Italian sports car class GT Maserati Ghibli debuted in 1966 at the Turin auto show. The Ghibli I generation had two body modifications: a coupe and a “spider” (convertible). In those years, it was the most popular Maserati model, competing with such giants as Ferrari Daytona and Lamborghini Miura. The serial production of the 2-door 2-seater coupe began in 1967. The body was all-metal with the famous low shark-shaped front part, headlights - pop-up. Ghibli was designed by the famous designer, owner of ItalDesign, Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Installed on the car petrol engines V8 4.7 liters and 4.9 liters (335 hp; since 1970). The power of the first motor was 330 hp, acceleration to 100 km / h took 6.9 seconds, and the maximum speed was 248 km / h. The power units were paired with a 5-speed manual or with a 3-speed automatic transmission. The Ghibli I was equipped with two fuel tanks, sport leather seats and alloy wheels. In 1969, a version in the body of a cabriolet was launched, or, as the Italian automakers call it, the spider. This modification was relatively rare due to a minor release: on the 10 Ghibli I coupe there was one spider. The successor to Ghibli I was the Khamsin model, jointly developed with Bertone.
The next generation Maserati Ghibli saw the light after almost twenty years: in 1992. The 2-door 4-seater coupe had an external resemblance to another model of this company - Shamal. Sales were not as good as originally thought. In 1993, Maserati joined the Fiat Group, and the following year the car was modernized.
The interior was updated, new wheels were installed, and the suspension became electronically adjustable. Ghibli II was created based on the needs of the modern driver of a sports car, who craves not only speed, but also a comfortable ride. A particularly successful discovery of designers was the exterior of the car, combining the exquisite style inherent in the Maserati brand, and excellent aerodynamic qualities. The dimensions of the body were 4223/1775/1310 mm with a wheelbase of 2514 mm and a track 1520/1520 mm. The curb weight of the car is 1365 kg (with automatic transmission - 1406 kg), the maximum is 1765 kg.
The luggage compartment - 420 l. The interior is equally stylish and exceptionally comfortable: Connolly high-quality leather upholstery, mahogany inserts, automatic ventilation and air conditioning, a three-way adjustable steering wheel, electric side mirrors, power windows, two-way adjustable front seats and much more. A special feature of the Ghibli II was a particularly durable floor tray that increased traffic safety. Passive safety was also provided by airbags, central door locking and 3-point safety belts for front and rear passengers.
The Ghibli II began installing new V6 24V Biturbo engines with twin-turbocharged engines of 1.996 liters (for the European market) and 2.8 liters (for America). These engines had 2 upper camshafts for each row of cylinders, a light alloy crankcase, electronically controlled fuel injection and were positioned longitudinally in front. A car with a 2-liter power unit (280 hp) accelerated to "hundreds" in 5.7 seconds and had a maximum speed of 249 km / h. The average consumption of petrol AI-95 was 12.7 - 12.9 liters per 100 km. The engines were aggregated with a 5- or 6-speed manual or with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
On the Ghibli II, a fully independent suspension was installed with electronic control of four driving modes. The front consisted of racks MacPherson and anti-roll bar; the rear had dual telescopic shock absorbers. Braking performance Ghibli provided independent hydraulic actuators with servomotor, as well as ABS, used on front and rear ventilated brake discs. The standard tire size is 205/50 R17.
Production of the Ghibli II was completed in 1997, with the Maserati 3200 GT becoming its successor. In 2013, after a long break, the Ghibli model returned to the conveyor in the form of a sports four-door sedan. The world premiere took place at the Shanghai Motorshow. Special attention should be paid to the fact that the third generation Ghibli became the first car of the Maserati company, which received a diesel engine. The model is built on a modernized platform Quattroporte.
Body dimensions: 4971 mm in length (which is 290 mm less than that of the Quattroporte), 1945 mm (with mirrors 2100 mm) in width, 1461 mm in height, 1635 mm front wheel track, 1653 mm rear wheel track. The wheelbase has been reduced by 200 mm to 2998 mm compared to the Quattroporte. Ghibli was created according to the classic for a sports car patterns, but interspersed with modern trends in aerodynamics and automotive fashion. The spirit of family design is present in every element of the body. The front part has received compact headlamps with a combined filling (active bi-xenon and daytime running LEDs).
The shark of the false radiator grille with the company logo in the form of a trident harmoniously located on a neat bumper, complemented by a bottom duct. The forward bonding and the powerful profile of the wheel arches eloquently hint at the phenomenal speed and dynamic characteristics of the sedan. A long bonnet, front fenders with ventilation gills, a windshield frame heavily heaped back, a thin line of a roof dome supported by thin front and powerful rear racks, a compact and at the same time lush feed - all exterior lines are harmoniously interconnected.
The doors of the back row with an ascending sill line and a complex configuration of the door opening look especially original and interesting. The side surfaces are decorated with stampings and blooms that visually expand the car and additionally create downforce and provide a coefficient of aerodynamic resistance to air at 0.31 Cx. The back of the body is adorned with the headlights of the overall lighting with fashionable LED fillings, a compact trunk lid with a high vertical part, a stylish bumper with harmoniously-written vertical edges emphasizing the ceiling lamps and a pair of bifurcated nozzles of the exhaust system.
When ordering a car, you can choose the color of enamel from fourteen different options ranging from basic Bianco (white), Nero (black) and ending with special Rosso Energia (racing red) and Azzuro Allegria. The sedan body is made with the wide use of durable and high-strength steel, aluminum (doors and hood). Depending on the installed engine and drive type, the curb weight of the sedan ranges from 1810 kg to 1870 kg, with an ideal 50:50 axle weighting. Maserati offers its customers a wide range of personalized interior decoration options. Potential owners can choose from six interior colors and 19 combinations of interior trim.
Natural high-quality leather is actively used in the decoration, it can be fitted not only with chairs of the first and second row, but also if the client wishes, door cards, the upper part of the dashboard and all surfaces visible to the eye. Wood, aluminum or carbon are used as decorative inserts. A stylish instrument panel with two deep wells of a speedometer and a tachometer is complemented by a 7-inch color multifunctional TFT display. The devices are perfectly readable in any light, provide a full amount of information and settings with the functions of the car.
A multifunctional steering wheel with three spokes and pronounced tides in the area of the correct grip with a wide range of adjustments in height and depth. The driver and front passenger seats are comfortable, cozy, comfortable with pronounced lateral support. The luggage compartment is 500 liters.
The engines are developed by Maserati with Ferrari. By the way, they are going to the factory of the Italian brand in Maranello. In the line of gasoline units - two three-liter "turbosterski". The base version develops 330 horsepower and allows the sedan to accelerate to "hundreds" in 5.6 seconds. Power top motor - 410 horsepower. With him, Maserati Ghibli reaches "hundreds" in five seconds.
Maximum speed - 285 kilometers per hour. The three-liter six-cylinder turbodiesel develops 275 hp From zero to "hundreds" of such a sedan accelerates in 6.3 seconds. Average fuel consumption - 6.3 liters per hundred kilometers. According to representatives of the company Maserati, the sound of a diesel engine is almost no different from the petrol options, thanks to a specially tuned exhaust system, the Active Sound System, and resonators in the silencers and exhaust pipes. As a transmission, only an eight-stage ZF “automatic machine” with five modes of operation is proposed - Auto Normal, Auto Sport, Manual Normal, Manual Sport and ICE (Increased Control and Efficiency).
In the European market, Ghibli will be available with both rear and all-wheel drive. The system of a full drive in normal driving conditions transmits one hundred percent of the torque to the rear wheels, but if necessary it can be redistributed along axes in a ratio of 50:50 within 150 milliseconds. This transmission is only available with a top gasoline engine. In addition, on all versions of Ghibli, the rear mechanical differential of increased friction is already installed in the base configuration.
The top Ghibli also got Brembo six-piston brakes with 360-mm discs on the front axle and four-piston brakes with 350-mm discs on the rear. At a full stop from 100 kilometers per hour the sedan will need 36 meters. In standard equipment, all Ghibli have 18-inch wheels.
For a surcharge, wheels are available in sizes from 19 to 21 inches. Sales Ghibli started in the fall of 2013.
