Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Style, subtle good looks, storming performance, cabin ambience, accommodation
Awkward driving position, uncertain handling and grip, unsettled ride, fiddly minor controls, Cambiocorsa demands effort to master, poor radio reception
Deeply flawed, but fast, handsome and appealing beyond its competence
The 3200 GT has powered the renaissance of Maserati over the past four years. This beautiful Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled coupe found a small but growing clientele who prefer its subtle good taste to the showy charms of a Ferrari, the vulgarity of a Porsche or the (relative) ordinariness of a Jaguar. The 3200 GT has now been re-labelled Maserati Coupe to mark a facelift that also saw it gaining a convertible sister, the Maserati Spyder (reviewed separately), and for 2003 there have been a number of detail improvements to the car, identified externally by the appearance of 'V8' badges.
The main styling difference between this model and the last is the substitution of the distinctive hockey stick-shaped rear lamps for a more conventional-looking pair, an unfortunate alteration that removes one of the most striking features of the Coupe. The cooling vents in the bonnet have also disappeared, which signals the biggest single modification - the replacement of its twin turbo 370bhp 3.2-litre V8 for a 390bhp normally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 co-developed with Ferrari. According to Maserati, this powerplant puts the Maserati right at the top of the class in terms of performance, with a top speed of 177mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of just 4.9 seconds. Almost as significant, however, is the relocation of the gearbox from behind the engine to the rear, in unit with the back axle. The resultant shift in weight distribution is intended to improve the car's handling balance. There are numerous detail changes, too. The standard Coupe is quite competitively priced against the opposition, which includes the Porsche 911, Jaguar XKR and various Mercedes', including the CLK AMG, the CL500 and the SL. Unlike the 911, the XKR and the SL however, the Maserati will seat four adults. The importers plan to bring in all Coupes with the supposedly optional Skyhook suspension, which adds around £1000 to the price, and it's expected that around 60 percent of buyers will opt for the Cambiocorsa version, which employs paddle-shift, electro-hydraulic gear selection for another £3000.
