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Fiat : Maserati 3200 GT Engine La cultura motoristica From its earliest beginnings, engines have always been Maserati's chosen form of self-expression.
Officine Alfieri Maserati was set up on December 14th 1914 primarily to develop cars - and particular engines - as well as the manufacture of spark plugs. The company was based in Bologna and the Trident trademark that still identifies Maserati cars today was designed by Mario, the artist among the Maserati brothers, who drew his inspiration from the Giambologna statue of Neptune in Bologna's main town square. Interrupted by World War I, the four Maserati brothers re-opened their car preparation business as soon as hostilities ceased. The first engine that was wholly Maserati-designed was a 6330cc unit mounted on an Isotta Fraschini chassis then it come their first car - called the Tipo 26 named after the year of its creation in 1926. The engine was extremely advanced for its day with eight cylinders in-line with a capacity of only 1500cc, but boosted by a volumetric supercharger that raised the power output to nearly 130 bhp. The family genius for engines was confirmed by the subsequent 16-cylinder V4 and V5 units that were actually built from two 8-cylinder-in-line engines coupled to a single crankcase and operating independently, apart from the single power source that served both crankshafts. The V5 in particular was a 4906cc unit that in 1932 developed an impressive 360 bhp. Another celebrated Maserati was the 8 cylinder 8CTF, the only Italian car ever to win the Indianapolis 500 race. And it did it twice: in 1939 and 1940. Just as famous were the postwar 6-cylinder-in-line units that helped Fangio win his fifth world title in the 250 F and the V-12 3000cc unit mounted on the Cooper that won two world championship events in succession: Mexico in 1966 and South Africa in 1967. The Maserati engines created for grand tourer road cars were equally inspired, whether with 6, 8 or 12 cylinder engines. More recently the highly original twin turbo V-6 has made a significant contribution to the superb performance of the 3.2-litre engine used on the current Maserati. The turbocharged 90° V-8 engine on the Maserati 3200 GT is a 3.2 litre that develops an impressive 271 kw (370 hp) at 6250 rpm with a peak torque of 442 Nm (45 kgm) over a broad 2700-5500 rpm power range.
The perfectly balanced crankshaft with 90° cranks on an integral engine block is stiffened by its connection to bearings eliminating noise and vibration. The twin turbos use mixed flow turbines that respond 20% faster than traditional types. Which means in practice excellent acceleration from a standing start (0-100 km/h in just 5.12 secs) and good engine response at low speeds, overall offering exceptional flexibility. The electronic engine management system that controls both fuel injection and ignition is "Drive-by-Wire" technology that significantly enhances the car's performance and driveability. This system, developed in conjunction with and supplied by Magneti Marelli, allows for very low gas emissions levels for a sports car and it can already meet the future proposed exhaust legislation. The performance capability of the engine even at less than full power is assisted by the specific characteristic of the "Drive-by-wire" system. This is also fully integrated with ASR traction control on the manual version and is adopted on the transmission of the 3200 GT Automatic model.
Other important statistics about this engine include: four valves per cylinder with four overhead camshafts; an intake manifold with extra-long (425 mm) air ducts for optimum torque at low speeds; an exhaust system fitted with two pre-catalysts and one main catalyst (all three-way with steel cores) to reduce counter-pressure. The transmission layout incorporates the conventional longitudinal front engine and rear - wheel drive lay-out. The clutch utilises a single dry disc (9.5 inch in diameter), a double spring drive and pull rather than push disengagement. This is a particularly sophisticated system that allows lighter clutch action. Clutch control is hydraulic. The manual transmission features six-speeds (plus reverse) with triple cone synchronisers for 1st and 2nd, double cone for 3rd and 4th, all offering smoother gear engagement. The transmission shaft is made of aluminium to reduce both weight and inertia forces. It is divided into two sections with a constant velocity joint combined with one flexible rubber coupling and two universal joints. The differential casing is mounted on the rear suspension frame and the diff itself is a preloaded self-locking type with different pull and push settings (25/45%). This self-locking diff comes into operation when the automatic traction control is switched off. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. This is an up-to-the minute BTR unit under 100% electronic management thanks to a control units which mantains an ongoing dialogue with the engine and traction control units via a high speed serial CAN line. This automatic trasmission system is only 20 kg heavier than the mechanical gearbox version, so that performance remains superlative in all driving conditions.
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