2005 Maserati Spyder
Expert Review

The sexy Maserati Spyder is the first sports car sold in America by that legendary Italian automaker since its 1981 Merak SS coupe. It promises to make us forget the small, boxy, troublesome coupes, sedans and convertibles sold in the 1980s by this once-glamorous outfit.

It almost seems incredible that no Maserati sports car has been sold here for 21 years, considering that the automaker began producing cars in 1926. That was two decades before Ferrari began operations. By the 1960s a Maserati was considered a very exotic, glamorous sports car by everyone from auto buffs to "jet setters."

Colorful History
To fully appreciate the new Spyder (Italian for convertible), you should know a bit of Maserati history. It mainly concentrated on race cars until its first production road car—the 3500GT sports car—arrrived in 1957. Among many important worldwide race victories, Maserati has twice won the Indianapolis 500. Ferrari hasn't come close to winning that race.

Maserati sports cars sold in the 1960s and 1970s often were sexier than Ferraris and were bought by wealthy, glamorous folks. They included the Sebring, Mistral, Ghibili, Khamsin and Bora. A limited-production early 1960s Maserati 5000GT model was custom built for some of the world's wealthiest people, including the Shah of Persia and Aga Kahn.

Even basketball great Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain bought the 1967-73 Ghibli, which looked like a piece of exquisite sculpture. In contrast, the Spyder looks too conservative for a 176-mph Maserati. It lacks the racy appearance of the entry Ferrari 360 Modena convertible and coupe.

Daily Driver
But then, it can be argued that the new Maserati is supposed to be less racy looking than a Ferrari. It's designed to be a "daily driver"—a car that can comfortably be used regularly, like a Porsche 911. Most Ferraris never see such use.

Maserati also made the big Quattroporte sports sedan from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. It was fast, posh and exclusive, and Maserati plans to produce a new-generation Quattroporte sedan for 2004.

Tarnished Image
The Merak SS was slower than earlier Maserati sports cars. That was because it was developed when Maserati was encountering hard times.

When the first Merak arrived in 1972, the company had been sold to France's troubled Citroen by the Orsi family, which bought the outfit from the Maserati brothers in 1937. (The brothers built successful OSCA race cars after World War II.)

Citroen sold Maserati to former race driver and entrepreneur Alejandro de Tomaso in 1975, who eventually put the Maserati name on those boxy, troublesome turbocharged models that tarnished the automaker's image. Maserati finally left the U.S. market in 1990.

There was a costly 1989-91 two-seat convertible flop done by Chrysler and Maserati and sold by Chrysler dealers. Oddly called "Chrysler's TC by Maserati," it had many Chrysler parts and Chrysler and Mitsubishi engines. The poor-quality car looked like the much cheaper Chrysler LeBaron four-seat convertible and horrified fans of the racy old Maseratis.

Restoring Reputation of Old
However, the front-engine/rear-wheel-drive Spyder—and upcoming Maserati coupe—should go a long way toward restoring the automaker's shining old reputation. The fact that the car is built by Ferrari—Maserati's old archrival on the road and track—is ironic, but a good thing.

Ferrari has run the Maserati operation since 1997 because Italy's giant Fiat automaker bought both companies to keep them alive and figured that Ferrari could do the best job bringing back Maserati's glory. In fact, Maseratis will be sold by Ferrari dealers in this country.

Reassuring Warranty
Ferrari completely gutted the interior of the Maserati plant, while retaining its classic red brick exterior, to install ultramodern equipment. To further reassure buyers, the Spyder is backed by a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty.

The small Spyder is about the size of a Porsche Boxster. It has a fully automatic power top that deftly disappears into a covered compartment behind the seats. However, the top has a plastic—not glass—rear window.

Two roll bars are integrated into the chassis and there are four airbags in the rigidly constructed car.

Docile Race-Style Engine
The Spyder has a race-style 390-horsepower V8. It's docile with a wide power curve for good response at all speeds. The car hits 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and the engine just keeps pulling like a freight train at more than 100 mph.

Dismal Fuel Economy
Fuel economy is dismal: an estimated 11 mpg in the city and 17 on highways. But that's to be expected from an Italian exotic with lots of comfort and convenience equipment, expected by most American buyers of expensive sports cars. Actually, Maserati was known from the 1960s to the 1980s for building sports cars with more luxury than Ferraris.

The $87,165 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa sports car will be followed this May by an $83,315 Coupe Cambiocorsa model. Ferraris start at about $145,000.

Clutchless Manual Transmission
Roughly translated, Cambiocorsa means "race-style." It's the name of the car's 6-speed manual transmission, which has a clutch but no clutch pedal. Rather, the transmission is shifted solely with twin steering wheel paddles—one to upshift, the other to downshift—like transmissions in Formula 1 Grand Prix cars. This transmission should not be confused with the many automatic transmissions that have a manual-shift feature but no clutch.

The Cambiocorsa transmission, which is at the rear axle for better weight distribution, shifts about twice as fast as a top race driver could with a conventional manual gearbox. The unit can be used in fully automatic mode by pushing a button, although downshifts in that mode should be quicker.

Maserati Coupe GT and Spyder GT models with a regular 6-speed manual transmission and clutch pedal will cost $4,000 less than the Cambiocorsa versions, although most buyers of the new Maserati convertible and coupe are expected to opt for the Cambiocorsa unit. Ferrari has a similar transmission, and it's very popular.

Larger Coupe Coming
The four-seat coupe looks much like the Spyder because both were designed by Italy's famous Italdesign outfit. But the coupe is 8.7 inches longer and has a 104.7-inch wheelbase, compared to 96.1 inches for the Spyder. The coupe can seat four adults. Both models have so much power and comfort equipment that they weigh about 3,800 pounds.

Superb Handling
But the weight wasn't really felt much in my Spyder Cambiocorsa test car. The suspension is designed for superb handling, and an electronic traction control system is standard. Maserati also offers a $2,270 "Skyhook" adjustable damping system to improve stability.

For all its high performance, the Spyder feels as if it can be comfortably used daily. The engine is docile, and the quick steering is nicely weighted, although some may feel it has excessive power assist at high speeds. The huge brakes are very strong, and pedal feel is good. While rather firm, the ride is supple.

No Cupholders
But there are no cupholders. While this is an exotic Italian high performance sports car for serious drivers, the Spyder's designers should have known many Americans take cupholders rather seriously in a car designed to be driven on a regular basis.

Still, the Spyder has Maserati's traditional, sumptuous leather interior and numerous power assists. And there also is Maserati's classy, traditional analog dashboard clock. The bucket seats are supportive, and there is acceptable room for two tall adults—although long-legged drivers may wish their seat moved back farther.

Optional Spare Tire
The trunk has a decent amount of room for two slim golf bags, as long as a buyer doesn't order the optional spare tire. Costing $570, it's an inflatable mini-spare that comes with a jack and electric air compressor.

Otherwise, Spyder buyers get a can of what's commonly called "fix-a-flat" to seal and inflate a punctured tire. That seems like a poor solution to a flat tire. Why not offer "run-flat" tires, offered for the fast Chevrolet Corvette? Because they don't perform as well as conventional high-performance tires, a Maserati dealer spokesman said.

Still, there is good attention to detail. For instance, fluid filler areas are hidden by small removable covers to allow the engine compartment to look neat. And the engine isn't hidden by a big, unsightly plastic cover.

With such things as new manufacturing processes and good quality control, the new Maserati models should be the best ever. As with the classic old Maseratis, they should again be a good alternative to a Ferrari.