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Forgotten Wonders: Maserati Boomerang by Italdesign

 It made its full debut in working order (sitting on Bora underpinnings) at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, after appearing at the earlier Turin Show as a full-scale epowood model. According to Giorgetto Giugiaro, the design had been “in mind for at least two years” – but it’s likely that the first ideas would have sprouted in the designer’s head as early as 1968, and more specifically the première of the Bertone-styled Alfa Romeo Carabo. It was that car which presaged all the angular activities of the seventies.
 
 
Giugiaro may have been pipped to the wedge-shaped post, but he wasn’t to be outdone. He brought together his favourite design flourishes from some of his then-recent concepts (which included Alfa Romeos Caimano and Iguana, as well as the VW/Porsche Tapiro) and melded them into an explosion of creativity. The resulting Boomerang was, according to Giugiaro, “drawn almost exclusively with a ruler” – a practice of which the ever-modest automotive sage has spoken unfavourably in recent times.

“When seeking new roads, one runs the risk of taking some wrong turns. Here the move towards ever-more graphic shapes went too far: the Boomerang may be pleasing as a shape, but from an aerodynamic standpoint it is a contradiction in terms.” Though we’re not shaping up for an argument with the man who holds the title of ‘Car Designer of the Century’, we’d suggest he was a little over-critical. It might not have had the aerodynamic virtuosity its arrow-like appearance suggested, but the Boomerang more than made up for it with stylistic flair – and also wrung a higher top speed (around 180mph) from the 4.7-litre V8 it borrowed from the Bora.
 
Giugiaro’s heavy use of geometry throughout the design allowed him to create an extremely taut appearance, but his focus wasn’t solely on the aesthetics. Despite the Boomerang only being a one-off concept, he devised a unique steering column design which prevented the driver being impaled in a front-end collision – such pioneering safety features are often omitted in experimental cars, a practice even more common in times when seatbelts had only recently become mandatory.

The unique steering wheel design also stemmed from a safety concern. The static central disc had originally been conceived to house an airbag – but for an unknown reason, it instead ended up being home to a radical instrument panel, which included the speedometer, tachometer and various other dials and switches. It is questionable, though, whether the steeply raked (13 degrees) windscreen that shared the same plane as the bonnet would have been production-feasible. Indeed, when designing the production Lotus Esprit a few years later, Giugiaro had to settle for a 24.5-degree angle to meet legislation. 
True to its name, the Boomerang has repeatedly swung back into the public eye. After a final motor show appearance in Barcelona in 1974, Italdesign sold the concept to a Spanish cabaret owner – back then, it wasn’t uncommon for one-off prototypes to be sold to private buyers: a preferred fate to that of many contemporary showstars, which are destroyed after a short spell in the limelight.

The Boomerang didn’t reappear until 1980, when a German enthusiast discovered it while holidaying in Spain. At the car’s second inauguration at the 1990 Bagatelle Concours, it was reunited with its creator who was on the event’s judging panel. Giugiaro duly signed its rear panel – a tattoo which the car was still proudly displaying when it was sold by Christie's in 2002 (fetching 721,750 euros) and again in 2005 (781,250 euros). It was also noted during the latter sale that the Boomerang had been approved for road use by the ultra-strict German TÜV, on the condition that it was fitted with yellow indicator bulbs. 
Ultimately, the idea behind the radical Boomerang concept might have been before its time, but it served not only as a precursor to later Giugiaro cars, but also as an advert for his design brilliance. In fact, it was apparently the Boomerang which convinced VW to appoint Giugiaro to design the original Golf – and we all know how that played out.

Text: Joe Breeze of Classicdriver, with thanks to Christian Bolognesi of Italdesign
Photos: Franck Minieri, Maserati & Italdesign

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German car tuner DMC have made a new kit for the Maserati GranTurismo. The kit turns the regular GranTurismo into an MC Stradale, while the official MC Stadale from Maserati is not even out yet! They have decided to call the kit the Grande Sovrano which in English is "Great Ruler". The very noticeable new front bumper has been added as well as a carbon fiber front splitter. The front hood has three air-vents, newly designed side skirts, a carbon fiber rear wing combined with a three-finned carbon fiber rear diffuser. Finally, they added a set of diamond-forged rims.

Performance wise, the tuner has added a water-cooler turbo-cooler beside an engine producing 600hp and 588Nm of torque. 100km/h is achieved in 4.5 seconds and a top speed is reached at 295km/h.

2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale

The Italian automaker announced the 2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale, that it will debut the lightest and most powerful variation of the GranTurismo, at this year's 2010 Paris Motor Show. Maserati said the car will boast "razor-sharp handling and will break the 300km/h [187mph] barrier", adding that the reworked body also produces more aerodynamic down force without producing more aerodynamic drag.

2012 Maserati Sport Cars Gran Turismo MC Stradale looks sporty, the bumper and grille has been redesigned. The car also has a large diffuser to improve performance. Inspired by the Trofeo GranTurismo MC and the race-winning GT4 motorsport models, the two-seater 2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale that will debut at the Paris Auto Show. GranTurismo MC Stradale high-performance model and will be on sale next spring, with £ 105,000 prize.

2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale

2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale is in the GranTurismo S. The basis is seen in power, it features a 4.7L V8 engine, maximum power of 336kw. Corresponds to a 6-speed manual transmission with mechanical top speed to 300 km / h, the 0-100km / h acceleration of about 4.5 seconds.

The Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale responds to demands for a GranTurismo which can balance on-road driving needs with race-driving desires, incorporating the handling and aerodynamic lessons from Maserati's three racing programs.

2012 Maserati Sport Cars GranTurismo MC Stradale

No other details were given on the car but the official photos show a raft of styling upgrades including the new front end with a lower spoiler and additional air ducts, chunkier side skirts, possibly larger front fenders with new air vents, a boot lid spoiler and a new rear bumper with a diffuser and twin central exhaust pipes plus unique alloy wheels.

Maserati

Maserati

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Maserati has decided to go economical and make their future cars hybrids. They are not the only ones. Many companies have previously done the same thing there are many hybrids coming.

Maserati's plan of attack to reduce fuel consomption and CO2 emmisions. We are still not sure when we will see Maserati's first hybrid or what it will be called. Here is the statement:

"Maserati needs to develop more fuel-efficient powetrains, and using Ferrari technology should speed the process."

2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sports Car

2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sports Car

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2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sports Car

The Maserati GranCabrio continues in the footsteps of the Maserati tradition in open-top models, and adds to a line-up of models that has made the history of the Modena manufacturer, such as the 1950 A6G Frua Spyder, the 3500GT Vignale Spyder (1960), the Mistral Spyder (1964), the Ghibli Spyder (1968) and the 2001 Maserati Spyder, the car Maserati chose for his comeback to the United States.

2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sports Car

True to its tradition, the Maserati GranCabrio yet opens a new chapter, because never before have four-seater top-down models been produced at the Viale Ciro Menotti Maserati factory in Modena. There are four proper seats are provided, so that the rear passengers are not merely supporting actors, but co-stars of the journey.

2011 Maserati GranCabrio Sports Car

The Maserati GranCabrio is powered by a 4.7 liter V8 engine paired with the fluid 6-speed automatic transmission. In Sport mode, the V8 gives the driver and passengers the full power of its 323kW, with a thrilling roar that becomes even more exciting with the top down, as it becomes one with its surroundings.