When Lamborghini started producing the Miura, it
was only a matter of time manufacturers like Maserati
followed suit.
The result was the
1971 Bora. Styled by Italdesign it
was elegant but perhaps lacking a little animal beauty
possessed by the Ghibli and Miura.
It was incredibly
fast, with its 4.7-litre V8 engine it could top 281
km/h.
Its ride was quiet and it also offered some of Citroen's
complex hydraulics, like sharp brakes, power-adjustable
pedals, seats and steering column.
In
1972 Maserati
produced the Merak and from the front it was almost
impossible to detect any difference between it and the
Bora.
Its engine was one difference, however, as the Merak
used a 3-litre V6, a much shorter engine allowing two
rear seats to be used.
It handled well but apparently lacked a little bit of
guts. Maserati answered this issue with the 1975 SS
model in which power increased for 190 bhp to 220 bhp.
The Bora stopped being made in
1980 with the Merak following
one year later.
