The Maserati Spyder Motor Car
The Maserati Spyder was introduced at the Turin Motor Show in November 1984, three years after the Biturbo on which it was based. The engines were the same 2.0 litre unit for the home market and 2,5 litre for exportation as already found on the Biturbo. Among the 3,793 buyers of all the Spyder versions we find four-time F1 champion Alain Prost and Sir Elton John, as well as Mrs. Ursula Piech whose husband headed Audi at the time.
One of the most attractive features of the Spyder is that it’s a convertible. From the push of a button the top slides into an area located at the front of the trunk. The fit is flush with the rest of trunk which keeps the lines of car aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
As this automobile is built for speed, each seat offers a roll bar for safety i.e. there is a hoop at the back of the seat. This car weighs less than 4000lb making it light in comparison to most of today’s vehicles in the US, but not so in Europe. A lower vehicle weight of course helps it to move faster. A Ferrari based 4244cc engine that generated 390 horse power helps took the Spyder GT to a top speed of over 170mph. Inside the car, the centre console now hosted the Maserati Info Centre, a 5.8 inch colour display which acted as a user interface for the trip computer, sound system and automatic climate control. A GPS navigation system was optional.
The six speed manual transmission can either be a GT standard type, or, it can be a CC paddle shifter type. While the GT version includes a foot clutch, the CC type is built for pure racing and is similar to the kind that the Formula 1 race cars use. The paddles are located behind the steering wheel like they are in racing cars.
Safety is always a concern for automobile manufacturers and Maserati is no different. There are seatbelt pre-tensioners and air bags on each side. Maserati have invented the Maserati Stability Program. This system provides traction control which includes the anti-slip system, the motor spin system, the electronic brake force distribution, and an anti-lock braking system. In all, these systems help to keep the car under control in an emergency and you safe.
A number of options are offered with this model, from hands free phone to xenon headlights. There is also parking sensors that enable the driver to know when they are too close to another object. Extremely useful when you have to park your car in car parks. Other options include cruise control, CD changer, electrochomatic rear view mirror which tints automatically to prevent you from getting dazzled by the headlamps of the car behind you.