Maserati 3200 GT
The Chuckle Brothers’ famed ‘to me, to you,’ catchphrase sums up the ownership of Maserati as Citroën, De Tomaso et al played catch ball with the famous brand’s Trident. Racing, sports and GT car legends of the past were consigned to history as it encountered the difficulties of its Bi-turbo years and entered a distinct barren period. The final pass (to date) in 1993 saw the coming of Fiat, the Turin-based industrial behemoth charging a certain Mister di Montezemolo with its renaissance. To kick-start this fresh era it’d require something a wee bit special. And today the visual results of its all-new Maserati 3200GT still resonate. With cowled headlamps and wide front grille, there’s more than a passing resemblance to our Aston Martin; while at the rear those boomerang-shaped LED rear lights – tragically lost on the later 4200GT – elicit phrases like ‘iconic’ from onlookers, not something you’d necessarily say of the Aston’s more generic-looking rear end. Perhaps the strongest part of Giugiaro’s Italdesign-penned lines is the single-piece main body structure, which lends it a fluidity of line that none of our other cars in this test – nor any modern car, for that matter – can match. As a return to form, visually the 3200GT definitely has it. The cabin’s sports seats are enormously comfortable and the instrument binnacle loaded with satisfyingly delicate chrome-rimmed dials; the white, yellow and red areas of the tachometer ready for a game of hot, hotter and hottest. The centre column is a bit Victorian codpiece topped by what looks like snooker player Ray Reardon’s barnet, but the whole interior is beautifully finished in top quality materials.
Under the aggressively vented bonnet sits a quad-cam, 3217cc, twin-turbo V8 fed by a combination of Weber electronic fuel injection and twin IHI turbochargers – that’s twin-turbo, not bi-turbo, thank you! Perhaps you could have forgiven the marque for steering clear of such an arrangement altogether for fear of conjuring up memories of the darker days it so desperately wanted to leave behind. In any case, spark it up and there’s plenty of aural brutality, its deep burble filling the cabin with the promise of harder-edged goodness to come.
Engaging the throttle results in a mild surprise. I’ve driven a standard manual car and this car’s four-speed automatic gearbox and uprated throttle body set-up have somewhat damped down the 3200GT’S hair-trigger nature. It’s only by the smallest of margins, but I think there’s a small part of me that misses it.
That’s not to say it doesn’t deliver, because with 370bhp and 362lb ft torque it still remains one fast buzz-box of a grand tourer. While the Aston and Lotus are our gentlemanly contenders, the GT sits with the TVR and ’Vette in the more extrovert of driving experiences. The steering is nice and direct and the ride remains supple, even in Sport mode.
Body control is good when motoring, but push hard into corners and while turn-in is sharp, the steering lacks enough weight to transmit exactly what’s happening – you get the feeling it’d be back on the E-numbers at the very limit.
On the straight and narrow, it remains a punchy high-end performer with seemingly unbridled reserves of torque; Maserati claimed a 174mph top speed, which drops to 168mph in some period road tests, but whichever you believe it’s the vocal accompaniment from that fierce V8 that is its strongest suit.
‘It’s key to have a trusted independent specialist inspect any car,’ says Tony Jaskeran, of the Maserati Club UK (maseraticlub.
co.uk). ‘These cars often aren’t maintained properly, so a buyer down the line has to bear the bills. Common issues that can hit the wallet include throttle body wear, rotting exhausts, worn ball joints, and suspension component cracks – a VOSA note was sent to owners to have them checked, so if replaced there should be an invoice on file. There’s also crankshaft end float – mainly on older manual cars – and this can cost more than the car’s worth to fix.’
The 3200GT remains a welcome return to form for Maserati and the spiritual successor to an illustrious past, but buying a good, checked over example is a must.
‘A punchy performer with unbridled reserves of torque, the vocal accompaniment is the 3200GT’S strongest suit’
The substitution of letter for Roman numeral in Aston Martin’s DB series was accompanied by a styling shift so severe it’d take some two-anda-half decades to resolve. DBS, DBS V8, Virage and their Volante, Vantage and Zagato variants were not without their merits but with all, an essential essence of Aston Martin had been lost; brutality of styling ensured these were cars that were best suited to a hard-charging Jordan Belfort type, so not entirely a gentleman. On its 1994 Geneva release, the Aston Martin DB7 was instantly acclaimed as the most beautiful Aston since the DB6 and standing here admiring Mark Andrew’s Derwent Green Vantage it’s easy to see why; its Ian Callum penned lines possess the same combination of graceful felinity and simplicity as its Fifties and Sixties forebears. Here in V12 form the DB7’S looks are pumped up with large integrated driving lamps either side of the mesh radiator grille, deeper sills and fresh rear bumper incorporating beefier exhaust tailpipes. And most glorious of all is the alloy bodywork’s sheer depth of colour, proof indeed that choice of hue can have a massive impact on a car’s allure. Cabin space is tight – it’s strictly kids-only in the rear – but it’s beautifully appointed with a de rigueur combination of burr walnut, Wilton carpets and Connolly leather. Turn the key and it starts with the press of a starter button, growling into action with a theatrical automatic throttle blip before settling.
At low speeds you’re aware of the car’s heft; at 1780kg it’s the heavyweight of our group, 90kg lardier than the beefy Carlton, and a world away from our whippet-esque Cerbera. Thankfully that’s offset by the Cosworth-built quad-cam 48-valve V12’s sheer brute force. With 420bhp on tap, it’s the most powerful here in standard guise – cue Top Trump wink from owner Mark Andrews.
Feather the throttle and it starts to sing a deep song, laying down more power, and that hardens to a potent roar. Where a DB5 or ’6 always seems underpowered, there’s no such worry here, and that allows its sprint to hold its own in this company. The power builds relentlessly; such is the engine’s flexibility it pulls with contemptuous ease from low down and given enough tarmac, will outgun all others and take the top speed honours at a lofty 185mph – impressive stuff.
And so is its day-to-day friendliness and usability. The fivespeed automatic ’box shifts smoothly, but if you want to you can use the steering wheel-mounted buttons to assume control. The chassis proves willing and refined when pushing on, there’s abundant grip, and it’s pleasantly neutral through corners. The high point is that always-accompanying 12-cylinder purr, ready and willing to go full-fat-cat at a moment’s notice.
That feline imagery is the only elephant in the room. Conceived and built during Ford’s ownership there are some that dismiss it because of its lowly Xj-s-derived underpinnings, incorporation of parts-bin components such as Mazda 323F rear lights and even 3.0-litre 24-valve Duratec-derived engine heritage. But that’s a disservice. Yes, when new, its £92,500 asking price meant those
‘Conceived and built under Ford’s ownership the DB7 rises above the sum of its underlying components’
elements were not what was expected of a bespoke hand-built product, but at just £7500 more than its six-cylinder sibling you got a completely re-engineered machine. Like many cars before, the DB7 Vantage rises above the sum of its underlying parts.
‘The first thing I would always look at is a car’s history,’ says Stuart Channon of Aston Martin specialist RS Williams. ‘Make sure all the service intervals have been met, and very importantly the appropriate service carried out at the correct time. People tended to, and still do, use these cars as daily drivers, so make sure you thoroughly check the underside on a ramp for signs of corrosion. With cars coming up to 25 years old they can suffer if they haven’t been stored properly. The value of a car is highly dependent on variances in condition, year and history.’
Buy one, drive it and you’ll see why it’s been able to find its own spot in the Aston Martin pecking order and secure a place as one of the company’s modern greats.