Maserati Spyder - Automobile Magazine
The carabinieri know an interesting car when they see one, and they haven't seen too many Maserati Spyders yet. The show starts with a display of the power-operated top, which retracts noisily and stows behind the twin roll hoops beneath a rigid cover. Maserati's existing 3200GT coupe uses a twin-turbo 3. 2-liter V-8, but the Spyder--which will lead the brand's return to the American market it abandoned in 1991--carries a new, normally aspirated, 32-valve 4. 2-liter V-8 that shares much of its... Rated at 385 horsepower, the Maserati V-8 is just 9 horsepower shy of Maranello's unit but churns out 333 pound-feet of torque against the Ferrari's 275. Performance figures for the two cars are very close, with the 360 Spider about a half-second... For 2003, however, Ferrari will launch an enhanced 360 with a 40-valve V-8 using the 4. 2-liter Maserati engine's block. At a glance, the interior of the Spyder does not much differ from the 3200GT coupe. But the convertible offers slightly more legroom, the instruments have been given a fresh look, and the center console of our test car sported a new, larger screen for the navigation system, along with the secondary controls for the six-speed... Source: www.automobilemag.com
