2004 | Classic Italian Cars For Sale

Walking to work in Dearborn, I'm bombarded daily with the flat-plane crank soundtrack of the recently-revealed Ford Mustang GT350's 5.2L V8 - an impressive nod to the signature element of any Maranello V8. Odd then, that I'm left longing for the burble of the anomalous (for an Italian) American-style cross-plane Ferrari V8 that propelled Maserati through the turn of the century. My neighbor up the street had a Maser Coupe Cambiacorsa when I was in high school, and I could hear it from a mile away - affording me enough time to run out the front door and listen to it blip through the gears as it slowed into the driveway. While this Coupe GT is the less-common, conventional 6-speed manual, I'd gladly trade the raucous paddle-actuated downshifts for extended clutch life and the enjoyment provided by a third pedal.

Year: 2004
Model: Coupe GT
Engine: 4.2 Liter V8
Transmission:6-speed manual
Mileage: 22,300 mi
Price: $30,400

CLICK FOR DETAILS:2004 Maserati Coupe GT

Rare 6 speed manual transmission. Ferrari sourced 390 HP 4.2 liter V8. Heated seats, navigation, aluminum racing pedals, Leather headliner, Skyhook suspension, xenon headlights, optional Audition sound system. Stunning beige/gray leather interior, cruise control, AC, memory power seats. Michelin Pilot Sport Tires. No accidents, never tracked, religiously serviced. Cosmetically close to showroom condition inside and out. Great mechanical condition, just had 1 year service completed. All available service records. Car comes complete with factory tool kit, original window sticker, all manuals, and a spare set of factory wheels. Everything works, no stories. If you want a Maserati Coupe in close to perfect condition, you won't find a better deal. Price is $30,400 OBO. Original sticker price on this vehicle was $96,483.

Having witnessed the damage that UV rays can inflict upon leather dashboards of Ferrari 456 and 550s, I approve of the seller's use of a dash cover. A private inspection would cost 1% of the asking price, and hopefully vindicate the seller's assertion of religious service history and great mechanical condition. For me, the greatest appeal in the Maserati V8 is the availability of replacement engines - at a quarter of the price of, say, a Ferrari 360 V8. Keep a spare in the garage, and drive the Maser with the windows down and the tach up.

-Graham

In the fourteen years since the Volkswagen Group has taken over ownership of Lamborghini, we have seen this marque transform from a financially troubled low volume sports car manufacturer to a stable producer of high end, aggressive supercars that successfully combine Italian flair and German sensibility. As a follow on to the Diablo’s successor, the Murciélago, Lamborghini introduced a smaller, V10 powered sports car called the Gallardo. Less expensive than its larger V12 powered sibling, the Gallardo has been the most produced vehicle in Lamborghini history, hitting the 10,000 mark in 2010. With the Gallardo having been around now for a few years, used examples are readily available. While still expensive, you can find clean, lower mileage examples well under $100,000, which isn’t too bad for such a flamboyant vehicle with all-wheel drive capability. This example for sale in Atlanta has the standard six speed manual gearbox and has covered just over 40,000 miles, which begs the question, are these new Lamborghinis built to last?

2004 Lamborghini Gallardo

Very clean 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo. It comes with a highly desirable color combination of silver exterior with ebony interior.

There have been stories of wealthy enthusiasts using these new all-wheel drive Lamborghinis as daily drivers, such as rally driver Jon Olsson of Sweden. At a little over $80,000, we are in the same price territory as the recently revised Porsche 911. Is it worth taking a chance on such an exotic, even if it has Audi DNA built into it? If I was in a position to do so, I would pull the trigger on this car. As the French would say, vive la différence.

-Paul