Maserati Spyder

When Maserati retreated from the North American marketplace a dozen years ago, it was awash in marginal products, a so-so-at-best dealer/support organization, and a well-earned reputation for lousy reliability.

Well, forget all that.

Since being acquired by Ferrari in 1998, this legendary Italian carmaker has been turned upside down and inside out. The truly good stuff was wisely and sensitively retained; the rest was tossed in a dumpster somewhere on the outskirts of Modena. There's been substantial plant and equipment investment (see sidebar) in the name of vehicle quality and an ambitious growth plan. A successful return to the U.S. is an important element in the marque's future. And the car charged with leading that comeback is the Maserati Spyder.

If you've seen the current 3200 GT coupe (never officially imported here), you might recognize some of the Spyder's front-end styling. But with that exception, this is an all-new car. It rides on a fresh platform, packs a new-from-the-crank-up powerplant, and its equipment/feature/technology content level goes far beyond that of any previous Maser.

The Spyder's striking shape is the work of ItalDesign Giugiaro, and it's good to see this famous Turinese design house's name back on a production Maserati; 35 years ago, Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the seminally beautiful Ghibli. At 169.4 in. long atop a 96.1-in. wheelbase, the pure two-seater Spyder is about the same size as a Porsche Boxster.

Rumor held that these new-generation Masers would be powered by an update of the old twin-turbo V-8 or a revised, rebadged version of the Ferrari 360 Modena's 3.6L engine. Both proved false, as the Spyder's 4.2L naturally aspirated DOHC V-8 is a clean-sheet piece of work. And a thoroughly modern one it is, employing drive-by-wire throttle control, dry-sump oiling, and full OBD II emissions and service compliance. Much of the engine management hardware, and an innovative oil/water heat exchanger, sits beneath the beautifully cast intake runners. The result is an impressive 385 hp and 333 maximum lb-ft of torque at 4500 revs.

Two equally new transmission choices are offered: a conventional six-speed manual or an F1 paddle-shifter-style electrohydraulically managed six-speed called Cambiocorsa (loosely translated Italian for "racing change"). Both trannys are mounted at the rear axle, which improves front-to-rear weight distribution by 2 percent over the 3200 GT. The Magnetti-Marelli-developed Cambiocorsa system has no clutch pedal and offers a choice of several shift modes: standard paddle-actuated manual, Sport mode (quicker, firmer shifts at higher rpm), Winter/Ice, and a fully automatic mode that shifts up and down much like a conventional auto trans. Flick the paddle on the right side of the steering column for upshifts, the left side for changing down.

Maserati calls its optional active damping system Skyhook. While it takes too long to explain the name, here's the deal: Vehicle attitude is gathered from several sources including six vertical and lateral body-motion sensors, as well as throttle position, brake application, and vehicle speed (plus transmission mode on Cambiocorsa-equipped cars). An ECU then constantly adjusts shock damping values and is able to do so 40 times a second. The balance of the suspension system is composed of forged aluminum upper and lower control arms with anti-roll bars. Brembo vented disc brakes, standard ABS, stability and traction control, and power rack-and-pinion steering round out the running gear.