Maserati Merak

2006-12-06T10:57:41Z

210.213.128.99:

{| border="1" style="width: 22em; font-size: 95%; text-align: left;border-color:#000000;float:right;"
! colspan="2" style="font-size: larger; text-align: center; background-color: #ccccff;" | ''Maserati Merak''
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| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" |
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Manufacturer
| [[Maserati]]
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Class
| Supercar
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Length
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Width
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Height
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Wheelbase
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Weight
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Transmission
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Engine
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Similar
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The '''Maserati Merak''', introduced in 1974, was essentially a junior version of the [[Maserati Bora]]. Designed during the [[Maserati#Citroën ownership|Citroën era]] (1968-1975), the Merak featured a 3.0 L Maserati V6 (190 hp), also used in the [[Citroën SM]].

The [[mid-engine design|mid-engine]] Merak used the Bora bodyshell, but with the extra space offered by the smaller engine used to carve out a second row of seats, suitable for children or very small adults.

Other [[Citroën]] parts used for the Merak included the SM's dramatic dashboard and the [[hydropneumatic|hydraulic]] brake system. In 1977 these parts were supplanted by more conventional units.

In 1976 [[Maserati]] introduced the slightly more powerful Merak SS. Its engine produced 220 hp (164 kW) and weight was reduced by 336 lb to 3,086 lb (by 152 kg to 1,400 kg), resulting in a top speed of 152 mph (245 km/h).

In 1977 Maserati introduced another version of the Merak called Merak 2000, which featured a
2.0 L V6 with 170 hp (127 kW). This version was built for the Italian market where a newly introduced tax law penalized cars with an engine capacity of more than 2000 cc.

Aesthetically, the Merak differed from the otherwise identical [[Maserati Bora|Bora]] mainly in sporting glassless flying buttresses instead of the Bora's fully glassed rear.

The Merak went out of production in 1982.

== Television appearances==
Jeremy Clarkson purchased a Maserati Merak on the BBC television show [[Top Gear]] for £7000 in a challenge. The challenge was to buy Italian cars for less than £10,000; unfortunately for Clarkson, he was the first to retire because the engine had destroyed itself. His car was badged as an SS edition, though when he looked at the service records, he found out that the previous owner had just applied the badge to the car. This car is now being broken at the Italian Supercar breakers yard "Euro Spares".

{{Maserati}}

[[Category:Maserati vehicles|Merak]]
[[Category:MR layout vehicles]]
[[Category:Sports cars]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:1970s automobiles]]
[[Category:1980s automobiles]]

Maserati Mistral

2006-12-06T10:49:48Z

210.213.128.99:

{| border="1" style="width: 22em; font-size: 95%; text-align: left;border-color:#000000;float:right;"
! colspan="2" style="font-size: larger; text-align: center; background-color: #ccccff;" | ''Maserati Mistral''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[Image:Mistral.jpg|350px]]
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Manufacturer
| [[Maserati]]
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | aka
| Maserati Tipo 109 4000 GT "Due Posti"
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Production
| 1963-1970
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Class
| Gran Turismo
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Body style
| 2-seat front-engined GT Coupe and Spyder
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Length
|
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Width
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Height
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Wheelbase
| 2400 mm
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Weight
| 1200kg (dry)
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Transmission
| ZF 5-speed and reverse
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Engine
| 3694.4cc-4012.2cc Inline-Six
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Power
| 245 bhp @ 5500 rpm (255 bhp @ 5200 rpm)
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! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Similar
| [[Aston Martin DB4]] [[Ferrari 250 GTE]] [[AC 428]] [[Maserati 350S]] 
|-
! style="background-color: #ccccff;" | Designer
| Pietro Frua of [[Frua]]
|}
The '''Maserati Mistral''', named after a cold northerly wind of southern France, was the successor to the iconic [[Maserati 3500|3500 GT]]. It was the first in a series a classic Maseratis to be given the name of a wind and the last model from the "Casa del Tridente" to be equipped with a straight six cylinder engine before Maserati moved on to V8 engines for their production cars.

It was designed by Pietro Frua and was first shown in a preview at the [[Salone Internazionale dell'Automobile di Torino]] in November 1963. It is generally considered as one of the most beautiful Maseratis of all time.

The engine was a direct descendent of the 6-cylinder unit mounted in the Tipo 350 S sports racer and boasted a close relationship with the engine that powered the [[Maserati 250F|Tipo 250F]] F1 single-seater, driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, to Maserati's one and only [[F1 World Championship]] in 1957.

{{Maserati}}

[[Category:Maserati vehicles|Mexico]]
[[Category:Sports cars]]

Wikicars - User contributions [en]

Maserati Merak

Maserati Mistral