Frankfurt, Germany Introduction

At the heart of the Spyder's design is the quintessential Maserati 'look'. A traditional, front-engine layout that transcends fashion, perfectly captured in an elegant and muscular stance by Italian stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign.

The Spyder's body has the distinctive sleek aggressiveness of the 3200GT, yet its wheelbase is 220mm shorter than the coupé version.

The elimination of the intake grilles on the bonnet, the more compact tail and new, clear headlight lenses add a more crouching poise to the profile, off-set perfectly by 15-spoke 18 inch wheel rims.

There is an exceptional range of colours available for the Spyder - 16 for the paintwork, 10 for the leather interior and five for the soft-top (black, blue, burgundy and two shades of beige)

In addition, discerning Spyder clients can fully personalize their chosen car through the bespoke services of the Maserati Officine Alfieri programme.

Touring use of the Spyder is encouraged by the fully insulated, three-layer soft-top which folds away automatically via a button on the central tunnel.

When folded, the soft-top disappears completely into a closed compartment (separated from the boot) behind the seats.
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The handcrafted interior of the Maserati affords superlative comfort in every way. The leather seats, specifically designed for this car, are equipped with all-electric adjustments with memory on the driver's side linked to the wing mirrors, and an optional seat heater function.

Alongside the traditional analogue instrumentation in front of the driver, there is a Maserati Info Centre at the centre of the fascia equipped with a 5.8 inch colour display. This integrated unit controls the hi-fi system, the on-board computer, the automatic climate control system and, on request, the GPS satellite navigation system, a hands-free GSM telephone module with voice-activated controls as well as a 5 disc remote CD changer stowed in the boot.

Other optional on-board equipment includes cruise control and rear bumper-mounted parking sensors.

Special care has been taken to include functional storage compartments inside the cockpit, and the boot offers a maximum capacity of 300 litres - sufficient to hold two golf bags. There is also a set of fitted luggage available as an optional extra.

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Aluminium alloy double wishbone suspension all round ensures a combination of superb performance and uncompromising comfort. The front suspension features antidive geometry and the rear antisquat, and there are anti-roll bars front and rear for maximum stability under braking, acceleration and cornering. The rear suspension is equipped with an additional radius arm to control toe-in for ideal grip under cornering.

The Maserati Spyder's handling characteristics are enhanced by the optional, innovative Skyhook adaptive damping system, introduced in collaboration with Mannesmann-Sachs.

The unique Skyhook system is the state of the art in automatic suspension control: a set of sensors continually monitor the movement of the wheels and car body, and transmit them to a central unit. By analysing this data, the control unit determines the road and vehicle running conditions and instantaneously adjusts each damper accordingly.

This solution is ten times faster than other systems available to date, and radically improves ride quality in that it "actively" controls the damping rate and hence body control under all conditions.

In addition to this automatic adjustment, the driver can also choose different modes at any time: in fact, the basic damper adjustments can be changed while the vehicle is in motion, using the console-mounted button to switch between two different settings: Normal or Sport.

In developing these two modes, particular care was taken to differentiate the car's dynamic handling characteristics: maximum ride comfort in the Normal setting and, at the opposite extreme, a more rigid set-up in the Sport setting to sharpen suspension response and reduce roll.

The handling package is completed with powerful Brembo brakes fitted with 4-channel Bosch 5.3 ABS, EBD and MSR. The Spyder is equipped with cross-drilled, ventilated discs all round (330 mm x 32 mm at the front, 310 mm x 28 mm at the rear) with light alloy four-pot callipers.
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Engine:
naturally aspirated 90° V8, with continuously variable valve timing

Bore x stroke: 92 x 80 mm

Displacement: 4,244 cc

Power: 390 bhp at 7,000 rpm

Torque: 46 kg at 4,500 rpm

Length x width x height:
4,303 x 1,822 x 1,305 mm

Wheelbase: 2,440 mm

Weight:
1,620 kg
1,630 kg (Cambiocorsa)

Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 5 s

Maximum speed: 283 km/h (176 mph)
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The 4.2 litre, normally-aspirated 90° V8 power unit is compact and lightweight. Competition-inspired construction sees the engine equipped with dry sump lubrication with the pump assembly mounted outside the cylinder block.

The V8 features twin chain-driven overhead camshafts per cylinder bank commanding four valves per cylinder with hydraulic tappets. The inlet camshafts are equipped with continuous valve timing.

Peak output is 390 bhp at 7,000 rpm with an exceptionally high maximum torque of 451 Nm (46 kgm) at 4,500 rpm, making the V8 extremely flexible.

The engine is equipped with integrated Bosch ME7.3.2 ignition and injection systems and electronic drive-by-wire throttle control, and engine management is optimised by the use of a high-speed CAN (Controlled Area Network) line between the microprocessor chips (ECUs).

Thanks to this new engine, the Spyder can reach a maximum speed of 176 mph and accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in five seconds flat.

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