What do you think of the 3200 GT?

[bravedancer]

Hi guys - test drove a Maserati a few weeks ago in Dallas - thought I'd share the experience- Best regards to all ...


While I've never gone so far as to experience a vehicle-induced "snapping" of knicker-elastic, I promise I saw the girl in the Lexus behind me on Plano Parkway wolf-whistle, as I punched the pedal on the Black Maserati Cambiocorsa Spyder ...and disappeared...

Every now and then comes the opportunity to slip into the fantasy existence of the ludicrously wealth and taking Maserati's newest Spyder for a spin was one.

But before I get started let's time warp and step back for a second. In 1965, a designer took umbrage when Henry Ford II began to drive around Detroit in a Maserati. Ford, known for his wild streak promised to remove the Italian seductress from his parking garage the moment the designer came up with a car of equal allure.

Of course, the American media made quite a noise about the man who had betrayed his own marquee and highlighted the brilliant PR coup for Maserati...

About 30 years later as financial woes threatened to halt production at the Modena plant; Ferrari acquired one of the oldest racing names in Italian racing history - Maserati.
Since, Ferrari has labored on the marriage; infusing elegance with technology and producing what may well be a monument to an established pedigree.

This is a car with a sense of occasion, and based on Italian legend, craftsmen work laboriously on automobiles with their hands and minds. They sweat and slave as they piece a spark plug here, a bolt there, push panels together and stretch soft chamois leather across dashboards and when finished, the car comes to retain a part of, what for lack of a tangible term can be described as, soul.

Such spirit usually distinguishes thoroughbreds from the rest of the field. And Ferrari technology adds more than just 390 studs mated with F-1 Electro-hydraulic transmission. That's the same transmission Ferrari dreamed up a couple years ago as the entire European circuit watched and snickered. Today, Aston Martin comes with the F-1 pedals.

Driving hard on the highway and over the corners with the top down over the toll-gates, you can hear the breeze blow 'whoop, whoop, whoop,' and there's a distinct feeling that this machine is weighing the pros and cons of whether it should kill you or not ... I ignore the feeling and punch the accelerator and the world goes into rewind. I've barely cut into it and I can a situation where I'm waxing eloquently in a Dallas county court to a dark-robed, green-eyed magistrate.

Advanced Skyhook telemetric suspension creates control like Nadia Comaneci on parallel bars, and here's how. A set of sensors monitor wheel and car body motion, sending data to a central unit. Through data-analysis, a control unit sets road and car running conditions and instantaneously adjusts dampers 10 times faster than anything else on the road. The result is Skyhook perfectly controls damping rate and car response in "real-time" and this car reads your every move as it purrs "What else do you want me to be?"

For a sticker that rounds off at about a 100 K, it's a relief to see a Spyder that's not aimed at the Highland Park housewife. Sleek, swift and sophisticated, this is going to be a head-turner even if you paint it chalk-grey.

I think I'm done test-driving, so excuse me as I step out of the lifestyle of the fantastically wealthy and chalk plans to kidnap the closest oil-millionaire ... so I can buy myself one.

[crayzayjay]

Nice commentary, dancer

Alex, what colour is yours (in & out)

[AlexHancock]

Metallic Black with Beige Interior - looks smart!

[crayzayjay]

good choice

[BMW-Hamann]

Originally posted by AlexHancock
Metallic Black with Beige Interior - looks smart!

Hi alex .. how is your car? ...
I test drove the 3200 matic a week ago ... low and med power is good .. but high rpm not so good ... the handling quite good ..
I am still considering to buy 4200 cambiocorsa or 996 C4S or 500 SL ... I start to fall in love with Maserati ... especially from behind .. the interior with two color combination is so beautiful ... look much more expensive the the 500 SL interior ... but still worry with the Maserati reability in the future ... If u don't mind .. please advise me with your car condition ...

[BBD]

I think its a real real Shame that Maserati have dropped their engines and replaced them with N/A V8's.

The Old Engines where much nicer in my opinion they had 2 options really a V6 TT or a 3.2 LIter V8 Twin Turbo.

Despite what I think Maserati is selling more cars now that it is owned by Ferrari good for them I say and they are saying they are gona sell even more cars in the US Market thats why the N/A Engine was desiged for the US Market

Cheers guys

[BMW-Hamann]

Originally posted by BBD
I think its a real real Shame that Maserati have dropped their engines and replaced them with N/A V8's Old Engines where much nicer in my opinion had 2 options really a V6 TT or a 3.2 LIter V8 Twin Turbo.

Despite what I think Maserati is selling more cars now that it is owned by Ferrari good for them I say and they are saying they are gona sell even more cars in the US Market thats why the N/A Engine was desiged for the US Market Cheers guys

the V8 of 4200 GT is an old engine? any support info about it? ..

[BBD]

heheh sorry I think I typed the stuff wrong ,, I ment to say the V8 4.0 is new and the old engines where the 3.2 V8 TT

[BMW-Hamann]

Oohh .. OK ... I C ...

So you prefer the old engine 3.2 TT ... any reason? ...

[BBD]

I dont want to turn this into a Debat N/A Vs Forced Introduction. Yet the general Idea Maserati is one of the only few car manufacturers that have been producing V8 Twin Turbos Since the great Shamal. Maserati Cars where made without speed limiters ungovernd cars for open roads... I have met with a Maserati Dealer in Geneva Swiss before the 3200 was produced and he said the car did have the potential to be a Maranello killer but Ferrari didnt buy Maserati to make it a better car its something like if you can not own a Ferrari buy a Maserati. which in my opinion is wrong.

The 3.2 Liter Twin Turbo does preform better especially at high altitude Boost Turbo and LAG you garra love that sounds better too .. and yaa did I mention am a Turbo Addict would be hard to go back to a N/A car ever since I got a Skyline GTR34

[BMW-Hamann]

Originally posted by BBD
I dont want to turn this into a Debat N/A Vs Forced Introduction. Yet the general Idea Maserati is one of the only few car manufacturers that have been producing V8 Twin Turbos Since the great Shamal. Maserati Cars where made without speed limiters ungovernd cars for open roads... I have met with a Maserati Dealer in Geneva Swiss before the 3200 was produced and he said the car did have the potential to be a Maranello killer but Ferrari didnt buy Maserati to make it a better car its something like if you can not own a Ferrari buy a Maserati. which in my opinion is wrong.

The 3.2 Liter Twin Turbo does preform better especially at high altitude Boost Turbo and LAG you garra love that sounds better too .. and yaa did I mention am a Turbo Addict would be hard to go back to a N/A car ever since I got a Skyline GTR34

interesting info from u BBD ..

Heeyy .. I like Skyline GTR34 too ... the car looks mean and has powerful tuneable engine too .. can I see your 34 pic here? ...

[Stefanel1]

Wonderfull car Alex !

I just love the 3200GT, and its rear boomerang lights. Alas, it has changed in 2002

[AlexHancock]

Sorry I haven't replied sooner - I tend to hang around other car websites.

I'm still very happy with my 3200, easily the best car I've owned but wish the dealers would stop discounting them.

My 3200 has been perfectly reliable and I'm due to take another drive to South West France, across to North East Italy and back to London (via the 'ring) in August. That'll be 2 people, all their luggage at 230+ Kmh (in Germany) and I'm confident that the car will happily take up to work the day following our return.

Anybody waiting should just go for it and everybody else should take one for a test drive for a little fun!

Cheers

Alex

[crayzayjay]

Originally posted by Stefanel1
I just love the 3200GT, and its rear boomerang lights. Alas, it has changed in 2002

Blame the Americans for that…. It seems they have a “taste deficiency”, as I like to call it

[Stefanel1]

"taste deficiency"

>Alex : be carefull in France, now the fines for people driving over 200kmh are quite high .... unless you know a Minister