The Flying Banana (Maserati Gransport content)
Discussion
Due to a change in personal circumstances I found myself with some expendable cash.
So what’s a guy to do? The banks aren’t too appreciative of my cash presently so thought, after some quick man maths to treat myself to a new motor!
After many months of window shopping and perusing the classifieds I eventually found something that ticked the boxes that needed ticking.
Quick
V8
Sounds great
Looks to make you turn around for a second glance
Rare ish
Stands out from the crowd
Sometimes I think the hunt is more fun the the prize but luckily in this case I am happy on both counts.
I was smitten the first time I saw it, An Italian beauty that really does look better the more you spot the details inside and out.
So what has joined my B6 for company?
A Maserati Giallo Grantourismo Gransport.
It is such an amazingly compact looking car from outside with taught lines and nice wide rear haunches and an exhaust note that can only be Italian. Then inside it is full of stiched fine leather from the roof down with lots of nice carbon where plastic would be in lesser cars.
I have had it a few months now and it has been great fun learning how to get the best out it.
The only thing I have added so far is a set of Larini back boxes to enable me to enjoy the noise it makes, and I have some carbon seat backs on order which will really make the interior pop.
Only 3 yellow cars were sold in the U.K. apparently, which seems odd to me as it suits the car. To my eyes anyway.
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|https://thumbsnap.com/BiDPTaH9[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/mGjs1pGw[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/MzveNUgF[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/iYyz1Ffx[/url]
As I am lucky to own an Alpina B6s already the Grantourismo seemed just more of the same where as the Gransport is definitely more tilted towards the sports car than GT side of things.
The B6 has been a model of German efficiency, some eagle eyed PHers will recognise it from another readers ride thread.
A Subaru Outback Legacy H6 is my trusty tip car that refuses to die despite me abusing it relentlessly. Only the CD player decided to confiscate all my prize CD collection never to played again!
So I have a fragile Italian V8 and and a German supercharged car with comfortably over 100k on the clock. Call me the gambler!
If all they all go to pot the Subaru will will be there to carry me around…
The other stable mates.
So what’s a guy to do? The banks aren’t too appreciative of my cash presently so thought, after some quick man maths to treat myself to a new motor!
After many months of window shopping and perusing the classifieds I eventually found something that ticked the boxes that needed ticking.
Quick
V8
Sounds great
Looks to make you turn around for a second glance
Rare ish
Stands out from the crowd
Sometimes I think the hunt is more fun the the prize but luckily in this case I am happy on both counts.
I was smitten the first time I saw it, An Italian beauty that really does look better the more you spot the details inside and out.
So what has joined my B6 for company?
A Maserati Giallo Grantourismo Gransport.
It is such an amazingly compact looking car from outside with taught lines and nice wide rear haunches and an exhaust note that can only be Italian. Then inside it is full of stiched fine leather from the roof down with lots of nice carbon where plastic would be in lesser cars.
I have had it a few months now and it has been great fun learning how to get the best out it.
The only thing I have added so far is a set of Larini back boxes to enable me to enjoy the noise it makes, and I have some carbon seat backs on order which will really make the interior pop.
Only 3 yellow cars were sold in the U.K. apparently, which seems odd to me as it suits the car. To my eyes anyway.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/BiDPTaH9[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/mGjs1pGw[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/MzveNUgF[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/iYyz1Ffx[/url]As I am lucky to own an Alpina B6s already the Grantourismo seemed just more of the same where as the Gransport is definitely more tilted towards the sports car than GT side of things.
The B6 has been a model of German efficiency, some eagle eyed PHers will recognise it from another readers ride thread.
A Subaru Outback Legacy H6 is my trusty tip car that refuses to die despite me abusing it relentlessly. Only the CD player decided to confiscate all my prize CD collection never to played again!
So I have a fragile Italian V8 and and a German supercharged car with comfortably over 100k on the clock. Call me the gambler!
If all they all go to pot the Subaru will will be there to carry me around…
The other stable mates.
Edited by Philv8s on Friday 10th September 21:44
Edited by Philv8s on Friday 10th September 23:33
Thanks for the nice compliments on the fleet, it wasn’t by design but appreciate they all tick different boxes in their own way which is a nice conundrum sometimes which keys to pick up.
The Gransport has had a best MPG of 25 on a trip to North Yorkshire but is usually around the mid teens when enjoying it on local B roads.
No too bad considering it’s a N/A dry sump howling V8 lump.
I got a puncture pulling the car out the garage but apart from that it’s just been fuel for now.
I have done a about 2k miles and got used to the F1 box now, I actually like it and find it quite involving and fun to use.
The A/C system is very good and keeps a good stable temp in the cabin. My car has had an upgraded hifi system fitted with DAB, bluetooth handsfree, big amp and bass box which is nice but not used much by me TBH.
There are some quirks to the Italian car which I have to laugh about. Like the fuel cap release button is hidden in the passenger glove box!
It is going for it’s MOT and service in November so will have a better idea what costs are looking like with routine stuff then.
The Gransport has had a best MPG of 25 on a trip to North Yorkshire but is usually around the mid teens when enjoying it on local B roads.
No too bad considering it’s a N/A dry sump howling V8 lump.
I got a puncture pulling the car out the garage but apart from that it’s just been fuel for now.
I have done a about 2k miles and got used to the F1 box now, I actually like it and find it quite involving and fun to use.
The A/C system is very good and keeps a good stable temp in the cabin. My car has had an upgraded hifi system fitted with DAB, bluetooth handsfree, big amp and bass box which is nice but not used much by me TBH.
There are some quirks to the Italian car which I have to laugh about. Like the fuel cap release button is hidden in the passenger glove box!
It is going for it’s MOT and service in November so will have a better idea what costs are looking like with routine stuff then.
Well I’ve had it about 6 months now and really it has just grown on me. Really quite enjoy flapping the paddles and hooning around in it generally.
It seems to attract positive comments from random strangers of all ages when I’m parking up which of course is nice.
I like not having to go crazy speed to still enjoy the fantastic noises it makes, just play with the volume pedal to suit your mood!
It needed new front tyres and the service and MOT were fairly painless. Had a few little fettling jobs done whilst in the garage but has been faultless really.
Was snapped by autofocus of this parish at Supercar Fest Shelsley Walsh a few months ago.
It seems to attract positive comments from random strangers of all ages when I’m parking up which of course is nice.
I like not having to go crazy speed to still enjoy the fantastic noises it makes, just play with the volume pedal to suit your mood!
It needed new front tyres and the service and MOT were fairly painless. Had a few little fettling jobs done whilst in the garage but has been faultless really.
Was snapped by autofocus of this parish at Supercar Fest Shelsley Walsh a few months ago.
Having not updated this page for awhile thought it time to update a little.
The car has behaved itself and is still being very in-Italian and pain free ownership wise. Whilst I have the car sorn’d until Summer I thought I would get round to sorting the common issue of sticky plastics in the interior. Not sure why this happens but it seems to affect all Ferraris and Maseratis of this age, the soft touch coating starts to break down leaving a horrible tacky surface on all buttons, vents and the seats backs also.
After some internet research the favoured method seems to be to use either rubbing alcohol or make up remover wipes to scrub this off.
I went for the alcohol method. Easy job to to remove the vents and buttons then just a case of applying liberal amounts of rubbing alcohol and elbow grease until the sticky is gone. A few hours work from start to finish didn’t seem too much hassle for a nicer cabin to sit in. Well worth the effort.
Thankfully I have carbon seat backs so those were one area not needed to be attended to.
Here are the before and after pics…
The car has behaved itself and is still being very in-Italian and pain free ownership wise. Whilst I have the car sorn’d until Summer I thought I would get round to sorting the common issue of sticky plastics in the interior. Not sure why this happens but it seems to affect all Ferraris and Maseratis of this age, the soft touch coating starts to break down leaving a horrible tacky surface on all buttons, vents and the seats backs also.
After some internet research the favoured method seems to be to use either rubbing alcohol or make up remover wipes to scrub this off.
I went for the alcohol method. Easy job to to remove the vents and buttons then just a case of applying liberal amounts of rubbing alcohol and elbow grease until the sticky is gone. A few hours work from start to finish didn’t seem too much hassle for a nicer cabin to sit in. Well worth the effort.
Thankfully I have carbon seat backs so those were one area not needed to be attended to.
Here are the before and after pics…
Philv8s said:
Having not updated this page for awhile thought it time to update a little.
The car has behaved itself and is still being very in-Italian and pain free ownership wise. Whilst I have the car sorn’d until Summer I thought I would get round to sorting the common issue of sticky plastics in the interior. Not sure why this happens but it seems to affect all Ferraris and Maseratis of this age, the soft touch coating starts to break down leaving a horrible tacky surface on all buttons, vents and the seats backs also.
After some internet research the favoured method seems to be to use either rubbing alcohol or make up remover wipes to scrub this off.
I went for the alcohol method. Easy job to to remove the vents and buttons then just a case of applying liberal amounts of rubbing alcohol and elbow grease until the sticky is gone. A few hours work from start to finish didn’t seem too much hassle for a nicer cabin to sit in. Well worth the effort.
Thankfully I have carbon seat backs so those were one area not needed to be attended to.
Here are the before and after pics…
How did you manage to clean the switches without the print coming off?The car has behaved itself and is still being very in-Italian and pain free ownership wise. Whilst I have the car sorn’d until Summer I thought I would get round to sorting the common issue of sticky plastics in the interior. Not sure why this happens but it seems to affect all Ferraris and Maseratis of this age, the soft touch coating starts to break down leaving a horrible tacky surface on all buttons, vents and the seats backs also.
After some internet research the favoured method seems to be to use either rubbing alcohol or make up remover wipes to scrub this off.
I went for the alcohol method. Easy job to to remove the vents and buttons then just a case of applying liberal amounts of rubbing alcohol and elbow grease until the sticky is gone. A few hours work from start to finish didn’t seem too much hassle for a nicer cabin to sit in. Well worth the effort.
Thankfully I have carbon seat backs so those were one area not needed to be attended to.
Here are the before and after pics…
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