The present owner of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Quattroporte claims to be selling it “under book value” due to a minor fix it requires. That’s on top of the precipitous depreciation these cars already face. Let’s see if this one is worth the roll of the dice.
If the 1971 Ford Torino GT convertible we looked at last Friday were to have a theme song, I think it would be Summer Wind, as sung by Frank Sinatra. Yes, I know that’s an oldie from before most of us were born, but so is the car. Not so old-school was the Ford’s $34,500 price. That’s about ten times what the Torino cost as new, and few of you could make that multiplication work. The result? An 80 percent No Dice loss.
As many of us have no doubt been told, beauty is only skin deep. A case could be made for the accuracy of that statement by looking at modern Maseratis. That marque’s mettle has been built on the well-regarded looks of its models coupled with a less-than-proud reputation for exorbitant costs—and unfortunate frequency— of their maintenance and repair.
Today’s 2014 Maserati Quattroporte S Q4 looks exceedingly handsome in its flowing lines, minimal filigree, and bold multi-spoke alloy wheels. This is especially true given the elegant coat of black worn by this particular car. At just ten years old and with a mere 84,080 miles showing on the odo, this clean-title Maser is also seemingly in very good shape. Aesthetically, the only problem seems to be a missing center cap on one of the rear wheels. Everything else looks to be in place and without issue.
The interior, trimmed in burlwood and chrome and featuring leather on the seats and steering wheel, does show a bit more wear. The door panels, for example, show what looks to be some delamination of the covering above the armrests. There’s also a lot of lowly Dodge switchgear in here, which can detract from the image of driving something exclusive and special.
There is something fairly special under the hood. That’s a Ferrari-built F160 3.0-liter V6. With its twin turbos, that all-alloy mill makes a healthy 404 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Mated to an eight-speed ZF gearbox, that power gets doled out to all four wheels through the car’s Q4 torque-sensing AWD system.
While the model has traditionally been V8-powered, this contemporary Quattroporte isn’t the first to sport a V6. It is, in fact, the third such car, with the very limited production Quattroporte II based on a V6-powered Citroën SM and the Q IV based on an elongated version of the V6 Biturbo platform. See? History!
According to the seller, this Quattroporte “Runs, drives and shifts great!” It does, however, have a singular fly in its Italian-suited ointment, as it is noted in the ad that:
Sometimes it has a small vibration/shake on take off 0-10mph. Took to Maserati and paid for inspection and they said need transmission mount and motor mount. I do have paperwork for that. Not fixing selling as-is and priced well under book value.
I did a little digging and found that the engine mounts alone can cost anywhere from a couple hundred bucks a pair to almost $590 each when purchased through a site obviously targeting billionaires. I didn’t bother to look at prices for the trans mount, and I don’t even want to hazard a guess at what the labor must cost to have someone with any sort of experience install the lot.
However, that is why the seller is offering the big Maser at what they claim to be a rock-bottom price. That price is $12,900, and now you all need to decide if that’s a fair ask for this clean-title but slightly flawed super sedan.
What do you say? Would you go with that $12,900 for the car as it sits? Maybe even just living with the low-speed shudder as a frequent reminder of your frugality? Or would it be better to just spend a little more at the outset and get a less obviously flawed car?
You decide!
Tampa Bay, Florida, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Jim Caplan for the hookup!
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