Maserati Shamal
| Maserati Shamal | |
|---|---|
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|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Maserati |
| Production | 1990–1996 |
| Designer | Marcello Gandini |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Grand tourer (S) |
| Body style | 2-door 2+2 coupé |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.2 L AM 479 V8 (twin-turbocharged petrol) |
| Transmission | 6-speed Getrag manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Length | 4,100 mm (161.4 in) |
| Width | 1,850 mm (72.8 in) |
| Height | 1,300 mm (51.2 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,417 kg (3,124 lb) (dry) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Maserati Khamsin |
| Successor | Maserati 3200 GT |
The Maserati Shamal (Tipo 339) is two-door coupé produced by Italian car manufacturer Maserati from 1990 to 1996. In keeping with an established Maserati tradition, it is named after a wind: shamal (Arabic for ‘north’), a hot summer wind that blows in large areas of Mesopotamia.
With its twin-turbocharged V8 the Shamal was Maserati's flagship grand tourer, topping the lineup of V6-engined Biturbo coupés in both performance and price (at 125 million Lire).
The Shamal was introduced on 14 December 1989 in Modena, when Maserati president and owner Alejandro de Tomaso showed it to the press. It was the last model announced under the De Tomaso ownership: in January 1990 half of Maserati was acquired by Fiat S.p.A.. Sales began in 1990. The final year of production for the Maserati Shamal was 1996; factory figures indicate that 369 examples were produced.
The Shamal was designed by Marcello Gandini, of Bertone fame. The Shamal shows its Biturbo heritage in the doors, interior, and basic bodyshell, which were carried over from the Biturbo. Gandini's styling signature is visible in the slanted profile of the rear wheel wheel arch, also present on the fourth generation Quattroporte IV and first seen on the Lamborghini Countach.
The center pillar wraps around the cabin as a roll bar and is always finished in black, a distinguishing characteristic of the Shamal. The name "Shamal" appears on either side of the central pillar in chrome lettering. The car has alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and a blacked-out grille with chrome accents.
Another defining feature of the Shamal are its numerous headlamps in individual housings: outer round Carello low beams of the then-new projector type, inner rectangular high beams, combined turn signals and position lamps in the bumper, and two pairs of square lights in the lower grille—fog lamps and driving lamps.
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