Maserati Bora
Shortly after Citroën took a controlling interest in Maserati in 1968, the concept of a mid-engined two-seat sports car was proposed. Lamborghini and De Tomaso already had the Miura and Mangusta, whilst Ferrari were known to be developing their own mid-engined contender. Initially known as Tipo 117 and later the Bora, the Maserati project got underway in October 1968 and a prototype was on the road by mid-1969. Shown in its final form at the Geneva Salon in March 1971, deliveries began before the end of the year. Maserati struggled after being bought by De Tomaso in 1975, and the Bora was discontinued after the 1978 model year. 564 Boras were produced in total, of which 275 were fitted with 4.9 L engines and the other 289 were fitted with 4.7 L engines.
The Bora was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign and has a drag coefficient of 0.30. Fabrication of the all-steel panels was contracted to Officine Padane of Modena. The Bora had a number of innovative features that distinguished the car from Maserati's previous offerings. Compared to other supercars, it was civilized and practical, featuring a hydraulically powered pedal cluster that could be moved forward and backwards at the touch of a button and a steering wheel that could be tilted and telescoped, addressing the familiar problem of entering and exiting the vehicle typical of many supercars.
Initially two V8 engines were offered, a high-revving 4,719 cc (4.7 L; 288.0 cu in) and a higher torque 4,930 cc (4.9 L; 300.8 cu in); a US smog-qualified 4.9-litre engine was used (a stroked version of the 4.7), starting from the 1973 model year. Eventually, production switched to only using a more powerful version of the 4.9-litre engine rated at 320 hp (324 PS; 239 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 454 N⋅m (335 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm.
Maserati Bora
Shortly after Citroën took a controlling interest in Maserati in 1968, the concept of a mid-engined two-seat sports car was proposed. Lamborghini and De Tomaso already had the Miura and Mangusta, whilst Ferrari were known to be developing their own mid-engined contender. Initially known as Tipo 117 and later the Bora, the Maserati project got underway in October 1968 and a prototype was on the road by mid-1969. Shown in its final form at the Geneva Salon in March 1971, deliveries began before the end of the year. Maserati struggled after being bought by De Tomaso in 1975, and the Bora was discontinued after the 1978 model year. 564 Boras were produced in total, of which 275 were fitted with 4.9 L engines and the other 289 were fitted with 4.7 L engines.
The Bora was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign and has a drag coefficient of 0.30. Fabrication of the all-steel panels was contracted to Officine Padane of Modena. The Bora had a number of innovative features that distinguished the car from Maserati's previous offerings. Compared to other supercars, it was civilized and practical, featuring a hydraulically powered pedal cluster that could be moved forward and backwards at the touch of a button and a steering wheel that could be tilted and telescoped, addressing the familiar problem of entering and exiting the vehicle typical of many supercars.
Initially two V8 engines were offered, a high-revving 4,719 cc (4.7 L; 288.0 cu in) and a higher torque 4,930 cc (4.9 L; 300.8 cu in); a US smog-qualified 4.9-litre engine was used (a stroked version of the 4.7), starting from the 1973 model year. Eventually, production switched to only using a more powerful version of the 4.9-litre engine rated at 320 hp (324 PS; 239 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 454 N⋅m (335 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm.