MASERATI 3200 GT
Review by Aidi Rosli. 2001
“Excuse me, Ian, can you please repeat your statement,” I said to the general manager
of Next Car Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for Maserati cars in Malaysia, not believing he
had just said yes to me.
“Yes, Aidi, you can test drive the car. Which part of YES you do not understand!” he
exclaimed with that icy cold look. Well, before he changed his mind about letting my
buddy David Culver and yours sincerely test-drive the automatic Maserati 3200 GT, I
thought I had better vanish, immediately. “The keys, David, where are the keys? Before
he changes his mind! ” I pressured David Culver, the main man in the technical
department of Next Car Sdn Bhd.
The Maserati 3200 GT is not just a hell of a car, it takes a hell of a big amount of money
to own it. If you have close to one million ringgit (inclusive of tax) to spare though, it
would be worth every sen. Next to a Ferrari the Maserati 3200 GT is every bit as
stunning on the inside as it is a head turner on the outside.
Pronounce the name in Italian “Tre mille due cento”, it sounds so romantic, and feels so
good to own one. In English it is “three thousand two hundred”.
For the records, Maserati sold 1,850 cars in 1999, more then three times as many sold
in 1988.
The car is so good looking from the front. It has definite sex appeal. In fact, just swap
Neptune’s trident with the prancing Italian stallion, you can easily mistaken the car for a
Ferrari.
Giorgetto Giugiaro’s influence on the car is obvious - its sleek clean lines and the
polished and luxurious finish. Add in the ability of hitting over 200km/h in mere seconds
- enough to resurrect one of Italy’s most commendable marques.
“We approached the design of the 3200 GT based on the classic Maseratis of the late
1960s as our inspiration,” says Giugiaro, the prime mover behind the look.
“Right from the start our intention was to take the Maserati image a step further by
emphasising its muscular quality, while at the same time making it not just a real 2+2 but
also giving it an executive hatchback look,” he adds.
I was privileged enough to be driven as well as drive the car recently and the experience
was simply electrifying. It doesn’t quite stir the blood like jumping into a Ferrari or a
Porsche does, but give it a few years, and so long as Maserati continues to build under
the flagship Ferrari. You’ll be drooling over one just as you would a Ferrari.
I tried out the back seat, just as David decided to accelerate from 0-255km/h. He made
it look so effortless. That’s the pleasure of solid 370 horse power at your command.
And, yes, there is a lot of room at the back to get comfy.
The turbocharged V8 develops an impressive 370bhp at 6,250rpm with peak torque of
442Nm over a broad 2,700-5,500rpm power range.
“It’s actually quite capable of doing a lot more than this,” said a relatively calm
David. The rich whistling of turbo accompanies the sudden rush of power from the 3200
GT. This Italian beauty can be quite a brute, hitting a top speed of 280km/h, after
dispensing with the 0–100km/h run in 5.12 seconds.
As we headed from Shah Alam towards the Klang toll-booth on the New Klang Valley
Expressway (NKVE), David and I were going over some details about the car, not
realising that the speedometer continued to climb, inexorably. It’s amazing how the
automatic can haul the Maserati from 120km/h to over 240km/h with almost no effort.
You only need to floor the accelerator and the car will do the rest. How often would the
owners actually do this? I just wondered.
With 370bhp at your disposal, you might not even realise you’re doing over 200km/h in
a 110km/h zone. All you hear is the grunt of the engine, the wind beating against the
contoured side mirrors, and yourself cursing the car in front doing 90km/h on the fast
lane.
The BOSCH-supplied ASR traction control system manages both the engine and the
ABS. It consists of an electrohydraulic control with four sensors to measure wheel
speed. The ASR communicates with the engine control and “Drive-by-wire” system (and
the automatic transmission control, if fitted) by means of high-speed serial line known as
the CAN. The brakes were designed in partnership with Brembo. They consist of four
oversized (330x32mm at front and 310x28mm at rear), ventilated discs with duct cooling
front disc. Four channels ABS with split crossover braking circuit also incorporates a
brakeforce distributor controlled by software that delivers close to 100% braking
efficiency when the deceleration force exceeds 0.45g.
Mind you, we were in the automatic version. The manual, RM5,000 less, would have
given us even more kick. Although the automatic allows a choice for normal and sport
driving, “blipping” up and down the gears was not as satisfying. A manual is the only
way to go in bringing out the very best in a machine that has such incredible
performance and pull.
It is a well know fact that the most delicate aspects of a Formula One car is its
aerodynamics, that complex, sophisticated interplay of wings, profiles and ducting by
which designers seek to obtain the maximum downforce with minimum drag. The 3200
GT has a CX (coefficient of penetration or coefficient of shape) of 0.34. The car
registers a CZ of 0.11 in front and 0.08 in the rear.
The roof lining is classy suede leather while the dashboard and centre console get
refined calf leather. The instrumentation is simple, elegant and designed to be in every
way functional for the driver’s convenience.
The powerplant appeared simple - no tacky gizmos disguised in some high-tech
manner, just a plain but still intimidating V8. Follow the pipes and you’ll find the two
turbos hidden away.
This is not one of those sports cars you’d want to take to the racing circuit. It’s designed
for more refine driving. Which explains why the car behaved impeccably as we endured
the occasional jam. No wildness or restlessness. Had it not been for the luxury of the
interior and the people staring, I’d felt right at home.
The 3200 GT will never be referred to as a thoroughbred racing car - it’s too polished,
elegant and unmistakably in the league of the more prestigious makes.
Review by Aidi Rosli. 2001
“Excuse me, Ian, can you please repeat your statement,” I said to the general manager
of Next Car Sdn Bhd, the sole distributor for Maserati cars in Malaysia, not believing he
had just said yes to me.
“Yes, Aidi, you can test drive the car. Which part of YES you do not understand!” he
exclaimed with that icy cold look. Well, before he changed his mind about letting my
buddy David Culver and yours sincerely test-drive the automatic Maserati 3200 GT, I
thought I had better vanish, immediately. “The keys, David, where are the keys? Before
he changes his mind! ” I pressured David Culver, the main man in the technical
department of Next Car Sdn Bhd.
The Maserati 3200 GT is not just a hell of a car, it takes a hell of a big amount of money
to own it. If you have close to one million ringgit (inclusive of tax) to spare though, it
would be worth every sen. Next to a Ferrari the Maserati 3200 GT is every bit as
stunning on the inside as it is a head turner on the outside.
Pronounce the name in Italian “Tre mille due cento”, it sounds so romantic, and feels so
good to own one. In English it is “three thousand two hundred”.
For the records, Maserati sold 1,850 cars in 1999, more then three times as many sold
in 1988.
The car is so good looking from the front. It has definite sex appeal. In fact, just swap
Neptune’s trident with the prancing Italian stallion, you can easily mistaken the car for a
Ferrari.
Giorgetto Giugiaro’s influence on the car is obvious - its sleek clean lines and the
polished and luxurious finish. Add in the ability of hitting over 200km/h in mere seconds
- enough to resurrect one of Italy’s most commendable marques.
“We approached the design of the 3200 GT based on the classic Maseratis of the late
1960s as our inspiration,” says Giugiaro, the prime mover behind the look.
“Right from the start our intention was to take the Maserati image a step further by
emphasising its muscular quality, while at the same time making it not just a real 2+2 but
also giving it an executive hatchback look,” he adds.
I was privileged enough to be driven as well as drive the car recently and the experience
was simply electrifying. It doesn’t quite stir the blood like jumping into a Ferrari or a
Porsche does, but give it a few years, and so long as Maserati continues to build under
the flagship Ferrari. You’ll be drooling over one just as you would a Ferrari.
I tried out the back seat, just as David decided to accelerate from 0-255km/h. He made
it look so effortless. That’s the pleasure of solid 370 horse power at your command.
And, yes, there is a lot of room at the back to get comfy.
The turbocharged V8 develops an impressive 370bhp at 6,250rpm with peak torque of
442Nm over a broad 2,700-5,500rpm power range.
“It’s actually quite capable of doing a lot more than this,” said a relatively calm
David. The rich whistling of turbo accompanies the sudden rush of power from the 3200
GT. This Italian beauty can be quite a brute, hitting a top speed of 280km/h, after
dispensing with the 0–100km/h run in 5.12 seconds.
As we headed from Shah Alam towards the Klang toll-booth on the New Klang Valley
Expressway (NKVE), David and I were going over some details about the car, not
realising that the speedometer continued to climb, inexorably. It’s amazing how the
automatic can haul the Maserati from 120km/h to over 240km/h with almost no effort.
You only need to floor the accelerator and the car will do the rest. How often would the
owners actually do this? I just wondered.
With 370bhp at your disposal, you might not even realise you’re doing over 200km/h in
a 110km/h zone. All you hear is the grunt of the engine, the wind beating against the
contoured side mirrors, and yourself cursing the car in front doing 90km/h on the fast
lane.
The BOSCH-supplied ASR traction control system manages both the engine and the
ABS. It consists of an electrohydraulic control with four sensors to measure wheel
speed. The ASR communicates with the engine control and “Drive-by-wire” system (and
the automatic transmission control, if fitted) by means of high-speed serial line known as
the CAN. The brakes were designed in partnership with Brembo. They consist of four
oversized (330x32mm at front and 310x28mm at rear), ventilated discs with duct cooling
front disc. Four channels ABS with split crossover braking circuit also incorporates a
brakeforce distributor controlled by software that delivers close to 100% braking
efficiency when the deceleration force exceeds 0.45g.
Mind you, we were in the automatic version. The manual, RM5,000 less, would have
given us even more kick. Although the automatic allows a choice for normal and sport
driving, “blipping” up and down the gears was not as satisfying. A manual is the only
way to go in bringing out the very best in a machine that has such incredible
performance and pull.
It is a well know fact that the most delicate aspects of a Formula One car is its
aerodynamics, that complex, sophisticated interplay of wings, profiles and ducting by
which designers seek to obtain the maximum downforce with minimum drag. The 3200
GT has a CX (coefficient of penetration or coefficient of shape) of 0.34. The car
registers a CZ of 0.11 in front and 0.08 in the rear.
The roof lining is classy suede leather while the dashboard and centre console get
refined calf leather. The instrumentation is simple, elegant and designed to be in every
way functional for the driver’s convenience.
The powerplant appeared simple - no tacky gizmos disguised in some high-tech
manner, just a plain but still intimidating V8. Follow the pipes and you’ll find the two
turbos hidden away.
This is not one of those sports cars you’d want to take to the racing circuit. It’s designed
for more refine driving. Which explains why the car behaved impeccably as we endured
the occasional jam. No wildness or restlessness. Had it not been for the luxury of the
interior and the people staring, I’d felt right at home.
The 3200 GT will never be referred to as a thoroughbred racing car - it’s too polished,
elegant and unmistakably in the league of the more prestigious makes.
MEL LEE's 2-sens worth
Things are indeed looking up; an invitation to drive another of Next
Car’s exotic machines. (Next Car is the official importer of Rolls-
Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Maserati cars.) Soon after the session
with the Bentley Arnage Red Label, I was invited to try out the
Maserati 3200 GT.
My chaperone this time was David Culver, Technical Manager. The
car was the manual version. I had the option of also taking out the
automatic model but after the session with the stick shift, I felt that a
diluted version would be an anticlimax.
The styling of this newest Maserati is commendable; it is eye-
catching, sexy and lithe, no mean feat when you remember that it is
a front-engine-rear-wheel-drive 2+2.
The body is curvaceous and muscular; the front is dominated by
huge ‘eyes’ and a really wide ‘grin’, bringing to mind a large bottom-
feeding fish; the rear-end is made distinctive by the lamp cluster
design, which really comes into its own when it is lit up in the dark.
This is one car that cannot be ignored, even when parked amongst
the Ferraris.
The cabin is sumptious - leather (tan, in this case) highlighting the
form-fitting seats front and rear, as well as the panel trims. The
fascia is rather ordinary but the surrounding fittings leave no doubts
as to the heritage of this car.
After getting a good feel of the meaty steering wheel and gearknob,
as well as the surprisingly light clutch pedal, I tried to shift into 1st
gear. There seemed to be no slot there. “You have to push it in,”
offered David. I did, feeling rather like a peasant, having to be so
rough with the cogs. I eased off the clutch pedal and the engine
almost stall. I brought up the revs, way too much, while still trying to
balance the clutch release. “You’ll soon get used to it, this drive-by-
wire character,” David said.
I moved off but had to brake at the gate; in reaching for the brake
pedal my shoe caught on the gas pedal, which had its bottom end
slightly skewed to the left. I think it is to make heel-and-toe easier.
When the revs came back down and I had regained my composure,
I got the car to move off. When I tried to get into 2nd gear there also
seemed to be no slot there. I reminded myself to be a lot rougher
with the shift, and it goes in. What prevented a redfaced situation for
me was that the clutch release at this speed was less hairy.
I found a few more chances to get used to the clutch-throttle nature
of the car. Pretty soon, even David was impressed. By then I was
already double declutching, to try and get the shift action even
smoother. It didn’t do an ounce of good; the revs did not pick up!
Again, I had to be a lot harder on the action.
That’s the strange thing about driving the 3200 GT: after getting
over how much it costs, it feels easy to drive, and anyone - with a
little bit of effort - can motor with it about town or even long distance.
But all it takes to remember that this car has a lot of potential is to
step on it - be a lot harder on the action.
How much potential does this car has? As much as any taut Italian
coupe with a power-weight ratio of 105.8bhp/tonne (9.45kg/bhp) or
116bhp/litre, which ever way you want to look at it. It is capable of
sprinting from standstill to 100km/h in less than 5.5 seconds, and
can do a top speed of 282km/h. Yet, you get the distinct feeling that
you can motor along with it. Maybe it’s because there is no rorty
engine sound coming from right behind you. The exhaust sound, in
fact, is rather remote, the 3.2-litre V8 made ‘civilised’. Like the coupe
that it is, this car feels ‘normal’, generous outputs notwithstanding!
The beauty of having twin turbo units is that each of them can be
relatively small and therefore highly responsive. The routing of the
pipes also contribute to an almost total absence of turbo-lag. The
effect of this is a no-need-to-think manner of driving the car,
especially when things get cooking. I was soon slicing through the
three-lane traffic, able to maintain a smooth flow. It would have been
possible to do it in 4th gear all day long, so flexible is the set-up, but
as I was supposed to get a good measure of the car, I worked
through the gears. Hard acceleration was almost passe as there didn’
t seem to be any effect on the loading of the front wheels, and hence
the steering wheel; the car just ‘vroomed’ ahead, feeling completely
in control. Likewise through the turns. It was easy to switch lanes,
even when deep in sweeping bends. The steering gave a reassuring
account of what’s happening, a good reflection of how well sorted out
the chassis is.
The Maserati 3200 GT can be likened to a powerful and potent Alfa
Romeo, or an Italian version of the Jaguar. It doesn’t pretend to be
anything else, least of all a Ferrari.
The manual shift nature will put off the women drivers, for sure. Even
many male ones, those used to autodrive. There is no sequential
gearbox option so it will be either the manual or the full auto. It will be
a shame to get the 3200 GT in auto mode as the car works very well
as an enthusiast driver’s car. The optimum control of the engine to
determine the drive characteristic is quite a thrill to experience. It is
also essential in getting the car to give a good account of itself in
difficult situations. After all, it has 370bhp and a massive 494Nm of
torque on tap. mel
Things are indeed looking up; an invitation to drive another of Next
Car’s exotic machines. (Next Car is the official importer of Rolls-
Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Maserati cars.) Soon after the session
with the Bentley Arnage Red Label, I was invited to try out the
Maserati 3200 GT.
My chaperone this time was David Culver, Technical Manager. The
car was the manual version. I had the option of also taking out the
automatic model but after the session with the stick shift, I felt that a
diluted version would be an anticlimax.
The styling of this newest Maserati is commendable; it is eye-
catching, sexy and lithe, no mean feat when you remember that it is
a front-engine-rear-wheel-drive 2+2.
The body is curvaceous and muscular; the front is dominated by
huge ‘eyes’ and a really wide ‘grin’, bringing to mind a large bottom-
feeding fish; the rear-end is made distinctive by the lamp cluster
design, which really comes into its own when it is lit up in the dark.
This is one car that cannot be ignored, even when parked amongst
the Ferraris.
The cabin is sumptious - leather (tan, in this case) highlighting the
form-fitting seats front and rear, as well as the panel trims. The
fascia is rather ordinary but the surrounding fittings leave no doubts
as to the heritage of this car.
After getting a good feel of the meaty steering wheel and gearknob,
as well as the surprisingly light clutch pedal, I tried to shift into 1st
gear. There seemed to be no slot there. “You have to push it in,”
offered David. I did, feeling rather like a peasant, having to be so
rough with the cogs. I eased off the clutch pedal and the engine
almost stall. I brought up the revs, way too much, while still trying to
balance the clutch release. “You’ll soon get used to it, this drive-by-
wire character,” David said.
I moved off but had to brake at the gate; in reaching for the brake
pedal my shoe caught on the gas pedal, which had its bottom end
slightly skewed to the left. I think it is to make heel-and-toe easier.
When the revs came back down and I had regained my composure,
I got the car to move off. When I tried to get into 2nd gear there also
seemed to be no slot there. I reminded myself to be a lot rougher
with the shift, and it goes in. What prevented a redfaced situation for
me was that the clutch release at this speed was less hairy.
I found a few more chances to get used to the clutch-throttle nature
of the car. Pretty soon, even David was impressed. By then I was
already double declutching, to try and get the shift action even
smoother. It didn’t do an ounce of good; the revs did not pick up!
Again, I had to be a lot harder on the action.
That’s the strange thing about driving the 3200 GT: after getting
over how much it costs, it feels easy to drive, and anyone - with a
little bit of effort - can motor with it about town or even long distance.
But all it takes to remember that this car has a lot of potential is to
step on it - be a lot harder on the action.
How much potential does this car has? As much as any taut Italian
coupe with a power-weight ratio of 105.8bhp/tonne (9.45kg/bhp) or
116bhp/litre, which ever way you want to look at it. It is capable of
sprinting from standstill to 100km/h in less than 5.5 seconds, and
can do a top speed of 282km/h. Yet, you get the distinct feeling that
you can motor along with it. Maybe it’s because there is no rorty
engine sound coming from right behind you. The exhaust sound, in
fact, is rather remote, the 3.2-litre V8 made ‘civilised’. Like the coupe
that it is, this car feels ‘normal’, generous outputs notwithstanding!
The beauty of having twin turbo units is that each of them can be
relatively small and therefore highly responsive. The routing of the
pipes also contribute to an almost total absence of turbo-lag. The
effect of this is a no-need-to-think manner of driving the car,
especially when things get cooking. I was soon slicing through the
three-lane traffic, able to maintain a smooth flow. It would have been
possible to do it in 4th gear all day long, so flexible is the set-up, but
as I was supposed to get a good measure of the car, I worked
through the gears. Hard acceleration was almost passe as there didn’
t seem to be any effect on the loading of the front wheels, and hence
the steering wheel; the car just ‘vroomed’ ahead, feeling completely
in control. Likewise through the turns. It was easy to switch lanes,
even when deep in sweeping bends. The steering gave a reassuring
account of what’s happening, a good reflection of how well sorted out
the chassis is.
The Maserati 3200 GT can be likened to a powerful and potent Alfa
Romeo, or an Italian version of the Jaguar. It doesn’t pretend to be
anything else, least of all a Ferrari.
The manual shift nature will put off the women drivers, for sure. Even
many male ones, those used to autodrive. There is no sequential
gearbox option so it will be either the manual or the full auto. It will be
a shame to get the 3200 GT in auto mode as the car works very well
as an enthusiast driver’s car. The optimum control of the engine to
determine the drive characteristic is quite a thrill to experience. It is
also essential in getting the car to give a good account of itself in
difficult situations. After all, it has 370bhp and a massive 494Nm of
torque on tap. mel