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.
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| Manufacturer | Maserati |
|---|---|
| Production | 1967–1973 |
| Successor | Maserati Khamsin Maserati Bora Maserati Ghibli II |
| Body style | 2-door coupé 2-door spider |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Engine | 4.7 L V8 4.9 L V8 |
| Wheelbase | 2,550 mm (100 in) |
| Length | 4,700 mm (190 in) |
| Width | 1,790 mm (70 in) |
| Height | 1,160 mm (46 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,550 kg (3,400 lb) |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia |
The original Maserati Ghibli is a two-door, two-seater GT 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 (250 kW) V8 engine. It had a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds, had a top speed of 154 mph (248 km/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; 11.0 imp gal) fuel tanks,[1] 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.
| Model | Engine | Displacement | Power | Fuel system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghibli | V8 dohc | 4719 cc | 340 PS (250 kW; 335 hp) | 4 pcs Weber 38DCNL carburetor |
| Ghibli SS | V8 dohc | 4930 cc | 355 PS (261 kW; 350 hp) | 4 pcs Weber 38DCNL carburetor |
| Manufacturer | Maserati |
|---|---|
| Production | 1992–1997 |
| Successor | Maserati 3200 GT |
| Body style | 2-door coupé |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Engine | 2.0 Twin-turbo V6 DOHC 2.8 Twin-turbo V6 DOHC |
The Ghibli name was resurrected in 1992 with the release of the Maserati Ghibli II. The Ghibli II appeared with updated Maserati Biturbo 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 mph (250.1 km/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.
| Model | Years | Engine | Displacement | Power | Fuel system | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghibli II 2.0 | 1992-97 | V6 DOHC | 1996 cc | 310 PS (228 kW; 306 hp) | Fuel injection, twin turbo | Only Italy and Europe |
| Ghibli II 2.8 | 1993-97 | V6 DOHC | 2790 cc | 288 PS (212 kW; 284 hp) | Fuel injection, twin turbo | |
| Ghibli II Cup | 1995 | V6 DOHC | 1996 cc | 335 PS (246 kW; 330 hp) | Fuel injection, twin turbo | |
| Ghibli II Primatist | 1996-97 | V6 DOHC | 1996 cc | 310 PS (228 kW; 306 hp) | Fuel injection, twin turbo |
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| Ownership | Orsi family | Citroën | De Tomaso | Fiat S.p.A. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Executive | Biturbo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Luxury | Quattroporte | QP II | QP III | QP IV | QP V | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GT | A6 | 3500 GT | Sebring | 228 | Ghibli II | 3200GT | Coupé | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5000 GT | Ghibli | Khamsin | Shamal | GranTurismo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mistral | Karif | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2+2 | Mexico | Kyalami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mid-engine | Bora | MC12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUV | Kubang | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||