The elegant four seater coupé was styled by Italdesign, whose founder, Giorgetto Giugiaro, had already penned the classic Ghibli, Bora, Merak, Quattroporte III and several one-off Maseratis. The 3200 GT's 104.8 inch wheelbase was just a centimetre longer than that of the Quattroporte IV, which explains its class-leading cabin space.
The 3200 GT shared the saloon's twin-turbo 3.2 litre V8, revised and tuned to produce 370 hp (271 kW) at 6,250 rpm and mated to a six-speed gearbox. Mixed flow turbines allowed response times that were 20% quicker compared to conventional turbo set-ups. To guarantee the highest manufacturing standards, the assembly line at the historic Modena factory was completely modernised.
Performance was on par with expectations, highlighted by a 280 km/h top speed (174 mph) and a 0 to 100 kph time of just over 5.1 sec. The sleek body returned a 0.34 Cd. Besides its pace, the 3200 GT's opulent interior added to its appeal, and the introduction of the extensive Officine Alfieri Maserati personalisation program meant that every car could be made to order, above and beyond the 14 standard colours available. In June 1999, Group President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo could already celebrate the 1000th 3200 GT to roll off the production line. The following year a coast-to-coast promotional trip was organised in Canada with two 3200 GTs, each covering 10,000 miles.
Source: Maserati
