I went to a driving event organised by Maserati GB today at a track used by various UK magazines - Evo, Autocar etc. It's a former US air force base which has been converted into a nice circuit with an extremely long straight on the old runway. I drove the GT auto first to get an idea of the circuit layout and get a comparison point for the S. As I already own a GT I didn't want to spend a lot of time in it as I am familiar with it's handling characteristics. The GT was impressive but it's not set up for fast chicanes and the body roll tends to make you drive more cautiously. Had I had longer seat time I'm sure I'd have improved my times as I got more familiar with the circuit. With a few laps under my belt I switched to the S.
The test car was a left hand drive model as right hand drive production does not commence until the factory comes back from the summer holiday shutdown. Resplendent in Nero Carbonio with Neptune alloys in Grigio Mercury, red callipers, black alcantara headlining, black carpets, and black leather with the new Pekary leather inserts the car looked superb. I have to apologise as I forget to take my camera with me.... doh! I started off in auto mode with sport mode engaged as a baseline comparison to the auto GT. Straight off in the first few bends it was evident that the suspension is stiffened up though not by as much as I was expecting. The test car was fitted with the Skyhook system which has been recalibrated I'm told for this car. The ride is still extremely comfortable with less roll though it's still not capable of cornering flat like a 997/F430/Gallardo etc. This is where the size and weight of the car come into play but a good compromise has been struck between outright handling and comfort IMHO. It could definately carry more speed into the corners than the GT thanks to the stiffer suspension and greater torque. On a free flowing country road I think it would be in it's element and cover ground very swiftly indeed. It's not a natural trackday choice I'd suggest but then that isn't it's target audience. The additional torque of the 4.7ltr engine is very apparent as the car now subjectively feels quick. Part of this is down to the fabulous exhaust noise which permeates the cabin as the revs rise making it difficult to resist pressing the throttle pedal extremely hard indeed
The F1 box is superb in auto mode. I thought my F430 was good but this utilises the software of the 599 and is almost seamless. It's so good that my Maserati instructor had to remind me to try the manual mode before my time was up. Switching manually is sublime with throttle blips on downshifts and smooth upshifts. The large paddles are great and easy to find all of the time and once I started using them it was good fun timing the correct shiftpoints.
Which would I recommend? If you only have one car then the GTS is superb choice as the F1 box gives the best of both worlds and would make the car a serious commuting proposition on workdays and a fun "sports" tourer at weekends. If you have another toy in the garage then the auto box car is a good choice for a relaxed daily driver that doesn't give too much away to it's more powerful stablemate.
The test car was a left hand drive model as right hand drive production does not commence until the factory comes back from the summer holiday shutdown. Resplendent in Nero Carbonio with Neptune alloys in Grigio Mercury, red callipers, black alcantara headlining, black carpets, and black leather with the new Pekary leather inserts the car looked superb. I have to apologise as I forget to take my camera with me.... doh! I started off in auto mode with sport mode engaged as a baseline comparison to the auto GT. Straight off in the first few bends it was evident that the suspension is stiffened up though not by as much as I was expecting. The test car was fitted with the Skyhook system which has been recalibrated I'm told for this car. The ride is still extremely comfortable with less roll though it's still not capable of cornering flat like a 997/F430/Gallardo etc. This is where the size and weight of the car come into play but a good compromise has been struck between outright handling and comfort IMHO. It could definately carry more speed into the corners than the GT thanks to the stiffer suspension and greater torque. On a free flowing country road I think it would be in it's element and cover ground very swiftly indeed. It's not a natural trackday choice I'd suggest but then that isn't it's target audience. The additional torque of the 4.7ltr engine is very apparent as the car now subjectively feels quick. Part of this is down to the fabulous exhaust noise which permeates the cabin as the revs rise making it difficult to resist pressing the throttle pedal extremely hard indeed
The F1 box is superb in auto mode. I thought my F430 was good but this utilises the software of the 599 and is almost seamless. It's so good that my Maserati instructor had to remind me to try the manual mode before my time was up. Switching manually is sublime with throttle blips on downshifts and smooth upshifts. The large paddles are great and easy to find all of the time and once I started using them it was good fun timing the correct shiftpoints.Which would I recommend? If you only have one car then the GTS is superb choice as the F1 box gives the best of both worlds and would make the car a serious commuting proposition on workdays and a fun "sports" tourer at weekends. If you have another toy in the garage then the auto box car is a good choice for a relaxed daily driver that doesn't give too much away to it's more powerful stablemate.
