Champagne taste on a beer budget …
I have to admit it, I’m an impulse buyer. Where should I start?
How about the 1970 AMX that I bought while living in Green Bay. The engine blew up, and it turned out that the body was mostly Bondo?
Or how about the 2008 Suzuki Hayabusa I bought one spring? Or how about the dozens of radio-controlled airplanes? Yup, if I see a new shiny bright object, it usually ends up coming home with me. So, where is this going, and how is this week’s spot involved? Buckle up, here we go.
My cousin Larry came into some money, and his shiny bright object was a car he could tool around in during the summer months. So he gives me a call, I’m the car guy after all, and I start shooting some ideas that will fit in his budget of 25K.
First up is a Mustang convertible. There are lots of them around for $25,000 or less, typically models from 2018 to 2024, often equipped with the EcoBoost engine and under 70,000 miles. Nope, didn’t like the interior, thought it was cheap.
Ok, next. How about a Corvette convertible? Lots of them for sale from 2005 to 2019, and many with low miles. Nope, Larry’s a big guy and wouldn’t fit easily. I threw out a bunch more until he landed this 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport for just a bit over his budget, but a good deal at $26K.
It’s safe to say that his new ride is classified as an Italian exotic, with a naturally aspirated, 4.7-litre V8 hand-built by Ferrari in Maranello. The V8 with 444 hp will take just 5.2 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph thanks to an Autoshift 6-speed transmission. Cars that compare to it would be BMW’s 6 Series droptop, the Mercedes-Benz SL, Porsche 911 cabriolet, Audi R8 Spyder, and, of course, the Jaguar XK and its distant cousin, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage roadster.
The Maserati is more spacious than most others; it’s not outrageously expensive by the standards of the segment, and it offers incredibly luxurious accommodations, and it just might have more attitude than the whole bunch combined. It even has launch control! Fun!
Ok, with all this happy happy about the car, time to come back down to reality. New in 2012, it would have retailed around $142,800. Why did its value drop like a rock? Well, like the other cars I mentioned above, you can’t just take this to any shop. It has to be somebody who knows the car because it’s not like they’re just working on a Chevy Malibu. And unlike the Malibu, you can’t just postpone maintenance.
Steep depreciation is common in luxury cars, and I told Larry about this going in, so there were no surprises. Among the common Maserati GranTurismo problems are leaky valve cover gaskets, electrical issues (like weak batteries and faulty sensors), and rapid wear of suspension components. An oil change alone typically costs between $400 and $950. Reminds me of when I owned two Ducati motorcycles.
Wellllll, it turns out that this 2012 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible Sport has started to rear its ugly head. The dealer, Jimmy Britt Chevrolet & GMC in Greensboro, GA, told Larry that it only had one minor issue, but lied to him. Since then, his $26K dream car has turned into a $40K nighmare car and has been to a local dealer around his home in Hanover Park, IL, several times for a variety of issues. He says it’s a great car when it works, but it might be time to move on to something else. Now he has his sights set on an older Jaguar. Good luck, cuz:)
Thanks for stopping by and checking out this week’s spot. Come back next Sunday for another one of my finds, along with some of its history. Have a great week.
Savage On Wheels 
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