Blog / Buying
By the Exotic & Classic Specialists team · · 5 min read
The first-generation Maserati GranTurismo (2007 to 2019) is a good used buy when it has the conventional ZF automatic and a documented service history. The bills usually come from the automated manual gearbox clutch, the Skyhook adaptive dampers, and years of deferred maintenance, so a lift inspection with a clutch wear reading is worth more than a low asking price.
The first-generation GranTurismo was unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show and built until December 2019, roughly 40,000 cars in all, including the GranCabrio convertible that arrived for 2010. Almost all of them use the Ferrari-Maserati F136 V8, a naturally aspirated engine that sounds far better than its used prices suggest.
The base car has a 4.2-litre V8 rated at 405 PS. The GranTurismo S added the 4.7-litre version from 2008 at 440 PS, and the later Sport and MC Stradale cars were rated at 460 PS. The convertible followed the same pattern, with the 4.7 across the range.
The transmission matters more than the engine when you shop. Most cars use a ZF six-speed torque-converter automatic. The S was sold with an automated manual (Maserati calls it MC-Shift), and the MC Stradale came only with a robotised manual. A ZF automatic version of the S arrived in 2009, and many buyers consider that 4.7 and ZF combination the best all-around package.
A single-clutch automated manual wears its clutch like a manual car does, except the computer decides how hard it works. Stop-and-go traffic and hill starts are what kill them. One buying guide we read describes the F1-style gearbox as less tolerant of heavy city use than the ZF, and says a clutch replaced at low mileage can point to a hard life.
Figures vary a lot, so treat any single number carefully. A parts seller's guide lists a clutch job at roughly $1,600 to $2,800 in the US, while PistonHeads, writing about the earlier GranSport with a related gearbox, quoted about £4,000 and clutch life of 30,000 to 40,000 miles, with pessimistic owners reporting 10,000 to 20,000. Labor, region and whether other parts are replaced at the same time explain much of the spread.
Don't guess at the wear. Ask a specialist to read clutch wear with the proper diagnostic tool before you buy. One guide suggests that about half the clutch gone at 30,000 miles is consistent with normal driving. On the test drive, check cold starts and low-speed creeping, and run the car in both automatic and manual modes. Jerky or hesitant shifts can mean a worn clutch or an actuator problem.
Skyhook is the electronically controlled damper system fitted to these cars, and it's a common source of warning lights and expensive quotes. The usual culprits are the suspension control unit, the position sensors and the dampers themselves.
The costs add up quickly. A parts seller's guide puts factory replacement dampers at $1,000 to $1,400 per corner, and says they can be hard to source. Many owners instead fit non-electronic coilovers with emulators that keep the dash quiet, which the same guide prices at about $2,200 to $4,500. Whether that conversion suits you is a matter of taste and resale, but you should know which one the car you're looking at has.
Check for suspension warnings on the dash, switch between Normal and Sport and feel for a difference, and ask for a full diagnostic scan rather than relying on the absence of a light at the moment you arrive.
The V8 uses timing chains, so there's no belt change interval to budget for, but the tensioners and guides wear over time. A rattle on a cold start is a red flag. Persistent blue smoke points to oil consumption, while a brief puff of white vapor on a cool morning is generally normal.
Routine service is not cheap because there are 16 spark plugs, and the guide we read suggests replacing them every 30,000 to 40,000 miles. Look for oil seepage at the valve covers and oil pan, and for coolant leaks on older cars. Overheating is the thing that turns a manageable car into a very expensive one, so ask how the cooling system has been maintained.
The big Brembo brakes should be checked for pedal pulsation, which suggests warped discs, and for calipers that stick on cars that sit more than they're driven. Have the ball joints and bushings looked at on a lift. Tires are a real cost on a car this heavy, with one guide suggesting roughly 15,000 to 20,000 miles per set.
Yes, and they vary by model year and build date. Maserati recalled 2008 to 2010 GranTurismos built between June 2008 and March 2010 over rear lamp assemblies (NHTSA campaign 12V-024). A 2013 campaign covered 2008 cars over tie rod ends with insufficient corrosion protection (13V-196). Certain 2012 GranTurismo models, including the convertible and MC, were recalled for the tire pressure monitor control unit (12V-489).
None of that means a particular car is a problem, and dealers fix recalls at no charge. It does mean you should run the VIN through NHTSA's lookup yourself and ask the seller for proof that open campaigns were completed. Reliability rankings by model year conflict from one source to the next, so we'd put more weight on the individual car's records than on any list of years to avoid.
Interior plastics are a known irritation. The soft-touch coating on switches and trim can turn sticky with age, and the climate buttons, console switches and column stalks are the usual places. Harsh cleaners can make it worse. The interior door pull can also break, and one guide says that can leave a passenger unable to open the door from inside. Try every door handle, window, seat adjustment and memory setting.
The factory infotainment is dated, and the parking brake cable can slip from its mount. These are cheap compared with a gearbox, but a car with a long list of small faults usually tells you something about how it was cared for.
Asking prices for these cars are low next to their original sticker. One guide puts the market at roughly $25,000 to $60,000 depending on version and condition, and suggests budgeting $2,000 to $4,000 a year for upkeep, with an oil service at about $350 to $550 and a set of 16 spark plugs at about $550 to $900. Those are one seller's estimates, so get local quotes.
The most useful document is a complete service record from a Maserati dealer, Ferrari specialist or another respected Italian car shop. Be wary of cars priced far below the rest. The same guide gives an example of an $18,000 car with no recent service that it expects to need more than $10,000 in deferred work, and that's the usual pattern with these cars.
Pay for an independent pre-purchase inspection on a lift, with a clutch wear reading on any automated manual car and a scan of every module. The guide we read puts an inspection at $150 to $200, and that's a tiny fraction of what a missed problem costs.
Most guides point to the ZF automatic cars, either the 4.2 or the 4.7 S Automatic from 2009. They avoid the single-clutch gearbox's wear issue, though they still need a service history and a Skyhook check.
No. The F136 V8 uses timing chains. A rattle on a cold start can mean worn tensioners or guides, so listen for it before the engine warms up.
Sixteen, two per cylinder. One guide suggests replacing them every 30,000 to 40,000 miles, which makes a plug service costlier than on a typical V8.
Not automatically. Conversions with emulators are common and can remove a recurring fault. Ask who did the work, what parts were used, and whether the original dampers come with the car.
Our guides list verified shops and explain what to ask before you book.
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