Granturismo S - rumors and facts
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Even after all the extra taxes we cop it still doesn't quite add up in a lot of cases. As a rule of thumb though at least one third of a luxury car purchase in the 6 figures is taxes.
There's the FOB (freight on board) cost + shipping and handling charges for imports (higher to Australia than most countries) then add 10% import duty + a loading of 33% Luxury Car Tax for every dollar above $57k , then add 10% GST (some countries call it VAT) and then add stamp duty on registration/transfer which varies from state to state but is 5% here in Victoria.
It all adds up very quickly.
It's the norm for prestige cars to be available in the USA for close enough to half what we pay.
Ed
There's the FOB (freight on board) cost + shipping and handling charges for imports (higher to Australia than most countries) then add 10% import duty + a loading of 33% Luxury Car Tax for every dollar above $57k , then add 10% GST (some countries call it VAT) and then add stamp duty on registration/transfer which varies from state to state but is 5% here in Victoria.
It all adds up very quickly.
It's the norm for prestige cars to be available in the USA for close enough to half what we pay.
Ed
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339 Posts
since the clutch is hydrolically controlled and it's based on throttle input, you should always shift at full throttle. Even if you depress it momentarily while you pull the paddle, you should always be giving it full throttle on upshifts.The way the MC Shift "feature" works is as you correctly point out (btw, love your handle!) and it's probably a clutch saving feature, in the sense that it's only used when pushing.
I don't know how fast the gearchange is in sport mode, nor in normal mode. If you test drive one, please let us know
Too many people treat the car like it's an automatic, and these are the people that get 10k miles out of the clutch. Drive the car like a manual. Modulate the throttle as you feel the clutch engage from first or upshifts (downshifts it blips the throttle for you). The only difference is in a normal manual you lift slightly whole you dis/engage the clutch and resume throttle input when the clutch is being reingaged. In the F1 set-up, that happens fast enough that you don't want to lift. Just give it gas and tap up a gear, then if need be, lift off the throttle again. It will make a world of difference in the feeling of the car while shifting, smoothness of the ride for your passengers, and the clutch life.
The Maserati Fear!
I THINK WE HAVE ALL HEARD OR FELT THE "MASERATI FEARS", I HAD THEM AND I AM SURE MANY PEOPLE HERE HAVE FELT THEM ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. I PURCHASED MY FIRST MASERATI IN 2006, IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL BIANCO FUJI GRANDSPORT WHICH I CHANGED FOR MY CAYENE TURBO. IT LASTED IN MY POSETION 6 WEEKS, THE CAR WAS PLAGED WITH ELECTRONIC TROUBLES AND SINCE I HAD TRADED IN MY CAYENE AND STILL HAD NOT PAID OUT THE BALANCE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO REVERSE THE DEAL AND GET MY CAYENE BACK. BUT I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MASERATI FEEL AND MYSTIQUE AND IN 2007 I TRADED IN THE CAYENE FOR A 2007 QP. I WAS AT FIRST SCARED AND HESITANT BUT I HAD FALLEN FOR THE QP AND DECIDED TO TAKE MY CHANCES. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THE QP (SANS CERTAIN DESIGN FLAWS THAT YOU LEARN TO LIVE WITH), HAS BEEN THE MOST RELIABLE CAR I HAVE OWNED, (I HAVE HAD BMW'S, PORCHE'S, MB'S) THIS CAR HAS BEEN FLAWLESS SO FAR JUST GOING FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AT THE MANDATED SCHEDULE. MASERATIS HAVE COME FULL TURN FROM THE BAD YEARS, IN TODAY'S MARKET WITHOUT RELIABILITY THEY WOULD NOT SURVIVE, AND SINCE THEY ARE SHARING COMPONENTS AND ENGINES WITH FERRARI I WOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT BUYING A GRANTURISMO S. I LIVE IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND EVEN FIATS AND RENAULT ARE RELIABLE NOW A DAYS (THEY ARE SOLD HERE WITH GREAT SUCCESS. SO GO AHEAD AND BUY IT, I WILL BE GETTING MINE BY THE END OF NOVEMBER IN RED WITH BLACK INTERIOR WITH RED STITCHING.
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My dealer has a used 599 for USD $436k.
http://www.ferrariofseattle.com/inventory/details.aspx?ID=183
It might have looked geeke but ........
But thanks for the coment
The caps lock was a need to condition at that moment since I did not have my reading glasses with me at the time so I needed to make less painful.![]()
But thanks for the coment
yes those reading glasses help you spell check.
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348 Posts
Not sure if many of you have seen this review on the "S", but felt it worthwhile to pass it on, it gives some positives and negatives. Its in an online magazine format so you have to scroll through the contents to find it in this issue. They did the test with a white car with blue leather/alcantara combo.
http://windingroad.nextautos.com/windingroad/200808web/?folio=cover
http://windingroad.nextautos.com/windingroad/200808web/?folio=cover
i just find it mysterious for a maserati owner to misspell GRANDSPORT.Why the unfriendly post?
Live and let live
i care less about PORCHE CAYENE.
but attributing this to reading glasses and asked me to SHOOT HIM is friendly?
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822 Posts
Here is the EVO July review:
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/222228/maserati_granturismo_s.html
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/222228/maserati_granturismo_s.html
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348 Posts
In theory I thought the blue leather/blue alcantara would look better than the reality from those pictures in that review.
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