3200/4200 compared to gransport
Discussion
what are the main differences between the gransport and the previous 3200 /4200 gt ?
i often read the 3200/4200 are "pretty but flawed"
Im personally really happy with the 3200 even if the rear end "kicks" out every now and then !
whats so bad about the car that reporters wish to aim the title "flawed" at the 3200 .
Am I missing something here and also how good is the Gransport ? has anyone got one or driven it ?
Im due to drive one on Wed and curious to know what differences I should keep an eye out for ?
Cheers Guys
i often read the 3200/4200 are "pretty but flawed"
Im personally really happy with the 3200 even if the rear end "kicks" out every now and then !
whats so bad about the car that reporters wish to aim the title "flawed" at the 3200 .
Am I missing something here and also how good is the Gransport ? has anyone got one or driven it ?
Im due to drive one on Wed and curious to know what differences I should keep an eye out for ?
Cheers Guys
Driven the GranSport and liked it so much I ordered one, but that does not make me a reliable witness m'lud! I just have a gut feeling that it's a good car. Appearance is excellent, with a choice of chrome or dark grilles and various wheel finishes/caliper colours. I went for Nero Carbonio, chrome and standard wheels with red calipers.
The next thing you will notice is the interior fabric - it will either be bright silver, dark silver or a vivid blue, surrounded by piping. I couldn't live with bright silver or blue, and I can't stand piping in contrasting colours, so I chose black leather with dark silver fabric and black piping. That may sound a bit sombre, but the interior doesn't need much dressing up. The only thing I'm going to add is a set of burgundy mats (Autostyle).
Once you're in take time to adjust everything to fit (wheel and seats). There's enough adjustment to suit anybody, and the seats are ultra-comfortable. Good pedal positions and a lovely feel to the steering wheel, with the paddles perfectly positioned.
They have a clever arrangement with the gearbox - the brakes hold the car automatically for a few seconds (e.g. on a slope), and all you have to do to take off is pull the upshift paddle and press the accelerator. Smooth as butter.
As you go through the gears you will notice a distinct hesitation each time you change up (the car's major quirk, which upsets journalists no end), and I suggest you ease off the loud pedal momentarily just before you pull the paddle. There are ways round this, but they take too long to explain here!
Downchanges are a different affair altogether - all you need to do is pull the downshift paddle and you'll get an almost instantaneous change. If you're in Sport mode you'll hear the engine 'blip' to do it's own heel & toe procedure.
The steering is (to me at any rate) as nice as I've ever experienced. Direct and accurate with plenty of feel, and it's great through corners. Made me think I was driving unusually well (for once)! The handling is composed and unflustered, and it's easy to place the car perfectly and then blast it through the bends.
There's slight body roll - hardly any in sport mode - and the thing copes well with different road surfaces, but remember this is a GT car - not a circuit missile. Just before driving it I'd had a go in my son's Exige 2 (he's a fanatic 40-year-old), and I drove to the Maser dealer in my 996 Turbo. Even then, I didn't find the GranSport particularly soft, and I think it should make an ideal road car.
You will find it has plenty of mid-range urge - surprised me, because I was expecting it to feel slow after the Turbo, but it has all the shove you need for overtaking and general enjoyment. The brakes are first-class too, with no hiccups or squeaks - just a nice gentle take-up.
I didn't hammer the demonstrator unduly (well, not too much!) because they wouldn't have been pleased if I had, but I get the feeling that once properly run-in the GranSport will surprise quite a few people. Not the press - it has to be a Porsche or a BMW for them, and they find it hard to accept anything ouside their customary guidelines or prejudices, but we don't buy our cars to please publishers!
Incidentally, build quality seemed excellent. The car needs cruise, seat memory and Xenons, but otherwise it's complete. They haven't left room for a massive satnav/phone system, but their mini version can be had, for an amount of money which was so vast that my mind instantly wiped it - not recommended, particularly with the speed of tech improvement these days.
Remember to go gently with the upchanges - the subtleties can be learned later. Enjoy!!
P.S.
There are lots of people here who can tell you more about these cars than I can. The GranSport is simply an updated version of earlier cambiocorsa models.
>> Edited by McNab on Sunday 19th December 12:03
The next thing you will notice is the interior fabric - it will either be bright silver, dark silver or a vivid blue, surrounded by piping. I couldn't live with bright silver or blue, and I can't stand piping in contrasting colours, so I chose black leather with dark silver fabric and black piping. That may sound a bit sombre, but the interior doesn't need much dressing up. The only thing I'm going to add is a set of burgundy mats (Autostyle).
Once you're in take time to adjust everything to fit (wheel and seats). There's enough adjustment to suit anybody, and the seats are ultra-comfortable. Good pedal positions and a lovely feel to the steering wheel, with the paddles perfectly positioned.
They have a clever arrangement with the gearbox - the brakes hold the car automatically for a few seconds (e.g. on a slope), and all you have to do to take off is pull the upshift paddle and press the accelerator. Smooth as butter.
As you go through the gears you will notice a distinct hesitation each time you change up (the car's major quirk, which upsets journalists no end), and I suggest you ease off the loud pedal momentarily just before you pull the paddle. There are ways round this, but they take too long to explain here!
Downchanges are a different affair altogether - all you need to do is pull the downshift paddle and you'll get an almost instantaneous change. If you're in Sport mode you'll hear the engine 'blip' to do it's own heel & toe procedure.
The steering is (to me at any rate) as nice as I've ever experienced. Direct and accurate with plenty of feel, and it's great through corners. Made me think I was driving unusually well (for once)! The handling is composed and unflustered, and it's easy to place the car perfectly and then blast it through the bends.
There's slight body roll - hardly any in sport mode - and the thing copes well with different road surfaces, but remember this is a GT car - not a circuit missile. Just before driving it I'd had a go in my son's Exige 2 (he's a fanatic 40-year-old), and I drove to the Maser dealer in my 996 Turbo. Even then, I didn't find the GranSport particularly soft, and I think it should make an ideal road car.
You will find it has plenty of mid-range urge - surprised me, because I was expecting it to feel slow after the Turbo, but it has all the shove you need for overtaking and general enjoyment. The brakes are first-class too, with no hiccups or squeaks - just a nice gentle take-up.
I didn't hammer the demonstrator unduly (well, not too much!) because they wouldn't have been pleased if I had, but I get the feeling that once properly run-in the GranSport will surprise quite a few people. Not the press - it has to be a Porsche or a BMW for them, and they find it hard to accept anything ouside their customary guidelines or prejudices, but we don't buy our cars to please publishers!
Incidentally, build quality seemed excellent. The car needs cruise, seat memory and Xenons, but otherwise it's complete. They haven't left room for a massive satnav/phone system, but their mini version can be had, for an amount of money which was so vast that my mind instantly wiped it - not recommended, particularly with the speed of tech improvement these days.
Remember to go gently with the upchanges - the subtleties can be learned later. Enjoy!!
P.S.
There are lots of people here who can tell you more about these cars than I can. The GranSport is simply an updated version of earlier cambiocorsa models.
>> Edited by McNab on Sunday 19th December 12:03
Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff