1980 Maserati Merak..$39,950

I partly agree with both of you. The Merak was a GOOD car but wasn't a great car from day 1. The citroen stuff (including the entire citroen dashboard) did not make it appealing and the V6 engine while it is a nice development, it was always under powered. Even the SS is still underpowered at 220hp, when the competition produced 250 or more.

About comfort and performance as a GT car (which is what the Merak is) the car is just magnificent. Last month I took another 3000km trip around northern Italy and my wife and I had a great time. The car was comfortable, easy to drive and quite nimble.

It was really fun driving a mid-engined car for such long distances. It was even more fun when I drove a bit more spirited at the mountain roads.

An amazing feeling driving the last mid-engined Maserati... unless you count the Enzo... err sorry I mean the MC12

 

What a crazy idea for a project! Just buy a nice 355, much cheaper and a better all around car. It should be, it's twenty years newer.

This Merak is probably lost forever though.

 

The delicate and graceful line of the original design are completely lost.
It looks like it should have at least 450HP and without that it's just a pathetic pretender.

 

Merak power figures...

This is an old thread on here suggesting power figures can impress even if they don't tell the whole story...

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232460

 

A pathetic... pretender!
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Well, you could always pick up 2005 C6 Z06 , 505 horses, carbon fiber/fiberglass body, 6 speed manual, 3100 lbs, hand built engine, magnetic ride control, and that is in stock form. Did I mention dry sump, titanium rods, and magnesium engine caradle? Easy to bump up another 50 horses. For speed not too much could keep up with that.

Then there is a nice 2005 SL55 AMG I've been eyeing with some strong numbers as well.

Both are only 7 years old, maybe just get both .

Ah yes, the Merak it's a keeper. Italian art on 4 wheels.

Ciao,
George

 

That one is no longer good art so if it's macho and raw performance you want as you say, one can do a lot better for less money than it would cost to "fix" that "gem".

Alas, the Corvette at least still feels like a Corvette. But speed it has in basket loads.

 

George,
that Merak is like the Mona Lisa with lipgloss.

This pimped car is no art anymore....

 

I think George was talking about his own Merak (the Neptune), that is a keeper and not the grotesque Frankenstein in the pictures.

 

i like the yellow but what's up with the sun roof? is it to commint suicide by driving in a very low tunnel and sticking your head out? and boy is the US exhaust valance ugly compared to the euro model! that make the car looks like it has eaten too many burgers

 

The sun roof poses as much danger as a window. So unless you stick your head out of the window and hit a wall, another car or something, you should be fine. Same for the sun roof, just be reasonable.

Unfortunately that Merak has been butchered for the US market, like many other cars of that era, which also affects their price, a butchered US car will cost less than the EU version of the same car. Yes it is ugly, but most people convert them to EU spec.

Also, the butchery is not only cosmetic, because the exhaust has been altered to produce less power, in order to pass stricter emissions restrictions.

 

It's a very similar modification to that which was done to the Bora. The extra reinforcement and mounting for the bumper dictated that the rear looked different. It had nothing to do with the exhaust. Once that was done the exhaust had to be configured differently because of a change in routing.

The later USA cars also had thermal reactors with air injection and a vacuum retard of advance on the distributors. Now that did affect performance but it was easily remedied with the appropriate changes. But you still had the bumpers to deal with.

The rear isn't so great but it's a whole lot better than a Khamsin or Espada of the same era. The front is easily made to look like just an updated version of the car. At that time no one wanted those old fashioned looking SS bumpers. Lot's of cars struggled with the bumper regulations in that era.

 

Thanks, Maserati Blue.

Yes, I'm talking about keeping my Merak and saying that Meraks are Italian art on four wheels. The modified Merak no longer counts as a Merak, too over the top. However I'm sure somebody on this planet will find it a happy home.

As for me, I bought my Merak primarily for the art.

As far as horsepower goes, lots of fun things can be done with a Z06 or an SL 55.

Ciao,
George