Ferrari's influence on the 3200 GT

Enz0

Member
Messages
108
This article says that development of the 3200 GT has been heavily influenced by the team which engineered the 550 Maranello.
http://www.autozine.org/Archive/Maserati/old/3200GT.html
We know that the 3200 shares some parts with the 550, such as the brakes.

I want to know how the 3200 would have been if Ferrari had not taken over Maserati. Ferrari took over Maserati in July 1997. The 3200 launched on October 1998, at Paris Motor Show. Since there was not much time to work on, I think the influence was somewhat limited.

My main interest is the suspension. The 3200's platform (floorpan) is based on that of the 4th Gen. Quattroporte, but the suspension is completely different. From the Biturbo to the Quattroporte, it was MacPherson strut at the front, semi-trailing arm at the rear. The 3200 has double wishbone at the front and rear, like Ferrari. Was it intended from the early design phase, or was it the influence from the Ferrari team? What do you think?
 

Andy Marshall

Member
Messages
297
I very much doubt that Ferrari had any substantive influence over the 3200. Taking over the company just 14 months before the launch meant that all the major architecture and components of the vehicle would have already been decided on and developed.
That's not to say that some component sharing at a minor electrical level and such like did not take place, and it's possible that Maserati had sourced parts for the 3200 (whilst not connected to Ferrari) that are de facto shared with Ferrari cars by dint of the fact that they come from the same supplier.
The real influence of the Ferrari takeover can be seen in the 4200. - engine, body construction and many other systems were changed/improved/made more reliable.
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,102
When did Skyhook and the Cambiocorsa gearbox come in? Were they strictly 4200? I would agree with Andy, Ferrari would have had none or at least minimal influence on the 3200.

The 4200 is definitely Ferrari influenced, with the new F136 engine shared with the 430 onwards Ferraris, a modified body shell (nose/ front wings), Iveco/FIAT/Alfa/Lancia NIT Sat Nav system, and the aforementioned Skyhook and Cambiocorsa gearbox.
 

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
Fiat developed and designed the 3200 from ground up using the Shamal engine and adding more power. Ferrari didn't get involved until late 99 and they had little input on the car other than changing some components to make the car easier to live with (throttle less hair trigger, changes to steering so less nervous).

So to answer your question, nothing really just QA on later cars and I also believe from having owned later cars that the fit and finish is better.
 

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
When did Skyhook and the Cambiocorsa gearbox come in? Were they strictly 4200? I would agree with Andy, Ferrari would have had none or at least minimal influence on the 3200.

The 4200 is definitely Ferrari influenced, with the new F136 engine shared with the 430 onwards Ferraris, a modified body shell (nose/ front wings), Iveco/FIAT/Alfa/Lancia NIT Sat Nav system, and the aforementioned Skyhook and Cambiocorsa gearbox.

Correct the first trident to be built/designed and developed under complete Ferrari ownership was the 4200/Coupe.

Skyhook as it was know was first used on the 4200.

The 3200 used actuators (work when SPORT mode is activated) and 99.9% of all cars had them fitted, I've seen one car which had standard springs and it didn't have the SPORT or PWR button. This was NOT referred to as Skyhook though.
 

Enz0

Member
Messages
108
Correct the first trident to be built/designed and developed under complete Ferrari ownership was the 4200/Coupe.

Skyhook as it was know was first used on the 4200.

The 3200 used actuators (work when SPORT mode is activated) and 99.9% of all cars had them fitted, I've seen one car which had standard springs and it didn't have the SPORT or PWR button. This was NOT referred to as Skyhook though.
I agree that the 4200 was the first car to be designed under complete Ferrari ownership. But I have to say that the 3200's electrical controlled Bilstein damper is based on that of Ferrari. In fact, the actuator of the damper is shared with F355, 456, 550 and F50.
https://www.eurospares.co.uk/parts/...on-steering/front-shock-absorber-41502/158732

Has Maserati just used Ferrari parts bin or the engineering team from Ferrari made some influence? I don't know that and I'm very interested in it.
 
Last edited:

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,594
As I saw it, Ferrari took over as the 3200 was production Ready. They employed there build routine and checks (yellow dab pen) then junked the engine in favour of the 4.2...which was a test bed for Ferrari models. There has been debate if the 4.2 was a Ferrari or Maserati engine but regardless of this it has FPT stamped on it : Fiat Power Train
 

RSM Masser

Member
Messages
2,437
With some of the reliability issues in a 3200 - I would have thought it was designed by the British Leyland team of the 1970's
 

warrench

Junior Member
Messages
61
Speaking of parts bin raiding, the steering wheel in a 3200 is straight off the 550 Maranello with what seems like only a badge swap.
Have always been interested in the 550 and was poking around one for sale a few weeks back and it was a rather familiar look (and feel)
 

Enz0

Member
Messages
108
Speaking of parts bin raiding, the steering wheel in a 3200 is straight off the 550 Maranello with what seems like only a badge swap.
Have always been interested in the 550 and was poking around one for sale a few weeks back and it was a rather familiar look (and feel)
550, 456M and 3200 have similar steering wheels but there are some differences.

550
550Maranello_96548-960x540_CJBGMB.jpg

456M
456MGT_98287-960x540_O5KX6Z.jpg

3200
maserati-3200-gt_3453_4.jpg
 

Lozzer

Member
Messages
2,280
Correct the first trident to be built/designed and developed under complete Ferrari ownership was the 4200/Coupe.

Skyhook as it was know was first used on the 4200.

The 3200 used actuators (work when SPORT mode is activated) and 99.9% of all cars had them fitted, I've seen one car which had standard springs and it didn't have the SPORT or PWR button. This was NOT referred to as Skyhook though.

Mine doesn't have the active shockers, has the pwr though that alters the way the way the gearbox behaves? (auto)
 

alfatwo

Member
Messages
5,517
With some of the reliability issues in a 3200 - I would have thought it was designed by the British Leyland team of the 1970's

There not that bad at all... most of the problems are down to the fact that the cars and the build tech is over 20 years old!

Dave
 

MRichards

Member
Messages
278
The dampers on the 3200 were originally developed for the American Corvette and subsequently fitted to Ferrari cars.
I have a set of what were supposed to be 3200 brake rotors,but have found they properly belong to a Ferrari 360. The only difference is a 1 mm. difference in the rotor thickness.
The 3200 engine bears a remarkable resemblance to that on the Ferrari 550,save that the Ferrari has a different intake manifold and carburettors.
The 3200 is a real parts bin ***** with bits & pieces from many places.
 

alfatwo

Member
Messages
5,517
And for such an old 1980's engine design the 3200 twin turbo was way over 100 hp per litre!

And the torque on full boost with those small turbo's is just sensational !

There must of been some clever buggers down in Modena at the time :cool:

Dave
 

Arvid

Member
Messages
158
Fiat developed and designed the 3200 from ground up using the Shamal engine and adding more power. Ferrari didn't get involved until late 99 and they had little input on the car other than changing some components to make the car easier to live with (throttle less hair trigger, changes to steering so less nervous).

So to answer your question, nothing really just QA on later cars and I also believe from having owned later cars that the fit and finish is better.

Ferrari bought 50% of Maserati shares in mid-97. Medio 98 they launched the bettered QP Evo and from -99 they bought the rest and got full control. It would be natural to think they also tinkered with 3200 at an early stage as it was launched -98.
 

Contigo

Sponsor
Messages
18,376
The 3200 was launched months before Ferrari took full control.

The book (holy grail) states that too and that the 3200 was fully developed under FIAT ownership.