Merak Registry
History

The Maserati Merak is an Italian sports car, which was introduced in 1972, essentially a junior version of the Maserati Bora. The Merak shared the Bora’s mid-engine layout and some of its styling cues, but the big difference was under the bonnet: the Merak was powered by a 3 litre V6.

The engine was remarkable for its compactness. It lent itself perfectly to being mid-mounted in the Merak, providing a more accessible alternative to the Bora. With cylinders bored out to 91.6 mm, the total displacement was 2,965 cc for this model and the output reached a more than respectable 190 hp at 6,000 rpm for the early Merak and 220 hp at 6,500 rpm for the later Merak SS. Being 250 Kg lighter than the Bora, the Merak could achieve a top speed of 247 Km/h and handled superbly. Hydraulic brakes provided prodigious stopping power and were praised for their progressive response.

The name Merak did not refer to a wind, as was customary in this period, but rather to a star from the Great Bear constellation. The styling was derived from the general shape and proportions of the Bora, but the fastback shape was cut vertically right behind the seats and only 'flying buttresses' above the rear bootlid maintained a continuous silhouette. This innovative visual trick was once again the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro.