The Modern Maserati...Ghibli vs Quattroporte

I have had my 2012 QP since new, drive it daily. Service has been multiple tire changes, brakes, lube services, front end bushings, battery, that's it. The old girl has 151,000 miles on it, drives great, love to sell it for peanuts, but the dilemma is what to replace it with?
My wife's 2012 GT Convertible has 21,000 miles on it since new, only needed tires, brakes, fluids, battery and a clock that went haywire, since new.
Both cars are 4.7's, great cars.
Gary Bobileff

 

I too have own a 2012 QP. Try to get the 2013 model. (It shares 1/2 year with Gen 6) - It has 10 extra HP. GTS if you want the sportiest experience. Maintenance is expensive if you don't wrench on it yourself. It's been easy to work on, but I have a lift.

The Ghibli and Gen 6 are great cars, just that the interiors don't feel as special, more Chrysler then Ferrari. Fun cars to drive though, get MY2022 onward, Trofeo if you can stretch it.

 

Hey John,
I had a 2012 Quattroporte for 8 yrs. bought with 13,000 miles in ‘15 and sold in ‘23. Love the car so much I updated to a ‘17 GT; same chassis and drive train but, 2 doors instead of 4. I put 70,000 miles on the Q4. Did nothing to it but *change fluids, a battery and tires. *I a little anal on fluids; if is liquid it needs to be changed at regular intervals.
Some Notes/opinions:
Didn’t have either upper suspension bushings or motor mounts go bad (apparently they go bad at lower milage than most) but, I was going change those out as a preventative measure.
No stickies either but, that can be a problem.
If you get one have the toe setting changed on the front end alignment; Maserati has it toed out -.12. Their alignment setting wears out the inside of the tire quickly, if you set it at .15 positive toe you will see tires lasting much longer(same spec. on my 458, changed it also). Their setting is great for tracking the car, better steering response on the track; who the hell takes one of these on the track. I didn’t notice any difference in what spirited driving I do in the Q4.
Same goes for tires don’t bother when replacing them with the ZR rated tires that came on the car. Again who uses this car like it was 458. I wouldn’t waste the dollars on the stickie Michelin's that come on the cars; I have been using the all season version of the Pilot 4s; cheaper and wear is about twice what the ZRs were and I didn’t notice any difference in handling in the way I drive it( it is not a track car).
The gear oil gets dirty quicker than most cars I have owned so should be changed every 20,000 miles.

Be sure and change the trans oil and filter at 30,000 mile intervals; believe me you will feel sharper shifting after you do this. These manufacturers that tell you “life time fluid”; don’t need to change it; is bull s…

If you remove the center resonator you will get just a bit more sound out of the wonderful V8

These cars have got to be the most gorgeous 4 door made in the last 50 years. ha. And stunningly reliable if properly serviced. Oh and did I mention they sound great ; no 4 door sounds this good from the factory.
Almost forgot have the windows slightly tinted, I think it helps to keep the stickies at bay, do the windshield also with clear film. Hope that helps.

 

I found the whole reverse engagement off putting. I drove a 4200 coupe for the Monterey weekend and back to Sacramento once. The ZF 6 speed they went to is identical to the one in my 2005 Jaguar SC S-Type which has about the same HP.
It's a decent enough automatic but it's not going to be like the 8spd on your Giulia. Advancements have been made!

 

That generation QP is the last real Maserati in my opinion! It feels twice as expencive as the newer model and Ghibli.... About the DuoSelect, I feel the system is very well built, but it is the software in the transmission control unit "TCU" that is programmed to make the shifts soft like a real auto tranny and this wear the clutch out and it takes forever beforee it shifts. But you get used to it and just let the position of the throttle be constant and the car shifts great. But you can add a decice from Anerican Formula Dynamics to make the shifts much quicker and that will give a much longer life for the clutch!

 

Run forest run ... There's pretty looking one on BAT until you look closely. Lots of very hard to fix interior damage. These cars had very thin leather in spots that would tear or rub between the dash and the front doors. This one has black duct tape trying to hide a major damage flaw on the dash.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2007-maserati-quattroporte-37/

 

I look at these once in a while because that body is so exquisite. Besides the melting plastic control knobs ( not exclusive to Maserati BTW) I've noticed that the leather on the door jambs & posts is often terribly damaged presumably caused by rubbing from a maladjusted or poorly constructed door. In this one it was the top left dash that had duct tape on it. The 4200 coupes from that era weren't perfect either but I don't think I've quite seen anything like that.

.

Snapshot
2007 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE DUOSELECT

No accidents or damage reported to CARFAX

8 Service history records

5 Previous owners

Personal vehicle

Last owned in New Jersey

14,849 Last reported odometer reading

Maseratis like this always seem to a ton of ownership and low mileage.

 

As far as a fun driving experience, the Giulia and Ghibli cannot be compared - the Ghibli is a Chrysler-based turd compared to the sharp and zippy Giulia.

 

Oh dear, Chrysler based comparisons once again ... why?

 

I have no idea where the Ghiblis came from. I thought the QPs around the time of 2004-2010 were all based on the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (Type F137) and they had the transmission in the rear. 612 Scagliettis came in manual or F1. I am not sure how/when the transition to dual clutch came about, but that seems to be a vastly superior to the F1.

For A QP, I would think the pecking order would be:
Automatic
dual clutch
F1

Obviously dual clutch systems are complex but seem to work well and are surprisingly reliable (Porsches are). I have heard they are pretty good to >= 100,000 miles and then can cost about $20,000 to repair/replace due to the complexity, parts, hours, etc. (Porsches). This is what I gathered in researching a Panamera with PDK on BaT.

FWIW, my father has a 2018 Macan and 2019 Cayman with PDK and I have driven several others. SEAMLESS shifting!

 

John, does it need to be a four door? If not, then you might consider a 2005/06 GranSport. I had one for the better part of a decade and it was one of my favourite cars. I'd buy another if I didn't have a Model S to get my performance jollies in. Might still.

My GranSport was fairly small, well balanced, decent weight, and had a good amount of power (~425 hp with simple mods). It was quick and spry and a lot of fun, but was still a good GT car for daily use (as I used mine) with usable back seats (my kids grew up back there!). And the Giugiaro design.....bellissima!

It might be worth a test drive to see if it suits you. A GranSport should be a more distinct and complementary experience compared to your Giulia. And current prices are very attractive.

 

I have an 89 Spyder that I love. It is SOHC, 3-valve, twin coil, V-6 with a distributer and associated spark pug wires. It was the end of the line for the USA. There was a 90 that only came with an automatic...

Shortly thereafter, they came with DOHC, 4-valves, and direct ignition. I think they also got a name change, known as Shamal, Ghibli, etc. I have never seen any of these in the USA and don't know if that is possible or not, but they would be awesome! For some reason, I think the Shamal might also have been a V-8! I am sure someone, European, can tall you all about them. I just don't know how you would get one and drive it here, especially in CA!!

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https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1994-maserati-ghibli-ii-granturismo

My 89
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Hello...I too am considering a QP5...for my daily driver. I'm a regular guy who happens to love fine Italian machines. I've had several Ferraris and Maseratis over the years, do all my own work, which turns out to be good therapy for me. My first QP was a 2006 Sport-GT, in Grigio Nuvolari with Cuoio internior, contrasting piping on the seats and carbon fiber package - my goodness it was a gorgeous car, with a sound to die for. I loved the duo-select trans, just had to use it properly and very little clutch wear. I got another QP5 a few years ago, a 2013 model year which is kind of rare, in Grigio Granito with Cuoio interior, such a classy machine! But I was driving over 100 miles day for my job, and sold it and got an Audi diesel. Well...I'm not doing so much driving anymore, so the Italian car bug has bitten me again. I've got my eye on a 2012 right now, hoping to get more information this week on a few issues, and if no major problems...I'll make the long drive to see it in person. These QP's are wonderful machines. You do have to understand their weak points, but the drivetrain and styling FAR outweigh any trivial issues. I'm trying to be controlled and unbiased...but there are moments when emotions overwhelm my common sense. But that's okay - you have to enjoy life sometime!