[kcdoyle]

Does anyone have significant experience with the CC vs the manual transmission and can you please compare and contrast the differences?

I understand there were far fewer 6 speeds manufactured, clearly explaining the difficulty I am encountering in locating one!

Thanks for the insight.

KCD

 

[cueball123]

I have a GT (6-speed) and i absolutely love it. I use mine as a daily driver in los angeles and i am really happy with it. I have so much more control over the car. I drove both of them before i decided on a purchase. The CC felt like it wasn't quite as fast off the line-- not that it's a big deal. But i like feeling the power and having total control. If you are more laid back, you should buy the CC.

 

[kcdoyle]

I would use it as a daily driver as well. I am interested in other's thoughts for essentially two reasons. I would prefer the manual, my previous car (M5) was a manual and I absolutely loved it. The issue was that it irritated the better half because she could never drive it. Darn the luck ;-) And secondly, I am getting-relatively speaking-a negative impression on the CC from my research. Shift quality, repairs, etc. That, of course, needs to be considered in light of the fact that there are virtually NO GT's available. Any help would certainly be appreciated.

 

[maserati of minneapolis]

I've driven both quite a bit, and personally prefer the CC.

(i should note that i am normally a fierce standard trans advocate, and both of my personal cars are 5sp)

one - I wear size 12-13 shoes, and if I am wearing anything wider than a converse all star, i have to be careful not to hit the gas and brake at the same time when I don't mean to.

two - the shifter seems to be in a bit of an ackward spot, almost as though the car was designed around CC, and not added in later like the SMG bimmers.

three - i do everything i can to stay off the phone while driving, but there are the occasional times that i have to take a call, and even in manual mode, its a hell of a lot easier to shift with the CC.

and then there is that free hand for coffee, or ipod changes, or the girl in the passenger seat.....

and you get that perfect throttle blip every time (see related thread)

- Mark


ps. Maintenance really isn't that bad on the CC, if you keep it in perspective.. (4yr 50k warranty, and a hell of a lot more fun than a mercedes sl automatic)

 

[MikeA]

I have the CC and love it. It took a bit of getting used to, just like a standard shift does. I have only driven a coupe with a standard transmission, so I really can't comment much on it (although, while I had that loaner, I did teach my 18 year old daughter how to drive a stick - something few kids learn nowadays!).
The CC is awesome, and really shines on the track (which is where it was born). I took a driving course at Infineon/Sears Point at the Russell/ESPN school, put on by my dealer, FMOSF, and they even taught us (including the F360 guys) how to blip the throttle when downshifting with the CC.
I have had no trouble with the transmission, and the dealer told me that I still had 48% +/- 10% of my clutch left after 28k miles. I drive all the time in sport mode, and shift aggressively both up and down. In fact, it appears that the harder you drive the CC the better it performs. Full power, high rpm shifts are amazing. Mine is also a daily driver, averaging just over 1k miles per month.
The only criticisms I would have are the following:
- Driving in non-sport mode is awful. The shifts are mushy and the clutch
seems to slip a lot.
- Driving in auto mode is only for those moments, like using a cellphone, when
you absolutely need to use it. Even in sport it is mushy and a bit jerky.
- Driving in inner city, stop and go, is not recommended, esp. on hills. There
is no way to feather the clutch like with a standard tranny and clutch
pedal, so the experience is very jerky, and the clutch can get very hot.
All the above criticisms are not issues for me, so I love it. Big Caveat Emptor, here, however, since there are passionate advocates of both the CC and the standard tranny, as you will probably find out from replies to this thread.
Mike

 

[RQ]

I passed on a few mint cars because they were CC and I was insisting on a manual.

Finally got to drive a manual and was very dissapointed with the location of the shifter, it was in an unusual spot - way forward, closer to the knee than high to mid leg, that would get old fast.

Then I "settled" for a CC mainly because I discovered the GS.

To be sure the CC is not a tiptronic or some bs system, after getting the hang of it I really like it a lot. Couple of annoyances such as lack of modulation on stop and go traffic but nothing bad. Its a hoot otherwise.

Must suck to sell the CC's though, few folks will appreciate it without a chance to get familiar and that won't happen on a short test drive.

 

[Glenn Wallace]

The CC is much better than I expected and when it works it works really well (down that windy country road and you punch the next gear without lifting and the car doesn't change from the set it has taken in the corner.... rock solid).

It took me a few weeks to get used to it, but it is a pretty good man/machine interface.

 

[RickBullotta]

The other good news about the CC is that it freaks my wife out even more than a 6 speed would - so she won't go near the driver's side of the car.

Just tell her that it is "designed for racing and is very tricky to shift properly", and it's all yours...

 

[CC7894]

Just one technical comment:
The CC works as an automatic clutch (saves the clutch pedal), but not similar to a normal auto gearbox with torque converter.
Therefore you always have direct power transmission as with a manual gearbox, only gear changes are controlled by the CC.
Bert

 

[chris7469]

The CC takes some time.

I never thought I would love driving the CC as much as I do. Sure it took me a few months of daily driving to get to where I want to be... But, the car responds amazing.

From aggressive to normal driving I have no complaints with the CC. I actually, enjoy the aggressive shifts. I just think these cars are a blast to drive.

Good Luck with yours.

CM

 

[iufan993]

Because of where I live (over 275 miles from nearest dealer) I chose not to get a CC car. If there is a transmission emergency, there is a good Ferrari mechanic in town, but if my CC clutch gave way, I think I am towing it to the dealer. I drove 2 CC cars ('02 and '03) and thought the '03 shifted a little easier, but there is a learning curve to driving it smoothly. I know that my "better half" would not have the patience to deal with it. When I drove both CC cars in fully automatic mode, they smelled like a burned clutch after about 20 min of in-town driving, and it felt like I was somehow killing the car. It was much better using the paddles.

As for the manual, it is not the smoothest-shifting car, and I have had to have 2 linkeage adjustments to smooth out the 1st to 2nd shift. Because of the shifter location, I drive with the seat a little more forward and upright than usual, and this also helps with the clutch, because it is stiff. I am used to it now, but when others drive my car, they always comment on the "closeness" of the brake and accel. pedals, as well as the stiff clutch.
Overall, I really like the car, and I know that my clutch will last longer than a CC clutch.

I also wanted a non-Skyhook car for the same reasons (less to go wrong) and I am having coil-overs put on as I write this to stiffen the ride and lower it a couple of cms.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Curtis]

I passed on a few mint cars because they were CC and I was insisting on a manual.

Finally got to drive a manual and was very dissapointed with the location of the shifter, it was in an unusual spot - way forward, closer to the knee than high to mid leg, that would get old fast.

Then I "settled" for a CC mainly because I discovered the GS.

It's ironic you mention that. I was dead set on a manual and almost bought one without driving it. I then took the time to drive another one at a local dealer in SF and found that for me the shifter location and pedal positions were awkward. I just couldn't get used to it. Maybe it was me but it changed my decision immediately.

I am now getting close to purchasing a CC.

 

[haha]

...I am now getting close to purchasing a CC...

but the stop signs and hills in SF would kill the clutch in CC.

 

[Curtis]

but the stop signs and hills in SF would kill the clutch in CC.

Luckily for me I live in the "flat" valleys of Sacramento.

 

[haha]

Luckily for me I live in the "flat" valleys of Sacramento.

hahah....go for it then, you'll love it.

 

[kcdoyle]

Well....now I am completely bafoozled. One issue I know I will be facing is service. Seems Penske and his group closed down the local Maserati dealership and the nearest dealer service is going to be quite a ways away. Like the next state!

Any thoughts on how long the CC's clutch should last given relatively aggressive driving, given a moderate amount of stop and go traffic, costs, etc?

Thank you so much for all the responses!

KCD

 

[chris7469]

Clutch Life

If you search the boards on Clutch life you will get many repsonses.

At my 6,000 mile service the dealer told me I had 84% clutch life left. He also told me that he just replaced a clutch on an 02 Coupe with 34,000 miles.

Take the reading from the dealer with a grain of salt. The Service tech that was working on the car told me you should replace your clutch as soon as you notice it slipping.

Depending on your driving, 25,000 miles at the low end and 35,000 miles at the high end...

A clutch job on a Maserati at the dealer should cost you $2,600.00... If you get 26,000 miles, then its only $100.00 a month... Yes I know I am just trying to rationalize the high service costs....

Bottom line, I think these cars are worth it. CM

 

[SJP63]

CC is the only way....had it on the M3 before and would never go back to stick shift.

 

[RQ]

Good analysis Chris, thanks!

My point is that once one buys a car of this caliber it is a bit silly to then not fully enjoy it because of concerns.

A $2,600 risk in two or three years is not worth second guessing or otherwise baby'ing this thing, just have fun and get a kick from what you paid for to begin with. I've been having a hoot with mine since I decided to stop being so careful with it (which doesn't mean abusing it either).

SJP, I don't know about that statement... the F1 makes great sense in our Masers, my E46 was a 6 speed and that is the right one for that car. A good manual is always the truest thing.

Just an opinion of course, maybe I'm just getting old.

 

[squid]

I have a manual. I had to go all the way across the country to get it. I drove an '05 CC and frankly I was impressed--it is FAR better than the old SMG BMWs I drove and the earlier Maserati CCs. But I like the control, the involvement of a manual, and I don't like new, unproven systems.

The manual isn't great. It is heavy when cold, although that has gotten better. The gas and brake pedal are so close together you sometimes hit it when you're breaking, although it makes heel-and-toeing a breeze. The tranny grinds a touch on fast 2-3 upshifts, I'm told that's normal. The shifter boot pops out when you grab the reverse detent an awful lot. But I love my car--I love the raw feel, the noise, the lack of isolation between car and driver that you get nowhere else. The manual is part of that, it is very raw, gritty feeling. BTW the transmission is out back behind the rear wheels, like the old front-engine rear-drive Porsches.

The CC I drove was smooth and fast and made no noise. If I were to buy another car I'd get a GrandSport, with the CC. But I totally love my car the way it is.