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Maserati Merak: The Bora’s V6-Engined Sibling

Developed in parallel with the V8-engined Bora, the Merak was designed to compete with the likes of the Lamborghini Urraco and Ferrari 308 GT4. But as opposed to its direct rivals, the four-seat sports car penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign came with a V6 powerplant developed by Giulio Alfieri, who is also credited with the 3500 GT and Birdcage series.
1975 Maserati Merak 61 photos
Photo: DSFM2005 on Bring a Trailer
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Alfieri and Maserati go a long way back. Adolfo Orsi, the gentleman who controlled the Italian automaker before Citroen swooped in, employed him back in 1953 to work alongside heavyweights that include Gioacchino Colombo (responsible for the long-running Colombo V12 used by Ferrari). Other notable works from Alfieri come in the guise of the A6 (the Italian automaker’s first road car), the 250F raced by Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, the Quattroporte I, Khamsin, and – of course – the Bora.

Codenamed Tipo AM122, the Merak was developed specifically to steal a few prospective customers away from the Porsche 911. Similar to German’s best-known sports car, the Italian alternative features a 2+2 seating layout even though its V8-engined sibling is a two-seater affair. Indirectly replaced by the Biturbo when Alejandro De Tomaso was calling the shots, the Merak premiered five decades ago, in October 1972, at the Paris Motor Show.

From the standpoint of chassis-related bits and bobs, the Merak is extremely similar to the Bora, save for the rear end. The wheelbase, measuring 2,600 millimeters from the front axle to the rear axle, is a perfect match. As for suspension componentry, Maserati gifted their junior sports car with anti-roll bars fore and aft, double wishbones at every corner, and telescopic shock absorbers. Being owned by Citroen, it should not come as a surprise that the House of the Trident was required to use Citroen hydraulics.

A perfect example of the 1970s wedge-shaped craze, this fellow shipped with 15- by 7.5-inch Campagnolo alloys mounted with 185/70 and 205/80 Michelin XWX rubber boots rather than Pirelli-sourced tires. Behind those beautiful wheels, you’d normally find 11- and 11.75-inch brake rotors, with the rear brakes located inboard to reduce unsprung weight. Popping the hood reveals the spare tire on a steelie, mounted above the gearbox.

1975 Maserati Merak
Photo: DSFM2005 on Bring a Trailer
Speaking of which, can you guess which French automaker supplied the five-speed transaxle with a hydraulically-actuated clutch? A limited-slip differential for the rear axle also needs to be highlighted, along with a longitudinally-mounted engine rather than the transverse layout of the Urraco and 308 GT4. Also worthy of note, Ferrari and Lamborghini used the transverse layout in their first mid-engined production cars as well, namely the six-cylinder Dino 206 and 246 and the twelve-pot Miura.

Codenamed C114, the 3.0-liter V6 hiding behind the rear seats is derived from the 2.7-liter V6 that Alfieri developed for the Citroen SM. Punched out to 2,965 cubic centimeters as mentioned earlier, this mill combines an alloy block with two alloy dual-overhead-camshaft heads. Wet-sump lubrication, electronic ignition, an 8.75:1 compression ratio, and three downdraught carburetors from Weber are featured. Gifted with a 91.6-mm bore rather than 87 millimeters for the 2.7-liter unit, the 3.0-liter engine further boasts a 75-mm stroke, 187 horsepower at 6,000 revolutions per minute, and 188 pound-foot (255 Nm) at 4,000 revolutions per minute.

In November 1977, the Italian automaker launched the Merak 2000, named this way after its 1,999-cc powerplant. Why – in the name of all things holy – would Maserati roll out an engine that’s barely larger than a Big Gulp from 7-Eleven? The answer is the ridiculously high purchase tax on engines larger than 2.0 liters, which is why Ferrari and Lamborghini also launched 2.0-liter versions of the 308 GT4 (208 GT4) and Urraco (Urraco P200).

While on the subject of displacement-based taxation, the People’s Republic of China is another great example. Powerplants larger than 4.0 liters are the most heavily taxed, which explains why the M176/M177/M178 engine family from Mercedes-Benz displaces 3,982 cubic centimeters. Offered exclusively in gold or blue, the Merak with the smaller engine is officially rated at 168 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 137 pound-foot (186 Nm) of torque at 5,000 rpm, figures that aren’t exciting by modern standards, let alone for a Maserati. But on the other hand, we shouldn’t forget that Maserati now offers a 2.0-liter turbo hybrid in the Ghibli and Levante.

1975 Maserati Merak
Photo: DSFM2005 on Bring a Trailer
Tipping the scales at 1,420 kilograms (3,131 pounds), the Merak can hit 240 kilometers per hour (nearly 150 miles per hour) on full song. The Merak 2000 is much obliged to rev its little heart out to 220 kilometers per hour (just under 140 miles per hour), whereas the Merak SS is rated at 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) as per the Italian manufacturer.

Presented in March 1975, five months prior to Alejandro de Tomaso’s takeover of the company, the Super Sport is an idea lighter. The weight-saving measures helped Maserati shave two-tenths of a second off the sprint from zero to 100 kph (62 mph). The 3.0-liter V6 in the SS develops 217 ponies at 6,500 rpm and nearly 200 pound-foot (270 Nm) at 4,500 rpm.

The Merak was also available in RHD. Other than the location of the steering wheel, RHD models also differed from their LHD counterparts in terms of interior design. RHD cars feature the dashboard from the Bora whereas, LHD cars feature the SM dashboard. Be that as it may, certain LHD examples came with Bora dashes toward the end of production.

Named after a star in the constellation of Ursa Major, the Maserati Merak is relatively affordable for an Italian sports car based on recent auction results on Bring a Trailer. Production concluded in 1983, with a little over 1,800 units delivered. The Merak and Merak SS were offered in right-hand drive, but the Merak 2000 was available exclusively in left-hand drive.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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