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Maserati
4000GT |
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 Maserati
returns to the United States next year under the wing of Ferrari North
America Inc. The first cars to arrive will be the 3200 GT Coupe and the
3200 GT Spider, which is shown here during high-speed testing in Italy.
Both cars will be powered by a 4.0 liter V-8; they are expected to debut
in North America in January. |
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Maserati
returns, sans turbo. AutoWeek - November 6, 2000 Maserati, absent from the American market for the better part of a decade, is planning its return in 2002 with the help of parent company Ferrari. The European-only 3200GT with its twin-turbo V8 will be replaced by the 4000GT with an all-new, normally aspirated 4.0-liter V8. Insiders say the engine could be unveiled as early as next year's Geneva motor show in a drop-top version of the 3200GT, badged the 4000 Spider. Midway through next year, it will then be installed in this mildly facelifted 4000GT. Developed
in-house with input from Ferrari, the engine is earmarked for a
Pininfarina-designed successor to the four-door Quattroporte that's due to
go on sale in 2003. There are also whispers of the engine being adapted to
a transverse application for the next big Lancia. Ferrari, which took control of ailing Maserati in mid-1997, expects sales of the illustrious Italian sports car maker to hit 10,000 per year by 2005, via a three-model lineup consisting of GT, Spider and Quattroporte.
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 Maserati
won't bring its twin-turbo powerplant to the United States in the 4000GT,
primarily due to tight emissions standards in the Untied States. Sources
indicate the new engine is far more user-friendly at low rpm and has the
ability to rev much harder than the existing unit. |
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