CHAPTER FOUR spirited cornering. The Bora also had above- average manoeuvrability, With a turning circle diameter 0f 32.8 ft, left or right, measured at the tyres (kerb-to-kerb, not wall-to-wall). The Bora, which was ten inches shorter than the GhibIi, actually had a two inch longer wheelbase ! ln August, 1973 , a bigger engine was fitted, and wider rims and tyres (Michelin XWX 215 / 70 VR 15 ) were adopted on all four wheels. These changes, plus vanous detail modifications, brought the Bora's weight up t0 30 cwt 155 lb ( 1560 (g). Weight distribution was not affected. Maximum body width was 68.1 ⅲ . ( 1.73 m). lts silhouette was extremely 10W , so that the car actually looked longer than it was. With a full tank but no passengers or luggage, overall height was a mere 44.7 ⅲ . ( 1135 (m). Naturally, the floor was pushed down as far as practical, leaving a minimum ground clearance 0f 4.72 ⅲ . ( 120 mm). The body was neatly wrapped around the mechanical elements, with a front overhang, measured from the tip Of the nose tO the front wheel axis, of 38.6 ⅲ . ( 980 (m), and an unusually short rear overhang 0f 29.7 in. ( 755 mm). The bonnet was ofthe ealligator' type, hinged at the windscreen base, with a gas-filled strut to hold it in the open position. Despite the wide tyres and extensive ducting, hosing, and electrical equ1P- ment for the cooling system and lights, there was about 10 当 cu. ft worth 0f useful space in the deep boot between the front wheel housings. Giugiaro's styling theme was executed with great simplicity 0f line and a severe economy 0f decorative mouldings. Bora was given a highly streamlined 100k. The design had avoided a wedge-shaped body, despite the tapered front end and the abruptly cut-off Kamm tail, which were made tO blend very well, in part due tO the curvaceous belt line, and in part due tO the 42
Chapter 5 Origins and evolution Of the Maserati V8 Maserati's strongest point was englne tech- Ⅱ 010gY. The experience gained by lng. Alfieri and his staff over the years had led to a great depth in understanding Of the combustion process, and a bank of knowledge concerning the effects on cylinder filling, fuel atomisation, turbulence, and knock limits of detail alterations in valve angles, port layout, valve timing, piston profile, and camshaft lift. Expemmental engmes were not created except when slated for production. The experlmental content tended tO be slight, for when a new engine design came offthe drawing board, there were few uncertainties about itS performance and re- liability. Little or no fundamental research was under- taken. Engine testing, however, was a continuous activity at Maserati, and, even in the days before the first petroleum shock, aimed more at improv- ing the emciency Ofthe engines than tO raise their power output. Specific fuel consumption was steadily pushed down.eA drop of 5 grams per hp- hour was a big galn in fuel economy, says Alfieri. Maserati's engine programme had been con- centrated on V8s since the Sebring was taken out of production ⅲ 1966. A V8 has the advantage 0f being short and relatively 10W , g1Ving an in- stallation package that is quite compatible with 55
CHAPTER SEVEN agreed t0 pay triple the prevlous prlce per barrel. The reasomng at Maserati was based on marketing considerations. According tO the con- sensus within the management Of Maserati, the factory could not benefit from its engineering know-how or manufacturing capacity unless the Ⅱ 10de1 range were expanded downwards in prlce. lt wasn't done as a callous exploitation 0f the Maserati name tO sell an inferior product. lt was an attempt tO provide a car for those Maserati customers Ⅵア hO for one reason or another would not invest in the most expenslve equlpment that the company had tO 0 er. Unless Maserati came up with a less exclusively priced model, those customers would be lost to other makes of car. Any such project could be undertaken if the strongest emphasis was placed 0 Ⅱ cost analysis right from the start. Under the pressure 0f always looking for a cheaper way, near-miracles can be achieved by adapting existing components. For Maserati, that meant sharing parts with either the Bora, the Citroén, or a combination of both. Since the third alternative promised to yield the greatest savmgs, that approach was chosen. Due to the Citroén connection, Maserati had a big advantage over Lamborghini and Ferrari. Ferrari had its link with Fiat, but it was lncon- ceivable in Turin as it was in Maranello tO put mass-produced Fiat components intO a Ferrar1 car. Fiat's support has taken other forms, such as administrative guidance, plant invest- ment, and industrial co-operation. Lamborghini had no big brother t0 lean on, and was in and out of the bankruptcy courts for years until the present owners, Jean-Claude and Patrick Mim- ran, formally secured title t0 the Lamborghini assets in February 1982. By the time the planning ofthe Merak began, it was clear that Maserati's Jumor car would 98
CHAPTER FIVE C01n1 れ on practice among manufacturers Of exotic cars whO cannot justify the cost Of designlng, developing, and producing their own gearboxes, differentials, steering gear, and so 0 Ⅱ , Maserati also used ZF gearboxes in its front-engine models, SO it was natural that Alfieri and the engineering staff should turn to ZF when the Bora was being planned. Maserati had not built its own trans- misslons since the days Of the 2 litre production models. Because Of em1SS10n-control standards and safety regulations, the standard Bora could not legally be imported into the United States. A special version Of the Bora was developed for the American market ⅲ 1972 / 73 , with extra bumpers and a de-polluted engine. Emission-controI de- vices had the unfortunate effect 0f causing a loss 1 Ⅱ power output, and tO compensate for any lack in that department, Maserati decided to use a larger engine. Since the 4.7 litre had been derived from a bigger engine, that was no problem. There was room tO bore it out a bit and keep the same crankshaft. But the diffculty with that solution was that a big bore was not conducive tO a clean exhaust. The resulting quench area would be quite important, and could leave a ring Of unburned end gas all around the combustion chamber. A much better solution would be to lengthen the stroke, keeping the combustion space as compact as possible, while adding t0 the amount of combustion alr mixed with the fuel. Con- sequently, Alfieri returned t0 the 94 >< 89 mm ( 3.70 x 3.50 in. ) bore and stroke of the Tipo 202 marme engine. That increased the displacement to 4930 cc ( 308.8 cu. in. ), which enabled the Amer- ican version tO put out 300 hp at 6000 rpm on an 8.5 : 1 compression ratio. Peak-torque speed was 80
CHAPTER FOUR trailing arms for taking up the driving thrust. ln c 0 Ⅱ t r a s t w i t h L a Ⅱ c i a p r a C t i C e (Aurelia/Flaminia), which carried the de Dion tube 0 Ⅱ leaf springs, the Maserati used coil springs (and a stabiliser bar). But in 1967 , Maserati adapted the rear axle suspension of the Mexico to the Quattroporte. This does not really indicate that Maserati had problems with de Dion type rear ends. Remember, Alfieri was always working under severe cost constraints. There was a COSt savmg in shared components for different models. And since the rear-axle suspension was cheaper than the de Dion, the outcome was ObVious. If it had not been for the extra cost, Alfieri would have chosen to standardise the de Dion suspension on the whOle range. (l)e Dion is a good solution. But whether it is the best, depends 0 Ⅱ the type Of car under consideration. lt gives good control Of tyre wear, but demands more space than an independent system. I am in favour Of de Dion suspension for front-engme cars. With a midships-mounted engine, independent rear sus- pension is better. ' Consequently, the Bora came with independent rear suspension, the first such design on a production-model Maserati. The main theoretical advantage of inde- pendent rear suspenslon is that it lowers the unsprung weight, always a critical point in the road-holding of a car driven by a live rear axle. Alfieri was not so sure that the theory would be generally valid in practice, however. He pointed out that with proper linkages for axle location, transfer of driving and braking thrust, and resisting torque reactions, a rear axle could be quite satisfactory for cars in the Mas- erati weight class, where the ratiO between sprung and unsprung weight was quite acceptable With a conventional rear axle. 52
AcknowIedgements NO historian writes in isolation, and this is partic- ularly so when he is writing a development story of an ltalian car. Jan Norbye has been receiving kind assistance from Offcine Alfieri Maserati SpA in Modena now for many years—it has and is greatly appreciated. For this b00k further help was given by ltal Design close to Turin. A wealth of photographic help came from the late Peter Coltrin, collated and added to with his own work by Jean-Francois Marchet. The current UK importer of Maserati cars, Modena Conces- sionaires Ltd 0fWest Bromwich through the good omces of Keith Kent and Christine Hawthorn, went out Of their way tO Offer anything and everything to ensure good photography. Further contributions came from the author, Rob de la Rive Box, Richard Crump, Mirco Decet, Photo Junior, Corrado Millanta and Tim Parker Collection. 133
Chapter 7 From meteorology astronomy At the Paris Show ⅲ October 1972 , Maserati dropped the other shoe. lt was called Merak. lt was not a wind, but a star this time. The idea for the Merak was born in 1969 , as the co-operation with Citroén deepened (and Fiat had bought a big block of Citroén shares from Michelin). A formal proposal to build such a car was formulated ⅲ February 1970 , and approved. But the Merak was not in any way a Citroén- inspired pr0Ject. lt originated as a Maserati, and was created and developed by Maserati, with the expressed goal Of making use 0f Citroén com- ponents t0 achieve lower costJMaserati had full autonomy over its product range, explained Alfieri, fWhat the Citroén people were most interested in was the bottom line on our annual profit-and-loss statements. The circumstances of the Merak's birth centre 0 Ⅱ two facts. First, all Maserati cars at that time were equipped with big V8 engines. SecondlY, Maserati was producing a 2.7 litre V6 for Citroén. lt was thought that a market existed for a lighter and lower-priced Maserati car Ofthe Bora layout, powered by a smaller and more economical engme. This occurred before OPEC was formed, and before there was any whisper ofholding up the 0i1- lmporting states by cutting 0 supplies until they 97
ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION MASERATI V8 bodies ; others were made intO coupés. During the 1957 season, the 450S showed fabulous accele- ration and speed, but also revealed a lack Of reliability, which became its downfall. The car had a sadly short career before being withdrawn, but the engine had proved thoroughly sound, and was tO find a better stage tO demonstrate its capabilities in boat racing. The 420M was created early ⅲ 1957 with shorter stroke: 93.8 X75.8 mm ( 3.66><2.98 in. ) giving 4190 cc. lt delivered 410 hp on alcohol- mixed fuel. Then it powered an lndianapolis racer in 1958 , and a revised verslon went into the Eldorado Special of 1959. The Orsi family and Giulio AIfieri were all highly aware Of the fact that Maserati was more than an engine supplier. lt was a small company, but it was a Ⅱ 10t0r car manufacturer, and itS new- found expertise in V8 engines ought tO be put tO S01 れ e commercial use. The existing ・ V8 , however, was pure racmg metal, and Ⅱ 0 direct adaptation seemed practicable. But perhaps a tOtal re-design was not the answer. Alfieri opted for a compro- mlse solution. The racing V8 with gear-driven camshafts and dual ignition was revised for use 1 Ⅱ a production car, With single ignition and chain-driven cam- shafts. The essential layout was not changed. The displacement was increased t0 4975 cc by boring out the block to 98.5 mm ( 3.88 ⅲ . ) , which, with a stroke of 81 mm ( 3.19 ⅲ . ) , gave a displacement 0f 4975 cc. This engine delivered 385 hp for street use. lt was first installed ⅲ the 5000GT 0f 1959 , a coupé with touring b0dY, built on the same basic 3500GT chassis that was then monopolising the assembly line in Viale Ciro Menotti. The 5 litre V8 did very little t0 solve Maserati's problem, which consisted 0f making money from selling its products. The 5000GT was bY nature 73
CHAPTER SEVEN hydraulic power-steering clrcuit was regulated by a speed-sensing device driven by the gearbox. lt consisted of a centrifugal governor which controlled a set of slide valves on the steering gear box, adjusting hydraulic pressure each way to the needs of the moment. The lower the car speed, the higher the pres- sure. That made it very easy to turn the steering wheel for parking and manoeuvering in tight city tramc, but the resistance built up as the car gained speed, SO that at 80 mph, it was impossible inadvertently tO crank the wheel hard over. At that speed, curves are made with small steering angles, and for SIOW, deliberate action over a short span, the servo action was adequate. More important, it acted t0 self-centre the wheels when the car returned t0 the straight road. When the power was shut 0ff, the power steering automati- cally brought the front wheels to a straight-ahead position. Driving the Merak was not at all like having command 0f a Bora. Despite all the similarities in specifications, the Merak felt like a totally different car. There was a distinct lack of power, for the Merak's performance was on a par with that of the Citroén SM, which did have a usable rear seat. Understeer was stronger in the Merak than in the Bora, and it was more diffcult to obtain throttle-steer effects for balancing the car on curves. The ride had the same firmness, with less efflcient filtering of noise and vibration. Some engme roughness could be felt up t0 about 4000 rpm. ln its original form the Merak could not be regarded as a thoroughbred in the same sense as the Bora was. lts development was tO take place under a new regime, while the Bora headed for extinction. 112
CHAPTER FIVE ing 5657 cc displacement, which put out 520 hp at 7000 rpm. The biggest of the boat racing V8s was Tipo 62 , with 110 x 85 mm ( 4.33 x 3.35 ⅲ . ) bore and stroke, giving 6458 cc. lts output was 580 hp at 6000 rpm. Maserati was still very active 1 Ⅱ sports car prototype racing, and in 1961 Alfieri was experi- menting with a 3 litre V8 with 81 x 72 mm ( 3.19 x2.83 ⅲ . ) bore and stroke for the Tipo 63 / 1 car with centrally mounted engine. lt was con- ceived as two 150S engines put together the same way the 450S was created from two 200SI engines. The 3 litre V8 delivered 290 hp at 7500 rpm. The 3 litre engine was judged t00 small for the Tipo 151 racing coupé (Maserati's hoped-for answer to Ferrari's 250GTO) in 1962 , so AIfieri 76