Showtime22

A very good friend of mine has a 2013 Maseratti GT MC Sport. The car is GORGEOUS. White with the carbon fiber trim and all red interior w/ carbon fiber accents.

She is selling it and I was extremely interested in buying it. As such, she let me borrow it for a week to see how I like it.

Let me start off by saying that thing is a COP MAGNET. I got pulled over twice in the same day. Once for BLURPING the throttle at a yellow light (didn't run it) and going 13mph over the speed limit for a split second. Despite showing my military ID (tactfully placed above my license in my wallet), I still got a ticket. The second time was at night on the way to a club with my wife. This time the cop saw my military ID, asked what branch and turned out to be a fellow Marine and let me go (I asked how fast I was going because I didn't think I was speeding and he said "fast enough to be passing a Corolla lol)

Anyways, my opinions:

Looks
Winner: Maseratti

The GT MC is absolutely beautiful. The white with black carbon fiber accents and black rims....just beautiful. The S5 (I have a Cabrio Prestige) is beautiful, but not on the same level as the GT.

Interior (features, quality, etc).
Winner: Audi

The Audi has far more creature comforts (better display, better gauge display, more convenient controls, the seatbelt assist, the leather seats and wrapped steering wheel feel nicer, and it has more options (Sirius, better bluetooth options, etc).

Performance
Winner: Split decision

The Maseratti will win in a straight line. But not by much. It is a slouch for a $150k+ car. The Transmission (auto 6 spd) isn't as crisp and fast as the Audi 7 spd auto. The paddle shifters don't move with the steering wheel and it is easy to lose them in sweeping curves. The Audi AWD and sport diff more than makes up for the straight line losses. The Audi feels refined and on rails compared to the Maseratti which just seems like it doesn't want to get down into the turns.

The exhaust note on Sport mode in the Maseratti is just ORGASMIC.

Overall, I think I'm going to pass on the Maseratti. It is an amazing car and I have gotten attention at most places I goto (my wife didn't like that much lol) but to me thats what it is: a "look at me car" with lackluster performance for the price and Italian perception.

The lady was looking for a new Zo6. I am urging her to consider an RS7 for a similar price.

I will post some pictures that I took of the two cars tomorrow.

irenesbob

I find the willingness of some in the military to get whatever they can by playing on their employment status a not so great thing. I believe that as government employees military personnel should be a bit humble and respectful of the rest of the population that pays their salary. Should teachers (the ones who shape the future of our youth) flash a teacher's ID and get (or expect to get) special treatment? I think not - we are all equal in this country.

blinsc

I do like the GranTurismo although on paper its specs are a bit underwhelming for a car with almost 450 horsepower. At road-legal speeds, as you have confirmed for us, isn't really any faster than the S5. I see quite a few up here in north Houston and they sound great, and I really like the styling.

The biggest drawback for me would be the excessive weight... C/D's review of a 2012 puts the GT at 4150 lbs. Sadly, the S5 is no featherweight either, and the primary reason why I sold mine. Also, the lack of a good transmission in the Maserati seems strange considering its Ferrari-engine pedigree.

I'd probably pass on the Maserati too, unless I could get it for the same money as the S5, which seems unrealistic, even used, unless your friend is a REALLY good friend and giving you the deal of the century. Looking forward to the pictures.

mikejaeggi

the Maseratti GT is a beautiful car, one of the best curb appeal cars I've ever seen. it's a piece of art. I was seriously considering moving up to a GT MC from my current S5 in Jan but the performance vs price wasn't reasonable. for the cost of a new GT MC, you can get a 1 year old Ferrari California with better performance. Granted it's not a true 2+2 but I could jam my kids in the back of the California so that's what I plan to do.

KarlFEvans

Go for the Maserati. It is rare. And by the tone of your note- you are smitten and in love with it.

We owe a debt to the military who defend us while we enjoy the spoils of this great country. Thank you for your service. You should have a few perks on the road.

lmariorod

Wow! And this from a fellow New Yorker. Shame. Yes teachers are vital to our country as well as doctors, dentist and many others. But service members is what made/make our country GREAT. Otherwise we'd easily be third world status and possibly speaking German. I love driving a German car but much, much more prefer the English and Spanish that I speak.

As a young looking Hispanic that drives a 60K slightly modified Audi S5, I proudly display the military VETERAN license plate the DMV authorizes me to display for my four years of honorable service.

After all, it does not hurt with all the law enforcement profile that I'm subjected to while driving this car. YES, I've been profiled at least nine times that I KNOW of, by the State police, Sheriff deputies, town police and city police as I live at the town/city border.

We may all be created equally, but we are surely NOT ALL treated equally.

irenesbob

I do "feel" your pain over the profiling you and many others suffer. That is very wrong and demeaning not only to the individuals but to the country as a whole. What I don't get is my 80 year old sister who depends on a walker being moved from an unsold first class seat (that the cabin attendant had put her in as a courtesy related to her mobility issues) because the captain decided it should go to an early-20's military guy out of uniform who then behaved like a jerk and got drunk. To me that is BS.
Back in my youth when we went to Vietnam we just came home, went about our business, got back into normal society without hysteria and most of us waited years to save to buy a car.
Today it is like society worships anything in a uniform. When I was commuting to work on Metro North a few years back before retirement, cadets in their grey NYPD Academy uniforms would remain seated when I came in (I was early 70's then) with a cane and I had to stand the whole way. On top of that they paid no fare. I had been trained in catholic schools and at home to respect my elders and to give up a seat to someone with issues.
I admire and respect military service, as I do police service (three of my nephews are police), but I would never take one of their “family member badges” to keep in my wallet in case I was stopped, as some do. My sister refuses to do that as well even though they are her kids that serve. We both believe it is not right to play the system like that.

PS - I checked ur link - nice car!