Temporary new car

TomO · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:22

My dad can't be bothered to sell his car privately, so I offered to help out as the dealer offers were pretty ridiculous and as a really unfortunate side effect it means I now have the car to do viewings, test drives and my own road testing on it!

Drive back from my parents to my place yesterday was a nice 80 mile mix of motorway, A road and B roads. Suspension is pretty firm, firmer than the Merc on its firmest setting, turn in and steering feel is nice. Interior is a lovely place although the sat nav is a bit of a mess of buttons and no auto lights and auto wipers seems a little mad for 2004 car of this price bracket!

Best bit is the engine though, loves a rev, really responsive, nice and torquey throughout the range and makes a lovely noise, although equally keeps nice and quiet at a steady cruise on the motorway. Oh, and did I mention the noise!

Took a few pics of it today to get some decent ones up on the advert and did a few arty ones as well.

and the part that DiamondMark is missing:

Adam · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:24

Nice, but you seem to have forgotten to include pictures of the actual car

peterattheboro · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:25

What an unfortunate situation to be in

DM · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:27

Bahhh changing gear.

I tell you one thing though my son has still got it and is showing no signs of wanting to let it go which has surprised me.

Those paddles and that semi auto in my one, strange car, i was very underwhelmed, what do you think of that one?

Firestar_3x · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:28

Bah, I'd have one just for the engine noise, these things sound amazing on full chat!

TomO · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:33

didn't bother with full car pics as I just took run of the mill ones for the advert.

Need to take it on a few more drives before I form a real opinion on it, my first post was just my immediate observations. Manual box isn't exactly the smoothest shifting box I have tried, but having driven an Auto for the last year it may take a bit of getting used to anyway!

DM · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:37

Firestar_3x said:
Bah, I'd have one just for the engine noise, these things sound amazing on full chat!

Here's the noisy end

TomO · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:37

interior / exterior shot:

DM · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:42

Good colour combo that the blue with the cream.

Want to know a fun useless fact, every Maserati interior colour has got an exotic name, except that, its called beige

Lashout_UK · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:44

Steering wheel upside down = fail

Sorry, really bugs me when I see pics like that

Looks good otherwise, best of luck with the sale and all that jazz.......can't argue with having to punt around in that for a bit!

Scania · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:49

Gutted, for both of you.......

rG-tom · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:55

i have to say that is one of the nicest interiors ive ever seen, especially for a 6 year old car

DM · 17 Jan 2011 at 16:59

Just look at the "nero" trim

Blackhawk47 · 17 Jan 2011 at 21:41

Lol DiamondMark's photos nearly match the standard of the late twoblacklines.

TomO, that looks great and the interior is fantastic. How much are you trying to get for it?

volospian · 18 Jan 2011 at 08:05

*drools* I love those masers, and maser was my "schoolkid" manufacturer. While others dreamt of the Countach or the Testarossa, I always wanted a Merak (still do!).

I'm interested in this thread as I've never actually got around to driving one of those and I've had them on the radar for a few years now (almost had a ghibli several years back, until I discovered that the one I was looking at would need the cam chains changing in about 3000 miles and that's an engine out job. I decided I wasn't going to take that hit

).

I may be tempted into 4200/Gransport ownership next...

DM · 18 Jan 2011 at 08:14

If you do a lot of town driving and are considering a cambiocorsa for its auto facility, drive one first, i didnt get on with it at all, although me son loves it so it is horses for courses.

hurfdurf · 18 Jan 2011 at 08:15

volospian said:
I may be tempted into 4200/Gransport ownership next...

The Vmax and track day events iv been to, the only car I have ever seen break down in that league is a 4200. It has put me well off them.

TomO · 18 Jan 2011 at 09:13

Blackhawk47 said:
Lol DiamondMark's photos nearly match the standard of the late twoblacklines.

TomO, that looks great and the interior is fantastic. How much are you trying to get for it?

Its up for just under £16k, looking for a quick sale. Had a load of enquiries so far but nothing serious.

Think there are quite a few dreamers who have a shock at the servicing costs amongst other things.

Firestar_3x · 18 Jan 2011 at 09:15

Yep that's the danger of cars like this, people just look at the purchase price.

volospian · 18 Jan 2011 at 09:36

TomO said:
Think there are quite a few dreamers who have a shock at the servicing costs amongst other things.

Yeah, people think that mondeo money gets you mondeo running costs. That's one of the problems with TVR's. People see them as "cheap" supercars, but they are only cheap to buy. Running costs can be very expensive indeed and a lot of owners then skimp on them.

I know of one guy who owns a Cerb and uses it all through the summer months. He's no mechanic and takes it to my mate to enquire about a "service" but always baulks at the cost and only ever let's him change the oil. Never spent the money on the other service requirements like having the cams adjusted, coolant changed, brake fluid changed, etc. etc. etc. Basically, it hasn't been serviced in the last three or four years. When he goes to sell it on, someone's going to get a right nail and it shows the importance of checking the service history.