6SP Maser Coupe or Spider Love or Hate?

I have an 05 6-speed Coupe ...

My experience after nearly a year:
- basically I love it! Once it's warm, it shifts pretty good with a nice feel and certainly helps keep you involved.
- when cold, 1st to 2nd is a pig! But it warms up after 5 minutes or so and no problems after that.
- 2-3-4 are slick - so I tend to get into 2nd early and then hit the revs from there!
- 5 down to 4 can be tricky to find sometimes
- the gear shift is a little too far forward for my preferred driving position but not uncomfortably so

I am hoping that being more in control of the clutch is going to save me some £££ over the years! The engine has a lot of torque and good low rev control so you can almost just drop it into 1st at 1100RPM with minimal clutch slip. Good news if you drive in town a lot!

There are quite a few threads on this topic if you search...

I have put on about 3500 miles in a 6sp 2002. I have posted on the subject before, but the linkage has been adjusted twice by the dealer (covered under warranty) and it has helped significantly.

My issue was always the shift from 1st to 2nd, which is a classic Ferrari difficulty. As long as I am on the throttle it is much better, but in traffic it can still be difficult at times. I learned to drive with the seat more foreward and upright to reach the gears, but it was an easy transition. Also, the clutch is no lightweight so moving the seat up helps. It is probably a better driving position (closer to the wheel) anyway.

I do prefer it to the CC transmission. Unlike the CC transmission, I do not think there have ever been any changes to the manual from 2002-2005. I have never seen any clutch woes on this website regarding the manual.

One thing that always baffled me is the description of the "computer assisted clutch" on the window sticker. As of yet, no mechanic, salesman, or website has explained it.

Overall it is not the best manual, but you can still do a hell of a burnout and break the tires easily in 2nd and 3rd gear shifts(ASR off), which is more than the CC people can say.

Good luck.

I have a 6-speed. I had to go all the way to North Carolina to find one in decent trim with a manual, that's how much I wanted it.

There's no question the cambio would be faster around a track or in a tight canyon road. The shifting is a bit faster, there's more control, you don't have to take your hands off the wheel, etc. etc. But the Maserati is car that's all about feel; the acres of steering feel, the snarl of the motor when it opens up, the road feel through the tight suspension, etc. etc. I wanted that extra level of feel and involvement that a manual would bring. This is why I hate the new 5-series--it's like a driving simulator from all reports. The Maserati feels like cars of yore. I'm happy with it. If I bought again I'd probably get a GS just because I've done the coupe-manual thing, but that doesn't mean I regret it. I love my car.

I was also a bit wary of buying a cambio given that it's a new technology and Maserati isn't exactly Honda when it comes to reliability. So the decision for me was obvious from the beginning.

That being said, the manual is not the best in the world. It's heavy (which I like, but others would criticize), first is a bit tough to engage when cold, and it's a noisy little fugger. It lets out a little grind when you redline 2nd and rush to 3rd, but goes in fine and according to my service advisor is normal and not bad for it. The shift boot has popped out once or twice when getting reverse. It does it's job fine and it doesn't detract from the driving experience--rather it gives it a more manly feel, heh. It takes some muscle to work that thing right.