Maserati Bora

At a glance: Maserati Bora

The Bora appeared between Maserati's front-engined grand tourers, such as the Maserati 3500 GT, and the company's later road cars. All models are listed in the Maserati catalogue.

History: a mid-engined Maserati

Work on the project started in October 1968 under the code name Tipo 117. In the same year Citroën had taken a controlling interest in Maserati, which shaped many of the car's technical details. A running prototype was on the road by the middle of 1969.

The final car was presented at the Geneva motor show in March 1971, and the first deliveries took place before the end of that year. Following Maserati's custom of naming cars after winds, it was called Bora, after the strong wind that blows over Trieste on the Adriatic coast.

The Bora was a technical milestone for the company. It was Maserati's first mid-engined street car and the first with independent suspension on all four wheels. It was also lighter than the front-engined Ghibli: Wikipedia gives 1,535 kg for the Bora against 1,650 kg for the Ghibli, although the original weight target had been only 1,400 kg.

Design by Giugiaro

The body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, and the steel panels were made by Officine Padane in Modena. The shape is a low two-seat fastback, and the drag coefficient is 0.30, a low figure for a car of the early 1970s.

The steering column can be adjusted by hand for reach and rake.

Small changes were made around early 1974: the front lid was now hinged, the inner corners of the headlights were rounded, and a rectangular black grille was added on the bonnet to let hot air out.

Citroën hydraulics

Citroën's influence is most visible in the hydraulic system. Like Citroën's own cars of the time, the Bora used high-pressure LHM fluid, split into two circuits. The main circuit operated the brakes. The auxiliary circuit moved three things: the pedal box, which slides about 76 mm forwards or backwards to suit the driver; the height of the driver's seat; and the pop-up headlights.

The result was unusual: instead of moving the seat to reach the pedals, the driver moved the pedals to fit the seat. The brakes use ventilated discs.

Engines

The Bora used Maserati's four-cam V8, an aluminium alloy engine with 16 valves, four chain-driven camshafts, four Weber 42 DCNF/14 carburettors and Bosch electronic ignition. It was mounted lengthwise behind the cabin and drove the rear wheels through a five-speed ZF transaxle.

The 4.9-litre engine was used first for cars sold in the United States. From 1973 the US engine had an air pump for emissions control. From 1976 European cars also switched to the 4.9-litre unit, now with 243 kW (330 PS).

The official top speeds were 270 km/h for the 4.7 and 285 km/h for the 4.9. Wikipedia notes that other sources give different figures.

Chassis and suspension

The structure combines a steel monocoque for the cabin and front section with a tubular steel subframe at the rear that carries the engine and gearbox. The subframe is attached to the floor pan with four flexible mounts.

The suspension is independent at all four corners, with coil springs, telescopic dampers and anti-roll bars. The prototypes used MacPherson struts at the front, but production cars went back to wishbones because the struts caused kickback through the steering. The car rides on 7.5 × 15-inch Campagnolo alloy wheels, originally with Michelin XWX 205/70 tyres and later with 215/70 VR15 tyres at the rear.

Racing and the Merak

Maserati prepared two Bora cars for Group 4 racing for the French Maserati dealer Thepenier, with engines tuned to about 316 kW (430 PS). The project was shelved: homologation required 500 road cars, and Maserati could not build that many.

The Bora also gave birth to a smaller sister. The Maserati Merak used the front part of the Bora's body shell but had a 2+2 cabin, an open rear engine cover and a smaller, lighter V6 engine that was also used in the Citroën SM. The Merak continued into the 1980s, with the Merak SS introduced in 1981.

Legacy

After 564 cars the Bora went out of production in 1978. It remains a landmark in the company's history as the first mid-engined Maserati road car and the first with independent suspension all round. The story of the company is told in our history of Maserati, and an earlier Maserati sports car is described in our article on the Maserati 450S.

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