Maserati Merak

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Maserati
Maserati Merak red.jpg
Merak
Production period: 1972-1982
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupe
Engines:
Gasoline engines : 2.0-3.0 liters
(117-162 kW)
Length: 4343 mm
Width: 1784 mm
Height: 1149 mm
Wheelbase : 2600 mm
Empty weight : 1350-1400 kg

The Maserati Merak (internal designation: Tipo AM 122 ) is a 2 + 2-seater mid-engine sports car from the Italian car manufacturer Maserati , which was produced from 1972 to 1982. The Merak was Maserati's attempt to establish a more affordable vehicle below the brand's large eight-cylinder models. Outwardly, it was reminiscent of the high-performance Bora sports car . In technical terms, he took over many components from the Citroën SM , which were gradually replaced by his own designs over the years. A performance-enhanced version was sold as the Merak SS from 1975, an entry-level model with a 2.0 liter engine, which was primarily intended for the Italian market, appeared in 1976 as the Merak 2000 GT. The Merak is one of Maserati's longest-produced models.

background

Maserati, which was initially mainly involved in automobile racing , did not begin series production of road vehicles until 1957 - more than 40 years after it was founded. In the 1960s, Maserati's sports cars were in the upper class and competed with Ferrari and Lamborghini . Influenced by the success of the Porsche 911 , Ferrari and Lamborghini have been developing entry-level models since the late 1960s, which are sold at a lower price and are intended to appeal to a wider range of customers. After Ferrari positioned the Dino 246 in this segment in 1969 , Lamborghini announced the Urraco two years later , which ultimately went into production in 1972. Following these steps, Maserati also began planning a low-cost basic model.

For reasons of economy, the engineers combined various existing components on the small Maserati. The bodyshell and the chassis were taken from the Bora mid-engine sports car presented in 1971, whereupon the Merak also received the name “La Borina” (little Bora) in the Italian press. For the technology, however, Maserati often used parts from the French manufacturer Citroën , to which Maserati had belonged since 1967. This also included a six-cylinder engine developed for Citroën.

The Merak was presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1972 ; Series production began a little later. At that time, the Merak competed with Lamborghini's Urraco, the Dino 308 GT 4 and its successor, the 308 GTB . With the takeover of Maserati by Alejandro de Tomaso in 1975, further engine variants appeared for the Merak. In addition, the car was gradually revised with the aim of replacing the Citroën components with their own parts. The Merak remained in the Maserati range until 1983, longer than any other model of the Citroën era.

nomenclature

Unlike previous models, the little Maserati was not named after a wind. Rather, it was named after Merak , a star in the constellation Great Bear .

Model description

The responsible designer of the Maserati Merak was Giulio Alfieri , who had designed all Maserati's road sports cars since 1953 and was also involved in the development of the Citroën SM engine. Alfieri, however, only directed the construction of the basic model. He was no longer responsible for the engine variants and technical revisions that appeared from 1975, as Alejandro de Tomaso fired him immediately after the takeover of Maserati.

body

Technical basis of the Merak and identical to the passenger cell: Maserati Bora
Attached plastic struts: independent rear section of the Maserati Merak
With Alfa Romeo lights: the rear of the Merak

The Merak is a two-seat coupé that, unlike the Bora, had two additional jump seats. The structure was designed to be self-supporting , with a subframe mounted under the engine. Conceptually, this structure followed the Maserati Bora, but the subframe of the Merak was designed more simply.

The body was designed by Giorgio Giugiaro . In the area of ​​the front end, including the passenger compartment, it corresponded to that of the Maserati Bora, which had also been designed by Giugiaro. The rear section, however, was independent. Over the engine was a horizontally arranged hood with numerous air slots. Two inclined, non-glazed struts connected the rear edge of the roof with the rear end. The struts were made of plastic and could be removed for easier access to the engine and transmission. Lancia later took up this solution for the Montecarlo , but the space between the struts and the rear fenders was glazed. The rear view of the Merak again corresponded to the Bora; Maserati also used the rear lights of the Alfa Romeo 1750 here . Unlike the Bora, the roof of the Merak was painted in the same color as the car and not made of stainless steel.

Engine and power transmission

The engine of the Merak had the internal designation Tipo C.114 . In its basic design, it corresponded to the engine that Maserati had designed for the Citroën SM in the late 1960s. It was a six-cylinder V-engine with a bank angle of 90 degrees and two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank. Giulio Alfieri increased the bore to 91.6 mm with unchanged stroke (75 mm), so that the displacement rose to 2965 cm³. The mixture preparation took three downdraft - double carburetor of Weber (type 42DCNF). The engine initially developed 190 hp (140 kW) at 6000 revolutions per minute. This enabled the car to reach a top speed of 235 km / h. In 1975, after Alejandro de Tomaso took over the company, the Merak SS appeared with a more powerful three-liter engine, which initially developed 220 hp (162 kW) and later 208 hp (153 kW). The manual five-speed gearbox came from Citroën.

In contrast to the models of the competition - Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari Dino 308 GT - the engine-transmission unit was not installed transversely, but lengthways. It was rotated 180 degrees compared to the Citroën SM.

landing gear

The chassis of the Merak largely corresponded to that of the Bora. The dimensions were unchanged; the wheelbase of 2600 mm was also adopted. From the point of view of some observers, it was responsible for the limited maneuverability of the car. All four wheels were hung independently . Front and rear there were double wishbone axles with arms of different lengths, coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers . Disc brakes were installed on all four wheels .

Citroën components

Technology donor: Citroën SM

Aside from the engine and transmission, the Merak in its first version had numerous other components from Citroën:

  • The disc brakes were operated by high-pressure hydraulics that had been adopted from the Citroën SM without any changes. It also operates the pop-up headlights.
  • The dashboard, oval instruments and single-spoke steering wheel were identical to those of the Citroën SM. However, this only affected the left-hand drive versions. Right-hand drive vehicles have had the Bora dashboard from the start.
  • Attachments such as door handles and rearview mirrors also came from Citroën.

With the takeover of Maserati by Alejandro de Tomaso, a gradual separation from Citroën began. In 1975 a new, angular dashboard appeared, which in turn was reserved for the left-hand drive versions. In the following year, a five-speed transmission from ZF replaced the previous Citroën design, and in 1980 the high-pressure hydraulics for the braking system were omitted.

Versions

Merak

The basic version was the Merak, produced from 1972 to 1975, with the 3.0 liter, 190 hp (140 kW) six-cylinder V-engine.

Merak SS

With front spoiler and ventilation openings: Merak SS

The Merak SS was the first evolution of the original concept. It appeared in the spring of 1975. The SS had a more powerful engine, the output of which was initially 220 hp (162 kW). The increase in performance was achieved by increasing the compression to 9.1: 1, by using larger Weber carburettors (type 44 DCNF) and by redesigning the intake tract and larger valves. The top speed of the Merak SS increased by 10 to 245 km / h compared to the first version. In the 1979 model year, the SS engine output dropped to 208 hp (153 kW).

From the outside, the SS could be recognized by an additional, black-painted ventilation opening that reached across the trunk lid. Also new was a black painted spoiler under the front fairing. In the Merak SS, an independent instrument panel was finally used for the first time.

With 993 copies, the SS is the most frequently produced version of the Merak.

Merak Tipo 80

From 1980 in the Merak Tipo 80: instrument panel of the Maserati Bora

For the 1980 model year, the last and fastest model variant of the Merak, the Merak SS Tipo 80, was presented. In this Merak, the high-pressure hydraulics for the braking system, which Citroën took over, were omitted; it was replaced by a conventional brake system in which the brake discs were installed on the wheel carrier and not on the differential as before. The European version of the Tipo 80 engine develops 220 hp (162 kW) at 6500 rpm, and the vehicle allegedly reached a top speed of 245 km / h. Outwardly, this model was indistinguishable from normal SS variants; In the interior, however, the dashboard and center console of the Maserati Bora have now also been installed in the left-hand drive models. A total of 65 specimens of the Merak SS Tipo 80 were made.

Merak 2000 GT

Maserati Merak 2000 GT

In 1974 Lamborghini developed a 2.0-liter version of the Urraco with a view to Italian tax legislation, which imposed a sales tax of 38 percent on automobiles with a cubic capacity of 2000 cc and more , while vehicles with a smaller cubic capacity were only taxed at 19 percent , which Ferrari added the Dino 208 GT 4 a year later . Maserati responded with the Merak 2000 GT, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1976 .

The engine of the Merak 2000 GT was a modification of the six-cylinder used in the original model. Bore and stroke have been reduced equally. They were now 80 × 66.3 mm; this resulted in a total displacement of 1999.5 cm³. The mixture preparation was done by three downdraft twin carburettors (Weber 44DCNF). The engine output was initially 170 hp (125 kW); later it was reduced to 159 hp (117 kW). The maximum performance was achieved at 7000 revolutions per minute. In the more powerful version, the Merak 2000 GT reached a top speed of 220 km / h; the reduced-power version, on the other hand, "had problems exceeding 200 km / h".

Externally, the Merak 2000 GT only differed from the larger 3.0-liter version in the changes in details. The front radiator opening and the bumpers were not chrome-plated, but painted matt black. What was particularly striking was a black accent stripe that ran along the sides of the car from the front to the rear. The dashboard of the Merak 2000 GT combined different elements. The angular instrument panel corresponded to the version introduced in 1975 and used in the Merak SS, but the instruments themselves were still the oval units of the Citroën SM. The 2000 GT was initially only available in the colors light blue and gold metallic.

By 1982 Maserati built 195 copies of the Merak 2000 GT. They were primarily intended for the Italian market. However, some vehicles also made it to France and Germany. Here the Merak 2000 GT was offered at a price of 59,800 DM.

USA version

US version of the Merak with wide bumpers

The Merak was also exported to the USA ; These versions can be recognized by the larger bumpers and the side marker lights in the fenders. Some USA models also had a bulge in the bonnet. It covered a fully-fledged spare wheel, the installation of which was necessary because the factory-provided emergency wheel was not approved in the USA.

production

The body of the Merak, like that of the Bora, was made by Officine Padane in Modena . At Maserati only the engines were made.

From 1972 to 1982, all versions taken together, around 1830 copies of the Merak. 1619 vehicles were from the first Merak generation, 993 vehicles from the Merak SS and 195 from the Merak 2000. In the individual years 17 (1972), 430 (1973), 334 (1974), 102 (1975), 139 were made (1976), 142 (1977), 153 (1978), 194 (1979), 150 (1980), 101 (1981) and four vehicles (1982).

Assessments

Contemporary reviews of the Merak criticized its comparatively poor performance. The Merak is neither strong enough nor light enough for real sports purposes. The trade journal Auto motor und sport considered the value of 9.3 seconds it determined for the acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h to be "disappointing". The paper maintained this assessment five years later in a test of the Merak SS.

The Maserati Merak on the classic market

The Maserati Merak is considered a relatively problem-free classic. Many identical parts from Citroën ensure that defective parts can be replaced relatively inexpensively. In the classic market, apart from the De Tomaso derivative Kyalami , the Merak is the cheapest Maserati from the pre- biturbo era and at the same time significantly cheaper than its competitors from Ferrari and Lamborghini. The prices of the Merak only reach a third of the Bora prices. A Merak SS in excellent condition cost around 106,000 euros in 2017, a Bora in the same condition was over 300,000 euros. A Ferrari 308 GTB in the same market segment is significantly more expensive; in excellent condition, it cost 175,000 euros in 2017. A Lamborghini Urraco is twice as expensive as a Maserati Merak.

literature

  • Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 .
  • Gianni Cancellieri et al. (Ed.): Maserati. Catalog raisonné 1926–2003 . Automobilia, Milan 2003. ISBN 88-7960-151-2
  • Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1
  • Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 .
  • Anthony Pritchard: Maserati. The history of racing , Delius Klasing, Bielefeld, 1st edition 2003, ISBN 978-3-7688-2513-9
  • David Sparrow, Iain Ayre: Maserati Heritage . Osprey Classic Marques. Auckland 1995. ISBN 1-85532-441-5 .
  • Tabucchi, Maurizio: Maserati. All Grand Prix, Sports and GT vehicles from 1926 until today. Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2004. ISBN 3-89880-211-6

Web links

Commons : Maserati Merak  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 214 f.
  2. ^ Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 215.
  3. ^ A b c Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 104.
  4. a b c History and technical details of the Maserati Merak on the website www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk (accessed on April 6, 2018).
  5. Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 44.
  6. Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 53.
  7. ^ Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 105.
  8. a b c d e Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , S: 47.
  9. ^ Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 106.
  10. ^ A b Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 106.
  11. ^ A b Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 107.
  12. ^ A b Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 226 f.
  13. ^ Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , pp. 214, 226.
  14. Gianni Cancellieri et al. (Ed.): Maserati. Catalog raisonné 1926–2003 . Automobilia, Milan 2003. ISBN 88-7960-151-2 .
  15. Auto Motor und Sport, issue 14/1974.
  16. Auto Motor und Sport, issue 14/1979.
  17. Oldtimer Markt special issue 59: Classic Cars from 1920 to 1995 - Prices, p. 175.
  18. Oldtimer Markt special issue 59: Classic Cars from 1920 to 1995 - Prices, pp. 117, 164.