The
Maserati Merak was an Italian sport car introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the
Maserati Bora. It substituted an all new Maserati designed quad-cam V-6 motor (also shared with the Citroen SM) for the Bora's larger V-8, resulting not only in a lower cost, but room for a small backseat and better handling due to lower weight and a better front/rear weight distribution.
Aesthetically, the Merak differed from the otherwise very similar
Bora mainly in sporting open flying buttresses instead of the Bora's fully glassed rear, and the use of the Citroen SM dashboard on models produced before 1976.
The Merak went out of production in 1982.
Citroën era Merak
The first Merak was designed during the
Citroën ownership of Maserati (1968–1975). It featured a 3.0 L Maserati V6 (190 hp) engine, also used in the
Citroën SM.
The
mid-engine Merak used the Bora bodyshell, but with the extra space offered by the smaller engine used to carve out a second row of seats, suitable for children or very small adults.
As for the Bora, certain
Citroën hydraulic systems were used in the Merak; brakes, clutch, headlight pods. The Citroën SM's dramatic dashboard was also used in early Meraks (1972 to 1975).
GEPI era Merak
In 1976 Maserati introduced the more powerful and lighter Merak SS. Production of the SS stopped in 1982. Its engine produced 15% more power, raising horsepower to 220 hp (164 kW) and weight was reduced by 152 kg to 1,400 kg, resulting in a top speed of 152 mph (245 km/h). Late Merak SS were bestowed with the interior and dash of the Maserati Bora. The US-spec version of the Merak SS also saw a return to traditional hydraulics, eliminating the last of the Citroen high pressure system.
DeTomaso era Merak
In 1977 DeTomaso purchased Maserati, and the Bora was discontinued after a production run of less than 600 cars. In 1977 DeTomaso introduced the Merak 2000, with a smaller powerplant. The Merak 2000 was built mainly for the Italian market, where a newly introduced tax law penalized cars with an engine capacity of more than 2000 cc. The Merak 2000 featured a 2.0 L V6 with 170 hp (127 kW). No Merak 2000 were imported to the United States.
Todays market
On today's market the Maserati Merak does not enjoy the same value as the V-8 Bora. Pricing on average is half the value of a Bora in similar condition. This is partly due to the cars' smaller V-6 powerplant. The Merak is also more common than the Bora, with about 1,900 manufactured over the 1972 to 1982 period.
Featured on television
On April 12, 2005, the Merak was featured in a
Top Gear segment against its main competitors, namely the
Ferrari Dino and
Lamborghini Urraco. In the end, all three cars turned out to be unreliable and did not complete the challenges.
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