Not German but Damn these are sexy

[kiwi535 538]

, I'm yet to see a refined Landcruiser or Hilux!

How much more refined do you want?

[Phil-540i 166]

Lols^^^^ Mines not refined, its the 'work' edition, (rather than the 'w#nk pack' above), which makes mine a bit tougher & less $hit to go wrong with it.......

Given my one has taken some steroids & tuffen up pills as well, the thought of a librarian driving it round town is a crack-up........more designed for wide-open spaces as ya virtually need a paddock to turn the big tart around in.......

[Allanw 1071]

How much more refined do you want?

Holy crap... it's like a reverse Tardis - Those mirrors look like they're from a car 3 times the size of the interior???

Are they for seeing EVERYthing behind you, or stopping the car going more than 4km/h over the limit?

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

Holy crap... it's like a reverse Tardis - Those mirrors look like they're from a car 3 times the size of the interior???

Are they for seeing EVERYthing behind you, or stopping the car going more than 4km/h over the limit?

Towing probably

but most will still be driven by mom dropping kids to school. Anyone wanting an off roader would still get a new hilux with a backpack.

[Phil-540i 166]

Lols - yea, you're right, bit of overkill, as we all know whats behind ya ain't important unless its got flashing lights........

Thats a 200 series Cruiser - for a virtually 3000kg 'brick', they get up & really boogie once ya get them rolling ............& aren't too bad off-road once ya turn off all the electronic $hit that ya can...........

Mind you, at knocking on 150k, they should be a bloody good unit too!!!

Edit - new Hilux ain't flash off-road in std form Andy - I spent 12k in parts to make my last one a better unit off-road........

Edited December 21, 2013 by Blue-540i

[kiwi535 538]

Lols^^^^ Mines not refined, its the 'work' edition, (rather than the 'w#nk pack' above), which makes mine a bit tougher & less $hit to go wrong with it.......

Given my one has taken some steroids & tuffen up pills as well, the thought of a librarian driving it round town is a crack-up........more designed for wide-open spaces as ya virtually need a paddock to turn the big tart around in.......

my bro has a landcruiser flat deck...very very basic compared to the 200.I am contempating a complete change in automotive lifestyle and while looking at the different landcruiser models looked at 200s ,for about 30 seconds!

[kiwi535 538]

Lols - yea, you're right, bit of overkill, as we all know whats behind ya ain't important unless its got flashing lights........

Thats a 200 series Cruiser - for a virtually 3000kg 'brick', they get up & really boogie once ya get them rolling ............& aren't too bad off-road once ya turn off all the electronic $hit that ya can...........

Mind you, at knocking on 150k, they should be a bloody good unit too!!!

Edit - new Hilux ain't flash off-road in std form Andy - I spent 12k in parts to make my last one a better unit off-road........

for gettin close to 200 kw they should!The petrol one is 227 kw!

[Phil-540i 166]

my bro has a landcruiser flat deck...very very basic compared to the 200.I am contempating a complete change in automotive lifestyle and while looking at the different landcruiser models looked at 200s ,for about 30 seconds!

Yes, very basic, but that's one of the things I like about it compared to everything else - its only got one computer on it...........nice & simple, just like me!! For 'usel;ess info file - over 80% of 4WD vehicle recoveries outa the Simpson Desert in Aussie nowdays, are due to 'electrical component failure'.........

Sometimes, 'smart vehicles' can unsmart themselves in the wrong place...................

[deeveus 81]

for gettin close to 200 kw they should!The petrol one is 227 kw!

Yeah but 195kw & 650nm from a 4.5litre V8 twin turbo? How do they get such a small amount of kW from such a big engine??

Not my choice of car but a Audi Q7 Tdi V8 diesel is 250kw and 800nm and comes with more kit and is cheaper!!!

They're just over rated IMO. Reliable yes? I think that ship has sailed too.

[Phil-540i 166]

True, but you're comparing Speights with Lion Red sorta thing - at least the 200 has low range, & off-road ability, unlike a Q7 which is good for gravel, ski bunnies, & as a mall tractor. And yes - the Toyo TD is a bit lazy for its size, but better that than being highly strung with big outputs, but short life-span.........ask a Amarok owner how their vehicles stack up out in the real world after a few kms.........

I know we're slightly off-topic from that POS thing in pic, but much as I like Toyota utes, pick of the bunch at the mo IMO in NZ market is a auto Ranger. Bar a brake fault they have & a few reliability issues, straight outa the box they're not too bad really.

[kiwi535 538]

Yeah but 195kw & 650nm from a 4.5litre V8 twin turbo? How do they get such a small amount of kW from such a big engine??

Not my choice of car but a Audi Q7 Tdi V8 diesel is 250kw and 800nm and comes with more kit and is cheaper!!!

They're just over rated IMO. Reliable yes? I think that ship has sailed too.

haah the std landcruiser 76 etc use the same engine with a single turbo but they are 150 kw max!lotsa torque though.

[Phil-540i 166]

Funny thing with the V8 turbo diesel 70 series, is like, well, how much power do ya want it to be putting out, really?? Ya can chip them etc, mines got a 3 inch exhaust which woke it up a bit too, but reality is, chassis dynamics date back to 1985. On wet roads on the std 750R16 biscuit cutters, they're lethal enough in the wrong hands I reckon at std power........

I grew up with underpowered Hilux 4WD diesels, so think any of the new generation stuff is fairly good compared to how slow the older stuff was, especially with load & / or trailer, up till 2005ish........

[kiwi535 538]

Funny thing with the V8 turbo diesel 70 series, is like, well, how much power do ya want it to be putting out, really?? Ya can chip them etc, mines got a 3 inch exhaust which woke it up a bit too, but reality is, chassis dynamics date back to 1985. On wet roads on the std 750R16 biscuit cutters, they're lethal enough in the wrong hands I reckon at std power........

I grew up with underpowered Hilux 4WD diesels, so think any of the new generation stuff is fairly good compared to how slow the older stuff was, especially with load & / or trailer, up till 2005ish........

you dont want 250 kw in low range picking through a creek

[gjm 3258]

Funny thing with the V8 turbo diesel 70 series, is like, well, how much power do ya want it to be putting out, really?? Ya can chip them etc, mines got a 3 inch exhaust which woke it up a bit too, but reality is, chassis dynamics date back to 1985. On wet roads on the std 750R16 biscuit cutters, they're lethal enough in the wrong hands I reckon at std power........

I grew up with underpowered Hilux 4WD diesels, so think any of the new generation stuff is fairly good compared to how slow the older stuff was, especially with load & / or trailer, up till 2005ish........

I grew up on Land Rovers. My dad's LWB 2.6 6-cylinder 'Safari' was so much fun... And in the wet, broadside around roundabouts was a must.

We fitted all sorts of engines to them. Aside from the Rover (ex-Buick) V8, we used a GM 6.5 turbo-diesel V8s, 318ci Chrysler engines, V6 Ford Cologne... I stuck with my 2.25 '4', but with some work got 175bhp out of even that.

It's all academic though. There's only so much power you can actually use in a leaf-sprung ladder-chassis truck. The rest is fun, but ultimately pointless.

[Phil-540i 166]

you dont want 250 kw in low range picking through a creek

Aww, I dunno - jury still out on that - depends on the circumstances.............

But yes - even on the big tyres, it lights up a bit toooooo easy sometimes when off-road - ticking over at around 1200rpm in 3rd low takes ya most places, unless its a bit dodgey, then more right foot tends to be the answer........ Just gotta be aware of the weight of the thing, even on sharp tyres......

[kiwi535 538]

kinda OT now...

[Allanw 1071]

kinda OT now...

Hardly ever happens....

[Phil-540i 166]

Lols - lets steer it back on track then.............the Maserati in opening post. Whilst kicking back & forth some of the off-topic stuff in here, I have actually been thinking bout 'that car' too.......

Generally, I like Italian vehicles / motorbikes, in a big way. For me, some of the stuff that's been made by Italians over the years, is so gorgeous & refined, its just about like its 'motorised art', & its like its sexy, & has a real 'Wow' factor to it............ And, its a bit different from mainstream stuff...........

So I dunno - by the way I traditionally see Italian stuff, this Masarati doesn't actually 'make the grade' for me, in my eyes, for some reason I can't put my finger on.....

Its a bit like if you debadged the thing, & parked it in a mall & asked punters to guess where it was made, & by whom - how many people would 'get it right'?? Whereas with a Ferrari, or a Lambo, you wouldn't have the same problem - they just are 'what they are, & have always been', since early days........

Hope some of that makes sense.............whats your view............??

[lord_jagganath 421]

It looks like a Nissan Fuga.

[Phil-540i 166]

It looks like a Nissan Fuga.

I think that's maybe my problem with it too Juggy - maybe its just the colour, or camera angle, but it looks like its been styled by some muppet straight outa uni maybe, & the older guys that work at Maserati then haven't had the chance to go "Look son, this is wrong - this is what ya need to do........."...........

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2956]

To me it does look like the old model Quattroporte with a few tweeks around the lights and front bumper, etc. so more of an evolution rather than an evolution. I do like the current model in the flesh, and the two door GT is a good looking car as well so I look forward to seeing one of these on the road.

I think the picture in the original post has changed it's aspect ratio, so it now looks like it is jacked up on off-road suspension!! Doesn't do the styling any favours...

[deeveus 81]

True, but you're comparing Speights with Lion Red sorta thing - at least the 200 has low range, & off-road ability, unlike a Q7 which is good for gravel, ski bunnies, & as a mall tractor. And yes - the Toyo TD is a bit lazy for its size, but better that than being highly strung with big outputs, but short life-span.........ask a Amarok owner how their vehicles stack up out in the real world after a few kms.........

I know we're slightly off-topic from that POS thing in pic, but much as I like Toyota utes, pick of the bunch at the mo IMO in NZ market is a auto Ranger. Bar a brake fault they have & a few reliability issues, straight outa the box they're not too bad really.

Troo, but in all seriousness are you really going to see a 150k car offroad anytime soon? It will spend 99% of it's time in light mud, gravel and mainly the road, there are other German marque's out there that do give you low range for a much lower price than a Landcruiser & I'm more talking about a VX Landcruiser, a 70 series is a different kettle o fish again.

Edited December 23, 2013 by The Diesel Guy

[Phil-540i 166]

Yes, & that's true mostly - much like this Maserati, it often seems the more expensive something is, the less (or further away) from its intended 'purpose / design it tends to get used for.

Its much like Graham said on page one of this thread re A Massie he seen overseas - when we see them being used 'properly' out in the real world, it makes us do a 'double-take' on it........

I know I'm now going off-topic, but one of the best pics of a late model BMW M5 I've seen, was on this site, & a kool write-up from the owner. Gets used as an everyday car, carts the kids & dog, & even has roof-racks & a towbar. Was brilliant, & has stuck in my mind for all the right reasons........

Edit - speeling

Edited December 23, 2013 by Blue-540i