Maserati GranTurismo Sport and a French Road Trip
Discussion
I am a self-confessed BMW fanboi; I've had 2 x e36 M3 EVOs, e36 320i Touring, e90 320d, e39 530i, e60 530d, e70 X5 and most recently (actually currently as I haven't got around to selling it) an f13 640d.
The 640d is a phenomenal vehicle and does everything, other than rear passenger legroom; smart, effortless and quick, but at 3 years of ownership, I fancy something completely different. And no more BMWs.
I've been coveting a GranTurismo for a few years now, you know that idle Friday night Autotrader search and a "What if?". I never thought I'd actually own a Maserati... but here it is! Having looked at a few recently, I finally found the perfect one. More than £10k was spent in the past year getting the most common issues resolved.
The 640d is a phenomenal vehicle and does everything, other than rear passenger legroom; smart, effortless and quick, but at 3 years of ownership, I fancy something completely different. And no more BMWs.
I've been coveting a GranTurismo for a few years now, you know that idle Friday night Autotrader search and a "What if?". I never thought I'd actually own a Maserati... but here it is! Having looked at a few recently, I finally found the perfect one. More than £10k was spent in the past year getting the most common issues resolved.
The French Trip
We do one driving holiday a year. We've had a caravan that we were planning to take back to Île de Ré this year. That was until some cretin broke into it, trashed it, and stole various things, ultimately writing it off. So we have a ferry booked and paid for from Portsmouth to St Malo, which doesn't make the most sense for our revised destination near St Tropez. But it's done.
I'll be taking my wife and two teenage kids, on this journey mid-August.
We do one driving holiday a year. We've had a caravan that we were planning to take back to Île de Ré this year. That was until some cretin broke into it, trashed it, and stole various things, ultimately writing it off. So we have a ferry booked and paid for from Portsmouth to St Malo, which doesn't make the most sense for our revised destination near St Tropez. But it's done.
I'll be taking my wife and two teenage kids, on this journey mid-August.
My word that does look somewhat special, to say the least; generally, white would be a no, black wheels, would be a massive no, but together they look great on the ‘Maserati’, a word you’ll never tire of saying.
Not sure I’d fancy being sat in the back, for any reasonable length of time, looks somewhat claustrophobic, just my opinion.
Great look car, that will certainly create a sense of occasion, looks a lot of fun, enjoy the trip.
Not sure I’d fancy being sat in the back, for any reasonable length of time, looks somewhat claustrophobic, just my opinion.
Great look car, that will certainly create a sense of occasion, looks a lot of fun, enjoy the trip.
Oof! They look and sound amazing. 4.7?
Braver man than most with some of those bills
Every now and again I think about how they look good value, then remember and old customer tearfully telling me how his last service on his MC Stradale narrowly avoided ticking over into 5-figure territory. Then I come to my senses and move on.
Braver man than most with some of those bills
Every now and again I think about how they look good value, then remember and old customer tearfully telling me how his last service on his MC Stradale narrowly avoided ticking over into 5-figure territory. Then I come to my senses and move on.
Made it to our rented villa in Montauroux. St. Malo to Toulouse, a night there, and on to Montauroux.
Well that isnt strictly true; we went to the wrong place. So a short time later and we get to our actual villa.
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And what a car to do that journey in. My wife and I plus our two teenagers and boot absolutely rammed. No suitcases, everyone had two bags for life. There was actually space left of which was duly filled by the better half.
A few pics of the car
The first 200k or so was appalling weather, rained all the way and times sub 50m visibility. Not that deterred the French from tail gating. Stopped for a quick break
Parked up outside the hotel in Toulouse
Parked in the villas garage. 2” to the front and rear makes it a faff so it’s not gone back in there again.
Underground car park in Grasse. Bugger me that was tight navigating 3 subterranean floors. Came back after this and someone had squeezed in to the left!
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Well that isnt strictly true; we went to the wrong place. So a short time later and we get to our actual villa.
And what a car to do that journey in. My wife and I plus our two teenagers and boot absolutely rammed. No suitcases, everyone had two bags for life. There was actually space left of which was duly filled by the better half.
A few pics of the car
The first 200k or so was appalling weather, rained all the way and times sub 50m visibility. Not that deterred the French from tail gating. Stopped for a quick break
Parked up outside the hotel in Toulouse
Parked in the villas garage. 2” to the front and rear makes it a faff so it’s not gone back in there again.
Underground car park in Grasse. Bugger me that was tight navigating 3 subterranean floors. Came back after this and someone had squeezed in to the left!
Spend on the GT so far has been:
- front parking sensor. £170 + VAT from Maserati, £150 + VAT from scuderiaparts or £18 delivered for a new Chinese version of a 2012 Skoda Superb
- £180 rear sides and rear window tints. It’s not for everyone but in my view it looks so much better tinted. Same tint as BMW
- £560 two new front Pirelli P Zeros and rear wheels rebalanced.
A couple of days before we left, the car developed a vibration at ~70 which would have been suboptimal on a 2400km trip. Figured it was wheel balancing. Booked in the day we leave and they find a P Zero on one side with gouges out of it and a Michelin run flat on the other. I totally missed it. Had both changed and could see that the Michelin had been run when flat as the side walls to tread was perished on the inside.
Oil and filter Service schedule is 12,500miles/24 months. 24 months! She is well within that schedule and the oil was caramel brown when checked so one for later in the year.
- front parking sensor. £170 + VAT from Maserati, £150 + VAT from scuderiaparts or £18 delivered for a new Chinese version of a 2012 Skoda Superb
- £180 rear sides and rear window tints. It’s not for everyone but in my view it looks so much better tinted. Same tint as BMW
- £560 two new front Pirelli P Zeros and rear wheels rebalanced.
A couple of days before we left, the car developed a vibration at ~70 which would have been suboptimal on a 2400km trip. Figured it was wheel balancing. Booked in the day we leave and they find a P Zero on one side with gouges out of it and a Michelin run flat on the other. I totally missed it. Had both changed and could see that the Michelin had been run when flat as the side walls to tread was perished on the inside.
Oil and filter Service schedule is 12,500miles/24 months. 24 months! She is well within that schedule and the oil was caramel brown when checked so one for later in the year.
manmaths said:
Car looks lovely. I like that shot of it in the garage.
Is it just me or are the sills a different shade of white? 1st photo especially
Yes, both sides the plastic sills have discoloured. There are little bits around the car that need attention, and my navigators difficulty with left and right meant the front bumper and front rim caught a kerb in an obscenely tight car park in Cannes Is it just me or are the sills a different shade of white? 1st photo especially
ollyh1988 said:
Love the sound these make and that looks really good in white.
Just doing a shorter French tour in our California and right now I’d trade the extra room of the GT - better suited for that kind of drive.
It really is quite surprising how much space is in the cabin. The rears are full size adult seats with proper legroom. Just doing a shorter French tour in our California and right now I’d trade the extra room of the GT - better suited for that kind of drive.
Enjoy the Cali!
A man after my own heart in terms of coast to coast French road trips.
I had a month in Provence the other year in my Morgan 4.8 +8... a wonderful car once I was there, but not a great car for the long hours behind the wheel. Although it does have cruise control and aircon - but it's just a bit too cramped/stiff/impractical. Mrs NDA is very stoic and never complains, but I know she's not a fan. So I have just (this week) bought a C4S Cabriolet - pretty much specifically for our French trips - a GT like your Maserati.
I had a month in Provence the other year in my Morgan 4.8 +8... a wonderful car once I was there, but not a great car for the long hours behind the wheel. Although it does have cruise control and aircon - but it's just a bit too cramped/stiff/impractical. Mrs NDA is very stoic and never complains, but I know she's not a fan. So I have just (this week) bought a C4S Cabriolet - pretty much specifically for our French trips - a GT like your Maserati.
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