about it, Maserati is a much more exotic brand than Ferrari, the Ferrari badge/name is even on cereals and gas stations (Shell V-Power anyone?), while Maserati has an exotic name and great cars. Compare the GranTurismo with an equivalent Ferrari and you realize that the Maserati is a much better value-for-money than the Ferrari, which just a bit faster but for twice the cost, for a brand that comes up so often, you find it on just about every cheap chinese trinket. So the deal is, FIAT wants to exploit the exotic brand name of Maserati, thats why the 8C which was originally the "next" GranSport for Maserati, was given to Alfa Romeo, and instead Maserati was forced to produce an SUV, as someone pointed out to me, because there are a lot of "American idiots" and "corrupt Chinese". That is why the Maserati SUV is being marketed especially for the US and Chinese markets. FIAT also used the Dodge platform to build the FIAT Freemont, so they are trying to cover as much ground as possible by expanding to all available market segments. That is also why FIAT forced Maserati to produce a cheap QP, so they can fill the hole of the BMW/Audi markets. Which is a similar trick followed by VW and Porsche, for example Porsche's Cayman is a "market plug" to fill the hole between the cheap Boxster and the expensive Carrera. The plan is to make Maserati an every day car and not an exotic, they will dilute the brand as much as possible with various "market plugs" to fill more market segments. This is of course bad news for us. But then again, I'm just a nobody who knows nothing about cars
That is a very informative post...thanks. I guess we will see what happens to the brand. Maybe I'll go South of the Border and pick one up someday.
100+!!!! Totally agree with you. The Italians know nothing about marketing and branding. They ruined Alfa! They ruined Lancia! And they -almost!- ruined FIAT. Now they are on the best way to ruin Maserati! And Ferrari is the holy cow! But the 2 big M`s in the Italian car industry know everything better....... Bon voyage to the orcus! Ciao! Walter
For sure Greg. Just back from a few days in chilly Eastern Europe and we have 12c and sunshine here so perfect conditions this weekend. Great to see Garrett posting here too. I fully respect all the arguments but I have to stay I am still happy we can purchase the car in this spec in the UK. I am most definitely a track guy too but when its me on the road and I'm on my own in a car (hence no back seats required), I like it to be as edgy a sports car as possible.
Garrett Thanks for the full explanation concerning the Maserati - who else could we get this from - I never had an answer on why my wife's 2009 had the 599 which I love - as you know I had one of the Andrettis track it at Moroso with street tires and 2 people and do a 1:31 which has to be a record for a touring Mas. We don't track it anymore (maybe a few laps here and there) but my wife loves the idea of what it can do - she loves to brag about it- sure am glad I bought that car from you - you guys are the greatest - in fact her car is being delivered to your shop today
Absolutely true! They know how to market and brand clothing, but when it comes to cars forget it! Italians seem to know how to make either excellent small car or luxury-sports cars. They struggle in the middle, where the Germans and Japanese dominate.
Maybe someone can shine some light on this for me. I was reading about the Granturismo Sport that is being/has just been launched here in the U.K. From all I can gather, Maserati have given the car the same power output (460bhp?) as the MC Stradale. I was a more that a little amazed at this. It can’t even be a year since they launched the MC as their premium production sports car and already we have an equally powered model in the range? I guess the most benign interpretation I can give it is that the car is heavier, set up differently and hence has different appeal. But I can’t help thinking it dilutes what me (and a few others) have bought, in very short order (my car was delivered in November!). The worst outcome of course would be a higher output MC Stradale coming out…….but that would be commercially naïve beyond all belief. Wouldn’t it? Watch this space I guess. We all laugh at Porsche because of their model proliferation but I will say, the dealers are well informed and the models don’t obviously cannibalise each other – especially at the high end. But as an MC Stradale owner, I have to say I am left thinking Maserati have just ended its life cycle.
