Maserati Ghibli
Encyclopedia
The Maserati Ghibli is a Gran Turismo
car produced by Italian
manufacturer Maserati
in two generations: first from 1966–73, and again as the Maserati Ghibli II from 1992–97.
released by Maserati in 1967. The V8
-powered Ghibli debuted at the 1966 Turin Motor Show and proved to be the most popular Maserati vehicle since the automaker withdrew from racing in the 1950s, outselling its two biggest rivals, the Ferrari Daytona
and the Lamborghini Miura
. So well regarded was the Ghibli Sports Car International
named it number nine on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.
The Ghibli's steel body, renowned for its low, shark-shaped nose, was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
. Giugiaro, who today heads his own company ItalDesign, worked at coachbuilder Ghia when he designed the Ghibli.
The car was powered by a front-placed quad-cam 330 hp V8 engine. It had a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds, had a top speed of 154 mi/h and could be operated by either a five-speed manual
or three-speed automatic transmission
. Even by the standards of its time and class, the car consumed copious volumes of fuel, but Maserati fitted the car with two 50 l (13.2 US gal; 11 imp gal) fuel tanks, which could be filled via flaps on either side of the roof pillars. The car also featured pop-up headlamps, leather sport seats and alloy wheels.
The convertible
Ghibli Spyder went into production in 1969. The Spyders were relatively rare, and were outnumbered by the coupés by almost ten to one. The slightly more powerful Ghibli SS (335 hp) was released in 1970. The Ghibli went out of production in 1973 and found a successor the following year with the Bertone-designed Khamsin
.
In all, 1149 Coupes, 125 Spyders and 25 Spyder SS models were produced.
engines: a 2.0 litre V6
, with the highest output, for the Italian and European markets and a 2.8 litre V6 for other countries, operated via a six-speed manual transmission (early 2.8 cars have a 5 speed manual) or 4 speed automatic. The two-door, four-seater coupé was similar in appearance to Maserati Shamal
, as both were an evolution of the previous Biturbo coupe. The Ghibli shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo.
In 1994, the car was revised. A refreshed interior, new wheels, a fully adjustable electronic suspension
and ABS
brakes were added. Another round of improvements resulted in the Ghibli GT in 1996. It was fitted with spoked alloy 17" wheels, and had suspension and transmission modifications.
The coupe was built for luxury as well as performance. The car featured a Connolly Leather
interior with burl elm
trim.
Both engine versions of Ghibli II has a top speed of 155.4 mi/h and a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 5.7 seconds.
The final year of production for the Ghibli II was 1997. It was replaced in the Maserati lineup by the 3200 GT
the following year.
Several special edition models were produced by Maserati. The first was the Ghibli KS (Kit Sportivo), followed by the race version Ghibli Open Cup which featured improved power through roller-bearing turbos, a freer-flowing exhaust, and remapped fuel computers. The Cup also featured a toned-down carbon fiber
-trimmed interior with aluminum pedals and a MOMO
steering wheel, and the drivetrain included tweaked suspension and Brembo
brakes. To celebrate the world speed record on water, Maserati made a further 35 special edition Ghiblis called the Ghibli Primatist, featuring bright blue paintwork and blue / turquoise leather.
At the time the Ghibli Cup had the highest ever per litre power output of any street legal car, surpassing the Bugatti EB110
, Ferrari F40
and Jaguar XJ220
.
The racing version Ghibli Open Cup is highly sought after by collectors today. In 1996, the car received a modification upgrade, resulting in similar track times to those of the Ferrari 355 Challenge
. After the end of the 1995 racing season, several of the original 23 cars were used in national GT events.
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
car produced by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
manufacturer Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
in two generations: first from 1966–73, and again as the Maserati Ghibli II from 1992–97.
Ghibli I
The original Maserati Ghibli is a two-door, two-seater GTGrand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
released by Maserati in 1967. The V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
-powered Ghibli debuted at the 1966 Turin Motor Show and proved to be the most popular Maserati vehicle since the automaker withdrew from racing in the 1950s, outselling its two biggest rivals, the Ferrari Daytona
Ferrari Daytona
The Ferrari 365 GTB/4, better known by the unofficial name Ferrari Daytona, is a Gran Turismo automobile produced from 1968 to 1973. It was first introduced to the public at the Paris Auto Salon in 1968 and replaced the 275 GTB/4...
and the Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
. So well regarded was the Ghibli Sports Car International
Sports Car International
Sports Car International was an automobile magazine in the United States published by Ross Periodicals Inc. that was focused on sports cars. The magazine was published from 1986 to 2008. Its business offices were located in Novato, California....
named it number nine on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.
The Ghibli's steel body, renowned for its low, shark-shaped nose, was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
. Giugiaro, who today heads his own company ItalDesign, worked at coachbuilder Ghia when he designed the Ghibli.
The car was powered by a front-placed quad-cam 330 hp V8 engine. It had a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds, had a top speed of 154 mi/h and could be operated by either a five-speed manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
or three-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. Even by the standards of its time and class, the car consumed copious volumes of fuel, but Maserati fitted the car with two 50 l (13.2 US gal; 11 imp gal) fuel tanks, which could be filled via flaps on either side of the roof pillars. The car also featured pop-up headlamps, leather sport seats and alloy wheels.
The convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
Ghibli Spyder went into production in 1969. The Spyders were relatively rare, and were outnumbered by the coupés by almost ten to one. The slightly more powerful Ghibli SS (335 hp) was released in 1970. The Ghibli went out of production in 1973 and found a successor the following year with the Bertone-designed Khamsin
Maserati Khamsin
The Maserati Khamsin was a sports car introduced as a Bertone prototype in 1972 at the Turin Auto Show. In 1973 it was put on display at the Paris Motor Show, where it was badged as a Maserati...
.
In all, 1149 Coupes, 125 Spyders and 25 Spyder SS models were produced.
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Fuel system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghibli | V8 V8 engine A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft.... dohc |
4719 cc | 340 PS | 4 pcs Weber Weber Weber is a surname of German origin, derived from the noun meaning "weaver". In some cases, following migration to English-speaking countries, it has been anglicised to the English surname 'Webber' or even 'Weaver'.Notable people with the surname include:... 38DCNL carburetor Carburetor A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom.... |
| Ghibli SS | V8 dohc | 4930 cc | 355 PS | 4 pcs Weber 38DCNL carburetor |
Ghibli II
The Ghibli name was resurrected in 1992 with the release of the Maserati Ghibli II. The Ghibli II appeared with updated Maserati BiturboMaserati Biturbo
The Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
engines: a 2.0 litre V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
, with the highest output, for the Italian and European markets and a 2.8 litre V6 for other countries, operated via a six-speed manual transmission (early 2.8 cars have a 5 speed manual) or 4 speed automatic. The two-door, four-seater coupé was similar in appearance to Maserati Shamal
Maserati Shamal
The Maserati Shamal is a compact, two-door coupé introduced by Italian automaker Maserati on December 17, 1989. It is named after shamal, a hot summer wind that blows in large areas of Mesopotamia. The Shamal was designed by Marcello Gandini, who is famous for designing the Lamborghini Countach and...
, as both were an evolution of the previous Biturbo coupe. The Ghibli shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo.
In 1994, the car was revised. A refreshed interior, new wheels, a fully adjustable electronic suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
and ABS
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
brakes were added. Another round of improvements resulted in the Ghibli GT in 1996. It was fitted with spoked alloy 17" wheels, and had suspension and transmission modifications.
The coupe was built for luxury as well as performance. The car featured a Connolly Leather
Connolly Leather
Connolly Leather was for over 125 years, a British company supplying highly finished leather primarily to car manufacturers. The term is also used to describe the particular brand of leather itself, when fitted in a car interior....
interior with burl elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
trim.
Both engine versions of Ghibli II has a top speed of 155.4 mi/h and a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 5.7 seconds.
The final year of production for the Ghibli II was 1997. It was replaced in the Maserati lineup by the 3200 GT
Maserati 3200 GT
The Maserati 3200 GT is an automobile produced by Maserati from 1998 to 2001. The luxury coupé was styled by Italdesign, whose founder and head Giorgetto Giugiaro previously designed, among others, the Ghibli, Bora and Merak....
the following year.
Several special edition models were produced by Maserati. The first was the Ghibli KS (Kit Sportivo), followed by the race version Ghibli Open Cup which featured improved power through roller-bearing turbos, a freer-flowing exhaust, and remapped fuel computers. The Cup also featured a toned-down carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
-trimmed interior with aluminum pedals and a MOMO
MOMO (company)
MOMO Srl is a design company headquartered in Milan, Italy that makes accessories and parts for automobiles.- Company history :MOMO was founded by gentleman racer Giampiero Moretti in the 1960s. MOMO are the initials for Moretti-Monza. Monza is a region in the Province of Milan.In 1969 MOMO opened...
steering wheel, and the drivetrain included tweaked suspension and Brembo
Brembo
Brembo S.p.A. is a manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. It was established in Bergamo, Italy in 1961. Soon after the company was formed, it specialised in disc brakes, which were exclusively imported from the United Kingdom at the time...
brakes. To celebrate the world speed record on water, Maserati made a further 35 special edition Ghiblis called the Ghibli Primatist, featuring bright blue paintwork and blue / turquoise leather.
At the time the Ghibli Cup had the highest ever per litre power output of any street legal car, surpassing the Bugatti EB110
Bugatti EB110
The Bugatti EB110 is a mid-engine sports car from Bugatti Automobili SpA. It was unveiled on September 15, 1991, in both Versailles and in front of the Grande Arche at La Défense in Paris, France, exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti's birth....
, Ferrari F40
Ferrari F40
The Ferrari F40 is a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door coupé sports car produced by Ferrari from 1987 to 1992 as the successor to the Ferrari 288 GTO. From 1987 to 1989 it was Ferrari's fastest, most powerful, and most expensive car...
and Jaguar XJ220
Jaguar XJ220
The Jaguar XJ220 is a mid-engined supercar produced by Jaguar in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing as Jaguar Sport between 1992 and 1994. It held the record for the highest top speed of a production car , until the arrival of the McLaren F1 in 1994...
.
The racing version Ghibli Open Cup is highly sought after by collectors today. In 1996, the car received a modification upgrade, resulting in similar track times to those of the Ferrari 355 Challenge
Ferrari F355
The Ferrari F355 is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat coupe...
. After the end of the 1995 racing season, several of the original 23 cars were used in national GT events.
| Model | Years | Engine | Displacement | Power | Fuel system | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghibli II 2.0 | 1992-97 | V6 V6 engine A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft... DOHC |
1996 cc | 310 PS | Fuel injection Fuel injection Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s.... , twin turbo Turbocharger A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance... |
Only Italy and Europe |
| Ghibli II 2.8 | 1993-97 | V6 DOHC | 2790 cc | 288 PS | Fuel injection, twin turbo | |
| Ghibli II Cup | 1995 | V6 DOHC | 1996 cc | 335 PS | Fuel injection, twin turbo | |
| Ghibli II Primatist | 1996-97 | V6 DOHC | 1996 cc | 310 PS | Fuel injection, twin turbo |