Maseratis—Italian works of art

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 34

Maseratis —Italian works of art

BEHIND the WHEEL with

Peter Greenslade

Even in these days when prices sound like telephone numbers, cars in the $130,0004150,000 range have to be right out of the bag to kindle lights in even a wealthy man’s eyes. Now, for the first time, Maserati is represented officially in New Zealand and even the distributor, newly-formed Italian Vehicle Distributors, Ltd, an Auckland company, would be stretching a

point or two if it was to claim that the Biturbo coupe and the larger 425 Biturbo four-door saloon are going to kindle lights in the eyes of many of New Zealand’s richer set. These are the sort of cars that the wealthier competitors at such events as Wigram’s or Whenuapai’s Wings and Wheels Day are most likely to drool over and, perhaps, even buy. The twin-turbocharged Maseratis are uncompromisingly fast cars that are in many respects fine examples of Italian works of art.

■ It seems superfluous to add that they are expensive. The coupe, which is slightly longer, but shorter in the wheelbase, and

wider than a 3-Series BMW and is also some 105 kg heavier, will sell here for $134,000 when it is furnished in leather and suede upholstery and trim. The four-door 425 model, similarly furnished, will run out at $148,600, although the cloth upholstered and trimmed version will set a buyer back $4600 less. Comparatively speaking, the 425 should be about as potent as a BMW

M 5, which would probably cost around $230,000 in New Zealand, and would not quite come up to the estimated price of the new BMW 7351 saloon which will come on the market shortly. Founded in 1926, Officine Alfleri Maserati S.P.A. is world-renowned for its grand touring and racing cars. Over the years the marque won countless races, Including the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula One world championship. But motor racing is a hard taskmaster and the fortunes of Maserati ebbed and flowed until eventually Alessandro de Tomaso took control of the Modena-based company and gave it a more commercial approach than had characterised its earlier activities. Although not so striking as the exotic Ghibli,’Bora, Merak and Khamsin of the 60s and 70s, these Biturbos are very much in the tradition of the legendary sports and grand touring Maseratis. They feature 2.5-litre V 6, three-valves-per cylinder engines, a single overhead camshaft serving each bank. The camshafts work one exhaust and two inlet valves per cylinder, one inlet being smaller than the other to improve the swirl effect. The fuel-air mixture is fed to the engine via a twin-choke carburettor under pressure from the twin turbos. Two IHI turbochargers are mounted low on either side of the engine. This arrangement avoids turbo heat concentration in one place and drastically reduces individual masses. That effectively eliminates the Inertia problems, which cause

turbo lag at low engine speeds.

Maserati claims that inertia is reduced by 75 per cent and that is why the engine responds with better and more progressive accelerator control.

Not surprisingly, Formula One racing car constructors using turbocharged engines have adopted the same principle to overcome lag. Exhaust gases drive a turbine to spin at between 120,000 and 150,000 rpm. This, in turn, drives a second turbine which compresses the air-fuel mixture in the intake manifold at a higher than atmospheric pressure to improve and increase the thermodynamic performance of the engine. Maserati’s own Automatic Boost Control System (MABC) is also employed. It is programmed with the maximum allowable -boost and vibration travel for given engine speeds, by means of a knock sensor. In other words, the efficiency of the turbo system is not reliant upon wastegates responding to boost pressure.

Potentially damaging knocking is prevented by reducing the boost pressure, . instead of retardation of the electronically controlled ignition.

MaseYati claims that MABC improves engine performance by providing greater efficiency at part and wide open throttle. At the same time, it improves economy and protects the engine from the damage that excessive boost pressure or overrevving can cause. For turbocharged engines these V6s have fairly high compression ratios, that of the 425

being 7.8 to 1, while the coupe is 7.7 to 1.

Both models have outstanding power-to-weight ratios. The 425 has a dry weight of 1191 kg and develops 146 kW at 5600 rpm while the coupe, at 1095 kg, develops 143 kW at 5500 rpm. Torque characteristics differ to the extent that the 425 peaks at 279 nM at 4000 rpm, whereas the coupe develops 299 nM at 3000 rpm. These are quick cars. The 425 is said to be capable of 225 km/h while the coupe will run up to 210 km/h. Both cars will accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 6.65.

On the indifferent roads leading to Helensville and Muriwai, I found the cars were sure-footed, being basically neutral handlers in fast bends, but uncompromisingly vintage in their riding qualities. However, there is never a suspicion of road shock transmitted through the steering column, and the power-assisted rack and pinion steering is defin-

itely the best I have sampled sb far.. Front suspension is by MacPherson struts with a stabiliser bar, coil springs and double-acting shock absorbers. At the rear there are triangulated arms which pivot on a subframe which in turn rigidly locates the propeller shaft end-housing and differential. Coil springs and double acting shock absorbers complete the location of the triangulated arms.

Naturally the care are equipped with extremely efficient all-disc braking systems. Anyone who enjoys driving purely for driving’s sake will fall hopelessly in love with these Maseratis. Those who merely have a thing about high performance motoring would be advised to give them a wide berth. They are not care for posers or “bird-catchers.” As a matter of fact,

they are very macho in the manner in which they behave and I would imagine that although they are beautifully furnished and very up-to-the-minute in almost every respect, the firm riding qualities would turn many -women in the direction of other high performance cars, just as they would those males who were not out-and-out high performance car buffs.

The thing about them is that the faster they go the better the ride. Admittedly, there are plenty of roads in the South Island where they could be driven to exploit their full potential, if only our laws would allow it. In the North Island there are such roads but, apart from the law, the volume of road traffic would generally make driving the coupe or the 425 anywhere near their limits a foolhardy undertaking. But for those folk who

like to make their wishes come at least partly true, Maseratis are cars that are going to take a power of beating. Admittedly, the way they are priced would make the annual Wings and Wheels Day an inordinately costly exercise. In between times, however, an owner could count the minutes on the dashboard-mounted clock that stands proud on the elegant, highly polished briar. This is an Italian masterpiece and an expression of a true craftsman’s art.

That it happens to be worth $l5OO is just one of the minor reasons why these care are so expensive, for in themselves the 425 and the coupe are almost the ultimate expression of the Italian quality car-maker’s craft Certainly I have yet to encounter another Italian car of such sensuously impeccable quality.