Maserati Merak

Maserati Merak

Manufacturer	Maserati
Production	1972-1982
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupe
Layout	MR layout
Engine	3.0 L V6 2.0 L V6
Wheelbase	2600 mm (102.4 in)
Length	4330 mm (170.5 in)
Width	1770 mm (69.7 in)
Height	1130 mm (44.5 in)
Curb weight	1,420 kg (3,131 lb)[1](dry)
Related	Maserati Bora Citroën SM
Designer	Giorgetto Giugiaro

The Maserati Merak was an Italian sports car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor (also shared with the Citroen SM) for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to lower weight and a better front/rear weight distribution.

Aesthetically, the Merak differed from the otherwise very similar Bora mainly in sporting open flying buttresses instead of the Bora's fully glassed rear, and the use of the Citroen SM dashboard on models produced before 1976.

The Merak went out of production in 1982.

History

Citroën era Merak

The first Merak was designed during the Citroën ownership of Maserati (1968–1975). It featured a 3.0 L (180 cu in) Maserati V6 engine with 190 PS (140 kW; 187 hp), also used in the Citroën SM.

The mid-engine Merak used the Bora bodyshell, but with the extra space offered by the smaller engine used to carve out a second row of seats, suitable for children or very small adults.

As for the Bora, certain Citroën hydraulic systems were used in the Merak; brakes, clutch, headlight pods. The Citroën SM's dramatic dashboard was also used in early Meraks (1972 to 1975).

GEPI era Merak

In 1976 Maserati introduced the Merak SS, power was increased to 220 PS (162 kW; 217 hp) and weight was reduced by 20 kg to a dry weight of 1,400 kg (3,086 lb)^[2]. Late Merak SS were bestowed with the interior and dash of the Maserati Bora. The US-spec version of the Merak SS also saw a return to traditional hydraulics, eliminating the last of the Citroen high pressure system. Production of the SS stopped in 1982

DeTomaso era Merak

In 1977 DeTomaso purchased Maserati, and the Bora was discontinued after a production run of less than 600 cars. In 1977 DeTomaso introduced the Merak 2000 GT, with a smaller powerplant. It was built mainly for the Italian market, where a newly introduced tax law penalized cars with an engine capacity of more than 2000 cc. The Merak 2000 GT featured a 2.0 L (120 cu in)^[3] V6 with 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp). No Merak 2000 GT were imported to the United States.

Todays market

On today's market the Maserati Merak does not enjoy the same value as the V-8 Bora. Pricing on average is half the value of a Bora in similar condition. This is partly due to the cars' smaller V-6 powerplant. The Merak is also more common than the Bora, with about 1,900 manufactured over the 1972 to 1982 period.

Featured on television

On April 12, 2005, the Merak was featured in a Top Gear segment against its main competitors, namely the Ferrari Dino and Lamborghini Urraco. In the end, all three cars turned out to be unreliable and did not complete the challenges. ^[4]

Similar cars

• Lamborghini Urraco
• Ferrari 246 Dino

Sources and further reading

1. ^ "Merak specifications". http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/models/heritage/Gran-Turismo/m-merak.html. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
2. ^ "Merak SS specifications". http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/models/heritage/Gran-Turismo/m-merak-ss.html. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
3. ^ "Merak 2000 GT specifications". http://www.maserati.com/maserati/en/en/index/models/heritage/Gran-Turismo/m-merak-2000-gt.html. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
4. ^ "Top Gear - Episode Archive - Series 7". BBC. 2000-12-31. http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/episodes/series7episode4.shtml. Retrieved 2009-10-20.