New Car......I've defected

[John]

Lovely example in exactly the right colour combo (second colour of choice for me is Blu Mediterraneo) but Sofisticato is my favourite.

I'd always fancied one of these since they first came out and I almost bought one of the first facelift ex-demonstrators (62 plate) in the same combo at the end of 2016. I could only afford a 13 plate which at the time was in the 50s.

Fortunately it sold because, despite a test drive in a 2007/57 4.2 which seemed fine, I went and drove / sat in a 15 plate white one at Maidstone Maserati and found the seat position I had to have gave me a sore back and knees after around 15 minutes and there was absolutely no room around me as I am quite tall (and I am Freddie Flintoff shaped rather than Jockie Wilson!) - alas the dream was dead.

In hindsight, it was too big a stretch financially and I just don't think I would have enjoyed it enough what with the above.

However, for me, it is one of the all time best looking cars ever. Pininifarina do some wonderful styling.

I kept the pictures of a recent SB 15 plate which a dealer in Chesham had for sale instead!

Good luck with it.

 

[S30MSN]

Hi John,

Thank you for your message.

I was originally looking for one in Alfieri Grey, until I saw a picture of a Sofisicato Blu one parked outside the Casino in Monte Carlo, it just looked so perfect.

I too thought it was a big leap financially but convinced myself that it was too good a price to pass on and so wont loose too much when I decide to move it on (man maths) plus as you say it really is one of the best looking cars ever so I decided to take the plunge....time will tell if it was one of my better decisions like the C63 507 which lost next to nothing in the 2 years I had it, or one of the worst like when I brought a 1.5yr old fully loaded facelift 3.0 TDI A5 S-Line Cabrio a couple of years ago which cost me 7k in depreciation and other costs in the 9 months I owned it.

But even if it does turn out to be a bad decision, I reckon I'm gonna have a helluva time finding out...

 

[John]

I doubt you will lose much on it at all - especially at the price you paid for it.

I followed the market for a good few months and prices stayed strong.

It's such a stunning car both in terms of looks and sound that I think there will always be a market.

It might be a pig to shift but it will go.

I've made a depreciation clanger myself in the past (bought a 3 year old Alpina B10 V8 in 2004 and sold it 15 months later £10k lighter!).

What made it worse when I was still contemplating was my neighbour's son buying a new 66 plate one and driving round here to visit. Torture!

No prizes for guessing which colour combo - it's like he knew that's what I wanted.

Time will tell but as you say, it's no hardship finding out!