Guys, I am considering moving from the m3 to one of these.. for a while it was Db9 or Bentley CT.. but then at the maserati dealership I was impressed by the gransports looks.. which is funny because I thought the spider and coupe earlier weren't my cup of tea.. the gransport I can get for at least 20k cheaper than these two and it actually has decent back seats.. it's about as big as the m3 which is just dandy.. Anyone have any input? this is my DD car
For a DD in your posted choices and something that isn't too far removed from the M3, I would go with the Maser. The V12's will potientially melt your wallet in maintenance. Unless of course, by DD, you mean 10 miles back/from work. In regards to reliability, I prefer the GranSport or Bentley. The majority of used DB9's, I've seen are under 15K miles. Hard to get a sense of long term reliability with such low mile examples.
The best driving car will be the DB9. If you want the back seats the Bentley's can fit adults...I have never owned a Maserati but I have not heard good things. The Bentley will be the best everyday driver but it wont be as nice to drive as your M3. I do not know what your budget is but if you want a 4 seater coupe I would get a CL600, or 65. If you do not need back seats go for an SL which in my opinion is one of the best cars available for sale today. The problem with the Bentley for me is that it does not drive as nice as a BMW or Merc, it is huge, and a Mercedes CL600 will feel more powerful and faster than the Bentley, the ride is way to hard and it is not a legitimate Bentley like an Arnage. When I had it I almost never drove it. The SL600 I had at the time was superior in every way.
I am basically looking for a replacement for the m3 with a little more excitement factor.. but I do not need another 2 seater ( I have the modena for that) I want a DD that has 4 seats I use most of the time that I also enjoy using... I can take to the track if I feel like it or just... whatever.. I also want a nice car an exotic brand that gets me excited... the bentley, aston and maserati are all more exciting to own than the m3.. though I do love that m3.. sweet car.. I actually had written the gransport off and was looking more at the granturismo.. but a recent trip to the maserati dealership had me really liking the improved looks the gransport has over the coupe.. and the size of the rear seats.. the HP.. everything is very close to the M3 but at the time time different and realistically probably the cheaper option too..
same exact decision we were facing 6 months ago. Same cars were on our list. Went with the Gransport. You can get a 06 with less than a years of warranty left. A NICE car is in the low $50s. The GSs are not problem prone (or any of the modern Maseratis for that matter...). Research this. I did and was amazed how much perception and reality differed. The GS is 90% the same motor as a F430. Heads and intake are diff. There is well respected tuner in Nevada that has several cool bits that can release the GS's inner Ferrari. He offers a ECU and DBW mod that transforms the car. His DBW mod makes the cars shift at least 30% faster. Anyway, its easy to tune the car to 430-450 HP without any issues. The GS is an amazing cruiser and GT. We drive 3+ hours at a time with no issues in terms of noise, comfort etc. OE the thing sounds like a beast. It comes with a Tubi from the factory. Replace the second set of cats...and you won't believe the noise the car makes. Ferrari like... Car turns heads and doesn't get the same sneers as a BGT would. They are very rare so, you wont see yourself coming and going... I could go on and on....we love the GS and have NO regrets.
Wonderful write up.. you may have just pushed me towards the GS side.. and I have seen 2 black ones with under 15k miles in the 40's they look very clean.. at that price it's a no brainer.. come with a tubi from the factory? AWESOME!
Well I certainly would not take the Bentley to a track or the Aston for that matter and if you really need 4 seats forget about the Aston unless you have legless children. The rear leg room in a 911 is much more spacious. If you are are fitting adults in the back I am pretty sure the Bentley is the only one that will have big enough back seats. I would be sure to test drive the Maserati before you buy it because of the unusual driving characteristics I have read about.
Hey dudes, I had entered a long and detailed response but....this site didnt save it. Bottom line: PRE 05 NON GS Maseratis were a hand full in the turns, check out the youtube video of MS driving a pre-05 non GS spyder. GS were only made in 05-06. They were revelations in terms of handling. Now, I KNOW I will get sh*t for this but, The 05-06 GSs share many parts with......a Ferrari 430. I have a friend who is a Ferrari/ Maserati trained tech. He installed 15mm spacers on our GS. He told me the common parts...down to part numbers. Research this for yourself. A GS is a Ferrari in all the most important ways (engine, trans etc.). Again, dont want to fight with anyone about this...research it yourself. Many cool aftermarket bits for the GS. Easy to get 450hp. Remember, a 430 has 500hp. A great (less than 7k) 06 GS will cost $50-53. With a years worth of warranty left. 05s are the same car. Don't believe the BS about reliability. Its simply not an issue. Same with modern Ferraris. Non-issue. we have had many great cars...M3s, GT3, AMG this and that. None compare to the GS. And, it has 2 rear seats that easily seat someone up to any 6 foot with no issues. GL
I suggest you keep digging for information and opinions on the Maserati. Maybe you should try try the ************ website. There's a lot of guessing and misinformation about the Maserati in this thread. The guy who started Ferrarichat has a Gransport and seems to love it. He has a thread on here about it as well. Bob S.
GranSport is the best of the three. As mentioned, there are quite a few cool upgrades to imrpove upon the already impressive car.
Jesus.. looks like I made my decision.. so a GS it likely is.. thanks guys.. again the funny thing is before I bought the M3 I went looking at the coupes (pre 05) and was completely and utterly not impressed with them.. didn't like the looks.. didn't like the way they drove.. I also am not a fan of the looks of the gran tursimo.. it's nice but I don't love it.. but for some reason.. even though the coupe and gransport look obviously very similar.. they seem like completely different beasts stylistically.. it's odd.. the gransport looks like a true italian exotic (inside and out) and before the coup looked a litte.. well cheap in comaprison.. it's amazing what some ground effects, and bigger wheels will do.. I love love love the M3.. it is good on the track though I was considering a better suspension for it.. but it seems the gransport might do just as well if not better on the track.. I like to bring my cars both to the track and change them up.. the 360 and a gransport will be a good two cars that can be tracked and driven.. for 40-60k my god it's almost a no brainer.. thanks for all this input guys.. BTW anyone have any experience with a gransport on the track? in sport mode how stiff is the suspension.. the M3 is not stiff enough.. the ferrari in sport mode is fantastically stiff.. anyone have input?
Tracking... FD Springs FD Sways ECU Mod DBW Mod = 360s in your wake. Stock the GS is more GT and less sports car...(you might love it) Like Bob said...maseratilifedotcom.
Well prehaps unusual is not the right word. I have just read that the suspension allows for a great deal of body roll which is weird for a car that is suppose to be a sports coupe. I have also heard that the transmission is quite bad. That said I am referring to old coupe and I do not know much about the GS so I probably should have said nothing at all.
I have an '06 GranSport and a 550. The GS is an awesome car. Just about as fast as my 550 off the line. Chain driven engine with less maintenance. Very visceral feel to drive. In sport mode is very tight. Very functional with 2 back seats that actually work. I use it almost as my DD, now with 24K miles on it and going strong. For a lover of Italian cars I would think the GS would bring a smile to your face much more so that the Bentley or the DB9, those are more sedate in character than the GS. I vote for the GS!
From these 3 selections I'd go with the Gransport. It's a really fun car to drive and when you step on the pedal the exhaust note is awesome!
Is it just me or does the service on a gs seem expensive? I came close to buying one a few months back as an almost DD, and it seemed that maitanance was almost in Ferrari territory in terms of cost. The records I was looking at showed a major service and a clutch to the tune of $8k. Do you guys think the Aston or bentley cost as much to maintain?
Is stock form, the Coupe/GS is fairly soft. Once the springs/sway bars have been upgraded, they perform well. Doesn't sound right. A clutch could run around $5K so there must have been other things to get up to $8K. Regular maintenance shouldn't be any more than what you would find with a F430. Like Ferraris with chain-driven cams, maintenance is relatively cheap but repairs can get expensive.
yes I notice the bodyroll.. however the question is it worse than the m3.. I have a feeling in sport mode it's stiffer than the m3
