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      08-27-2012, 06:50 AM   #9
SpokenHands
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Drives: AMG GTC + RR Velar + 640d GC
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Warwickshire, England

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Maser Vs. 650i Vs Audi R8


Perhaps I can weigh in as someone who owns a 2012 Maserati GTS (retired my 2012 640d F12 Convertible a few months after i got it) with a couple of comments:

1. All 3 cars are fast thoroughbreds with significant lineage but come from very different design philosophies - so you need to pick the one that suits your driving needs and style best. If man and machine match, you're going to have many happy hours enjoying your investment.

2. The Maserati is hand-built, with typical Italian Flair and attention to detail. It puts down plenty of power and driving dynamics, in a simple, less synthetic fashion than the BMW and Audi. It has oodles of design flair (that gets noticed time after time!) and an awesome sound especially in MC shift mode (with braps, pops, fizzles especially on the over-run that neither of the other cars can manage. It puts a smile on my face everything i set off!)

Whereas my BMW just 'got the evils' while you drive past, with the Masearti, young and old, man or women, people stop and smile and wave. I kid you not.

This Maser WILL GO WRONG (you can bet your money on it!), things will fall off occasionally as it is hand-built, it is more expensive to service than the equivalent BMW, and does not have the refinement touches that BMW do - the 2D SatNav is pretty basic, there is no HUD or EfficientDynamics and Internet/BMW Apps etc etc.) You get DAB, bluetooth, SatNav, superb leathers, a great interior - and all you $$ has gone into a spectacular motor. SO the honesty with which it puts down power is awesome, and something that BMW has completely designed out.

Interestingly, it seats 4 very comfortably with more space than either the BMW or the Audi. I run an F07/5 GT and an F20 so I have my regular BMW motoring fallback, but on days when i need all that extra oomph, there is nothing to beat the Maser (the less vulgar side of a Ferrari). I wouldnt buy it as my only car, it would drive me nuts.

3. At the other end, The BMW 650i (presumably like the 640d I owned) is a more rounded ownership proposition: great power and handling, no supercar dramas, relatively inexpensive to service and reliable as a daily runaround. It has one of the best BMW interiors if specified correctly and all the toys that appeal to a certain kind of affluent consumer: progressive, future-proof, exciting but not necessarily centered around the motoring itself. It never really gets noticed on the street except by BMW fans so good to blend in.

4. The Audi R8 is somewhere in between: really outstanding motor with exceptional driving dynamics, supercar LITE looks that does turn heads, some vaguely interesting noise but its down to chasing the Audi DNA for interior refinement, build quality and reliability. Its Mr. Average, I would still look at an Aston Martin DB9 over one.

In the UK, The Maserati has rock solid residuals, followed by the Audi R8, surprisingly the BMW 640d lost 50% of its value in under 2 years so not very good. But who ever made money on a premium car so I wouldn't bother. Used Masers dont come on the market, people seem to want to hold on to it - such is its charm.

Hope this helps.

Hope this helps.
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