A whole new load of hunk and chunk

Take the latest Maserati coupe. It is only a few months since the launch of the two-seater Spyder, a car you would have thought difficult to "chuck", but the coupe is a whole new load of hunk and chunk, and so difficult to ignore.

However, for some it may look familiar but the new model is new from the ground up. There has been some work on the body, giving it new lines, a nose job, and a bulge where it matters, in the bonnet, and a sure-fire indication of the power that lurks below.

Air vents in the bonnet have also gone, another clue that things are different under the skin. They are no longer needed because the latest coupe now features a normally aspirated V8 engine, grown by one litre and 20kg lighter. Overall, it is shorter, lighter and more powerful. The twin-turbos that made the 3200GT predecessor so mind-blowing are out.

Nonetheless, the engine still shares the same glorious sound quality of the old motor, but now churns it out at 390bhp, 20bhp more than the 3200. It is astoundingly powerful with all the brute force any driver could require, but it does not feel as torquey as the old motor, mainly because it isn't, down 40Nm at the same 4,500rpm. The power delivery is now equally across the range, instead of giving that kick in the back that only a turbo can.

There is also a fair bit of Ferrari Formula One technology with the engine (the F1 champs took over Maserati in 1997), involving oil pumps and cooling system, and it is such technology that should keep the coupe ahead of the opposition in the performance stakes beating such worthy contenders as the Porsche 911, Jaguar XKR, Mercedes-Benz CL500 and even Merc's CLK55 AMG, hands down with a 177mph top speed, 60mph sprint time of under five seconds, an ideal power to weight ratio and, arguably, the best sounding vroooom from the exhaust. is also clearly in evidence.

And it does all this in a way that is far from intimidating. At normal, respectable speeds it drives without the unwieldy nature that afflicts many supercars. The driver can use the engine torque to be lazy and move along in a high gear at low revs. But use those revs, mind, and the world outside becomes a blur.

Of course economy is not to be considered too seriously: 17.6mpg at the combined rate, but as the owner of a Maserati, who is likely to be counting.

Any fears that Maserati would come off worst in the relationship with Ferrari are therefore unfounded. All the might of the Maranello design team has gone into the coupe and it boasts features yet to be fitted to any car sporting the badge of the prancing horse.

A particularly good selling point for the Maserati coupe is that its rear seats can just about take two adults, while the boot will take two sets of golf clubs. And talking of selling points, the manual GT is £59,950 and the Cambiocorsa £62,950.

But back to more important issues for the driver and passengers.

The new coupe is available with a new suspension system. A conventional system is also available but the Skyhook system, as it is called, features electronic damping, is softer overall than that in the Spyder and is linked to a special sports switch, matched to a F1 derived racing gearbox, called Cambiocorsa, that uses paddle shifts fixed behind the steering wheel just like on Michael Schumacher's grand prix car.

Skyhook is a prime example of Maserati getting the new technology first. It is ten times quicker than any other suspension system on the market, including even the Ferrari 360 Modena, and uses six sensors to measure pitch, roll and yaw. This data is processed by a computer and individual dampers are altered in the blink of an eye to ensure the best possible ride. Complex it sounds, complex it is, but the result is clear, great handling, great ride comfort and body control whatever the conditions.

Take it into Sport mode and the ride becomes firmer. It is a car that begs to be driven fast and firm, and can be done safely knowing that the high performance brakes, anti-locking and anti-slipping together with electronic brakeforce distribution are there to keep the car on track.

Getting back to the Cambiocorsa gearbox, it is still a manual system, the driver having complete control, but there is no clutch pedal. This is operated automatically after sensors assess speed, engine revs, driving style and throttle pressure. The gears change in 300 milliseconds, and generally very smooth. Reverse is engaged by pulling on a special T-bar on the centre console that operates a microswitch. The system will not allow the car to over rev.

Maserati expects to sell 60 per cent Cambiocorsas, the remainder manual. There is no conventional automatic, although there is a special auto setting on the racing gearbox for those who prefer a normal automatic, but the changes are no-where as smooth as using the paddles.

Inside, the trim and layout is new, too, and there is also 25mm of extra headroom and 15mm of extra legroom, and still room for those two adults in the back. Front seats have been much improved, the bucket-style providing more support than those in the GT. The instrument binnacle gets new style dials and colours and there is also a 20cm wide information screen on the centre console that displays air conditioning, audio information and a trim computer. It is designed to feature a navigation screen for those who need it.

The windows are electric, and options include cruise control and rear electronic parking sensors, as well as xenon headlights which come with beam height adjustment and washers.

Safety features include traction control, front and side airbags, electronic pre-tensioners on the seat belts, and also an inertia switch that cuts off the electricity supply to the petrol pump in the event of a violent collision.

There are 16 colours, and ten shades of leather available, and also a chance to personalise the car, from the colour of the leather stitches to the design of the alloy wheels.

Updated: 10:52 Friday, June 28, 2002