| Maserati Shamal | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Maserati |
| Production | 1990–1996 369 produced[1] |
| Assembly | Italy:Modena |
| Designer | Marcello Gandini |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Grand tourer (S) |
| Body style | 2-door2+2coupé |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.2 LAM 479twin-turbochargedV8 |
| Transmission | 6-speedGetrag 560Gmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Length | 4,100 mm (161.4 in) |
| Width | 1,850 mm (72.8 in) |
| Height | 1,300 mm (51.2 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,417 kg (3,124 lb) (dry) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Maserati Khamsin |
| Successor | Maserati 3200 GT |
TheMaserati Shamal (Tipo AM339)[2] is a two-doorgrand touringcoupé produced by Italian automobile manufacturerMaserati from 1990 to 1996. In keeping with an established Maserati tradition, it is named after awind:shamal (Arabic for ‘north’), a hot summer wind that blows in large areas ofMesopotamia, particularly in the large plain between theTigris andEuphrates.[3]
With its newly developed twin-turbochargedV8, the Shamal was Maserati's flagship grand tourer, topping the lineup of V6-enginedBiturbo coupés in both performance and price (at 125 millionLire).[4]
The Shamal was introduced on 14 December 1989 inModena, whenMaserati president and ownerAlejandro de Tomaso showed it to the press.[5] It was the last model announced under theDe Tomaso ownership: in January 1990, half of debt-plagued Maserati was acquired byFiat S.p.A.[5] Sales began in 1990. The final year of production for the Maserati Shamal was 1996; factory figures indicate that 369 examples were produced.[6]
In 2020, Maserati revisited the Shamal with thecyberpunk-themed Project Rekallrestomod concept.[7][8]
The Shamal was designed in collaboration byMarcello Gandini and Maserati's own Styling department.[9] A debt ridden Maserati was not able to develop an entirely new car, and accordingly the Shamal shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo.[6] It sits on the shorter 2.4-meter wheelbase, as also used by the Biturbo Spyder andKarif.[6] Gandini's styling signature is visible in the slanted profile of the rear wheel arch, also present on theQuattroporte IV and first seen on theLamborghini Countach. An unusual design element introduced by Gandini on the Shamal was the additional spoiler in front of the windshield, also seen on his redesign of theDeTomaso Pantera and later across the remainder of Maserati's Biturbo-based lineup. It was intended to direct the flow of air (as well as water) across the windscreen and to push the wipers down at high speeds.[10] The feature was never adapted by other automakers.
The center pillar is also an actual roll bar, not simply a styling element.[11] Finished in black, it wraps around the cabin. "Shamal" badging appears on either side of the central pillar in chrome lettering. The car came with 16-inch alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and a blacked-out grille with chrome accents, the only chrome element on the car aside from the badging.[9]
Another defining feature of the Shamal are its numerous headlamps in individual housings: outer roundCarello low beams of the then-newprojector type, inner rectangular high beams, combined turn signals andposition lamps in the bumper, and two pairs of square lights in the lower grille—fog lamps anddriving lamps.[10] This headlight design was then introduced across the rest of the updatedBiturbo range in 1991.
The two-seat interior of the Shamal features extended leather seat cushions, temperature control and the famous Maserati oval clock, which is situated in the centre of the dashboard. It continued Maserati's tradition of building cars with cheerful, well-appointed interiors, with leather or wood coverings for almost anything one would touch, such as the center console, handbrake handle, or the gear lever which is finished in burled elm.[12] While built for comfort as well as performance, the Shamal was not as luxuriously appointed as the contemporaryGhibli. The Shamal was initially only available in red or black exterior colours; other colours became available later in the production run.[6]
The Shamal used a traditionalfront-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and an all-steelunibody construction. Suspension was byMacPherson struts upfront andsemi-trailing arms at the rear. All cars were equipped with an adaptive suspension developed by Maserati together withKoni. The system varied thedamping rates, based on road conditions and the level of comfort desired. Mechanically, the Shamal was unusual in that its engine could be removed without a lift. It is mounted on a subframe (which also holds the intercoolers and the radiator) which can be slipped out the front once the front bumper has been removed.[10]
The Shamal was powered by anAM 479 3,217 cc (3.2 L) (bore and stroke 80 mm or 3.1 in)V8 engine, withtwo overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, andfour valves per cylinder. It was essentially the existing Biturbo V6 with an extra bank of cylinders added.[6] It was twin-turbocharged with twoIHI turbines andintercoolers, and equipped with aMarelli IAW integrated electronic ignition and fuel injectionECU per cylinder bank.[5] The engine put out 326 PS (240 kW; 322 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 431 N⋅m (318 lb⋅ft) at 3,000 rpm.[5] Power was sent to the rear wheels through a six-speedGetrag G560 manual transmission and Maserati'sRangerlimited-slip differential.[5] The transmission was the same as BMW installed in their850CSi of the same era.[6]
The manufacturer claimed a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) acceleration time of 5.3 seconds.[5][4]
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