Maserati 3200GT
Back in the 1980s it was hard to believe that Maserati was
the same company that had once produced supercars like the
Bora. The Italian marque's machines from the era of shoulder
pads and neon were boxy designs that appeared to have been
styled by a designer with a particular fetish for right
angles. They were also poorly built, and had little of the
handling finesse of their predecessors.
Fortunately for Maserati fans, after the purchase of the
company by Fiat in 1993 things began to change. Initially
the Cubist styling lived on in the Biturbo-based Ghibli, but
it disguised a far more thoroughly developed chassis - here
was a car that although no great beauty, was certainly
capable of taking the fight to M series BMWs and AMG
Mercedes.
Then, in 1998, Maserati returned to its roots with the
3200GT - a car that finally provided the visual impact of
predecessors such as the Khamsin or Merak, together with a level of performance that would enable it to
compete with rivals from Jaguar and Porsche.
From a purely aesthetic point of view, it had the XK8 and
911 beaten before the start: lines that were both classic
and modern were complemented by distinctive LED rear lights
and an upmarket interior. But looks were not its only forte;
under the bonnet was a twin turbo V8, which produced 370 bhp
- enough to propel the 3200 to 100 mph in under 13 seconds.
Driving one today, it is clear that the 3200, despite
appearances, is not a GT car in the same mould as an XK8 or
even an Aston Martin DB7. The ride is hard and the steering
response is startlingly sharp - not qualities that would
make for a relaxing companion for, say, a high speed journey
to the South of France.
It is much more a sports car wrapped in a GT body, and, with
this in mind, things start to make more sense. Throw the
3200 into a corner and you find that the front
end holds on tenaciously, with little of the corner entry understeer that blights some large coupes.
There is
noticeable turbo lag, followed by a great burst of power,
which means that you need to be
precise with the throttle, particularly in
the wet, but this all somehow adds to the spirit of the car. Spool up the turbos mid corner, and the torquey engine easily
overcomes the rear tyres' grip. With a judicious twist of
opposite lock it is possible to hold the Maserati in a
graceful power slide, although this is something best
confined to the track or very wide empty roads, given the
car's size and weight.
The six speed manual gearbox requires a fair shove to flick
between ratios, but once warmed up it becomes less
recalcitrant. An automatic gearbox was an option, but we
would recommend steering clear of cars fitted with these as they do not mesh
well with the character of the 3200; those who require an
auto for city driving should head towards the Mercedes or
Jaguar camps.
In 2002, the 3200 was replaced with the 4200, which featured
a larger, naturally aspirated engine, improved build quality
(partly due to Ferrari's influence) and minor revisions to
the styling. Although these changes helped to make the
Maserati a more complete car, some of the soul of the
original was lost, together with its boomerang lights, which
were a casualty of silly US regulations. The earlier car may
have flaws that its replacement vanquished, but for its
character, elegance, and for returning Maserati to its
rightful place in the motoring world, we award it Bonne
Gauche Future Classic status.
