Een unieke auto, een uniek verhaal: van de Maserati Shamal zijn wereldwijd slechts 367 (!) exemplaren geleverd. Nog vele malen zeldzamer is een origineel Nederlands exemplaar. Wij bezitten er één! Deze heeft maar liefst 19 jaar lang op naam gestaan van één en dezelfde eigenaar die de iconische drietand al die tijd perfect liet onderhouden. Dit blijkt tevens uit de meegeleverde facturen. Anders dan de brute verschijning uit Italië doet vermoeden, is het dus écht een klassieker om te vertroetelen… De laatste servicebeurt dateert uit augustus 2023. Minder dan 2.000 km geleden is er nog groot onderhoud uitgevoerd inclusief nieuwe distributieriem. Geen wonder dat de 3,2 liter V8 Biturbo zo uitstekend bij de les is! Sterker nog, het is opletten geblazen zodra alle 326 paarden het asfalt bereiken. Kortom, een uitzonderlijke, mooie en pure machine die op z’n tijd met fluwelen handschoenen aangepakt dient te worden. Maar dan wel op straat graag!
Read moreMaserati Shamal.
A unique car, a unique story: only 367 (!) Maserati Shamal’s were delivered worldwide. Even rarer is an original Dutch version. Like this one, which has had the very same owner for the past 19 years. Looking at the overall condition and many invoices (all of them are kept since 2005), the classic Trident was perfectly maintained. The last service dates from August 2023. Less than 2,000 km ago the timing belt was renewed and the engine was completely cleaned. No wonder the 3.2 liter V8 Biturbo sounds and drives so excellent! Its brutal appearance matches beautifully…
History
Maserati named the Shamal after a warm summer wind that blows through Mesopotamia. For sure things will get hot in the cockpit as soon as the twin-turbocharged 8-cylinder shows its potential. Apart from the experience, the design is also too cool to keep behind closed doors. The characteristic concept is created by Marcello Gandini: the legendary car designer responsible for classics such as the Lamborghini Miura, Countach and Lancia Stratos. He continued to adjust the Maserati Biturbo bodywork – of which he also designed the facelift versions – until the Shamal got its very own look and became a worthy successor to the Khamsin and Kyalami; both V8-powered Tridents. This specific Shamal, newly delivered in the Netherlands, ended up in the hands of its former owner in 2005, who has been taken care of it with great passion all the time. In October 2021 (at 61,189 km) the engine including all nuts and bolts was cleaned, the fuel hose and cooling hose were renewed and the timing belt was replaced. Service invoices over the past 19 years are all present. It shows that Ferrari & Maserati specialist Helfferich was responsible for the technical (p)art of the Shamal between 2006 and 2009, followed by Italauto in the period 2011-2023.
Exterior
This is some brutal machinery. And not only technically. The origin of the Maserati Shamal goes all the way back to 1981: the moment the 1st generation Biturbo was born. The Shamal is related to the Pierangelo Andreani concept. Next, the 2nd facelift of the Biturbo in 1991 – drawn by Gandini, was strongly inspired by the Shamal. However, the Shamal is a lot more extreme: the aggressive looking headlights are surrounded by painted covers and there are 4 separate units at the bottom of the massive front bumper, which is almost as wide as the enormous fenders. Our Maserati stands on original Ruote OZ wheels. The aluminum rims contrast beautifully with the black metallic lacquer. Because of the dark rear light units, the extraordinary wide bodywork is all-black at the back. The Shamal can also be recognized by its big side skirts and of course the iconic spoiler at the bottom of the windshield to optimize the air flow. A design feature that returned on exotic cars like the De Tomaso Pantera Si.
Interior
Which is no coincidence, since Gandini sketched the Pantera Si and De Tomaso owned the Maserati brand during the development of the Biturbo. So there was a clear connection, to say the least. The interior of the Shamal is very similar to the Biturbo cockpit. Our version has a black leather finish on the sports seats, door panels, steering wheel, center tunnel, armrest and the complete dashboard including the instrument panel. Also, there are super classy wooden panels added to the dashboard, which are extended into the door trims. Furthermore, the center console, gear knob and handbrake lever have the same chic wooden finish. The anthracite headliner fully matches the floor carpets. This has clearly been incredibly thought through…
Technique & performance
At Maserati they also think a lot about power. While other brands kept daydreaming about twin-turbocharged V8 engines for their street cars, the Italians managed to build it. Accelerating is one of the Shamal’s specialties: from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 5.3 seconds. The manual 6-speed transmission by Getrag delivers a sensational driving experience every time you switch gears and send 326 horses to the rear axle. The hot Shamal wind blows until a staggering top speed of 270 km/h. But watch out for crosswinds during power slides: the Maserati can be quite ruthless in fast corners! That’s why it’s really important to keep your head cool. As far as we’re concerned, this can wait until the deal has been signed…
Kind regards, team Prins
