The Maserati GranTurismo Is The Sexiest Car You Can Afford (Yes, Even You!)

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Some may see an exotic car driving down the road and say “In another life perhaps” as a single tear rolls down your cheek. Well, fret no more, as I’m here to save you from your boring-ass car decisions. The Maserati GranTurismo is stupid cheap, and you can afford it, if you follow my advice.

Let’s take, for example, this 2008 Maserati GranTurismo. It looks menacing and exotic. It has a Ferrari V8 engine, rear wheel drive, a six speed automatic transmission that shifts more crisply and reliably than the S model’s sequential single clutch gearbox. It’s also cheaper than any comparable exotic, including anything with this amount of prestige from Porsche, Audi, or Aston Martin, despite always having the option to have the car parked out front of any hotel you’re staying in.

And then there’s the price. While this example is a little more optimistic that what’s typical for this model, prices for these awesome, and I do mean awesome cruisers have come down so sharply that I struggle to think of a better exotic value on the market. At low $40k figures for good quality examples, and more and more popping up as buyers realize that there’s no discernible difference between new and used, it’s the bargain of the century.

Advertisement

What if you can’t afford one right now?

Sure, for a six figure car like this one to have its price slashed like it was in a bad horror flick is one thing, but it means nothing when you’re currently living on ramen and trying to figure out how many crying phone calls it takes to your student loan company until they figure out you’re bluffing. That’s why the best thing to do, even if you have no money right this second, is wait and save. Yes, it really does work.

Advertisement

Let’s say you bring in an average household income, which in 2014, was $53,657, and let’s also say you really want a Maserati. All you have to do is tithe away an average of 10 percent of that to yourself every year, and you’d have the car, assuming no further depreciation occurs, in two Presidental terms.

While that may sound like an unnecessarily long time, consider this: if you’re 28 years old like I am and make the national average amount of money (even between you and your partner or spouse) and you committed to saving money for this car in particular, you’d be in your mid 30s driving around a hand made exotic Italian sports car, and that ain’t bad. You’d have a 25-year head start on the jackmoes that bought it new, and you’d be having the exact same experience without having the expensive hip surgery when you eventually get a little overzealous with Sport mode.

Advertisement

Couple that with the fact that you’ll probably make more money the longer you work, and this specific Maserati model will likely decrease in value to the point where it’s no more expensive than a garden variety Camry V6, that makes this deal more and more realistic the more you sock away your hard-earned nickels, without going into a penny of debt.

But the car will be really old by then, I won’t want it!” you say after realizing that you complained about waiting two days for free shipping at Amazon Prime. Don’t worry - the car will stay as amazing as it always was and with its unequivocally timeless design, it won’t matter when you buy it, but if you’re concerned about that, think about this: The Ferrari 360 Modena was made 16 years ago an it’s still one of the most highly sought-after cars of the noveau riche, despite having the performance of a stanced Audi A4 with a chip, y0.

Advertisement

Obviously, you’ll have to set aside some funds for when parts break and need to be replaced, but the GranTurismo isn’t unreasonable with its repair costs. The transmission is the same as in most mid-to-high-end luxury cars and has its engine in a place where it doesn’t need to come out every time a spark plug gets a little sooty. The engine doesn’t need an expensive belt service, and there are no clutches to change.

It’s damn near perfect in its execution, save for some weird interior switch panels and dials, but that’s a small price to pay for a truly reliable supercar that’s affordable for the average person, if they’re willing to just forego instant gratification and bide their time.

Advertisement

For those of you already on this plan and are chomping at the bit, there’s plenty of selection. Have at it!


Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes and makes videos about buying and selling cool cars on the internet. You can also follow him onTwitterand Facebook. He won’t mind.

Advertisement