Maserati Bora – Classic Italian Sports Car
Fast, Light, Mid-Engined – What More Could You Ask For?

Back in the 1960s and early 1970s Maserati produced a series of models which defined the class of luxury two-door grand tourer; the 3500 GT was restyled as the Sebring, followed by the wonderfully curvaceous Mistral. The Mexico received the V8 engine that had been used in the ultra-rare 5000 GT, and was followed by the Ghibli and Indy coupes – long, low and with long hoods to contain the engine and gearbox. The next car was still a tremendous grand tourer, but it was also a genuine supercar, breaking new ground for the company – the Bora was the very first mid-engined Maserati road car.

Locating the engine behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle had become standard practice for racing cars; the company had plenty of experience doing exactly that, as the Tipo 63 and 64 models, the second-generation ‘Birdcage’, were mid-engined. Getting the weight further back offers clear advantages for traction in a rear-wheel-drive car; with the correct set-up, such a layout can offer both tremendous grip and predictable handling, whereas putting the engine even further back, behind the rear wheels, can make a car prone to snap oversteer.

The engine was the tried and tested 4.7-liter V8, driving a 5-speed ZF transaxle directly behind it. Close attention was paid to the packaging, to make the car as practical as possible; the spare wheel, for example, was located directly above the gearbox. As well as a good-sized storage area under the hood a parcel shelf was fitted above the engine – it was carpeted to act as sound insulation. Even the window behind the driver’s head was double-glazed! The exterior was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and he produced a stunning body which was both fresh and new, yet had echoes of its predecessors. The front end was similar to the Ghibli – which had also been designed by Giugiaro – while taking advantage of the layout of the car; the nose was exceptionally low, and rose to meet a very swept-back windshield. The ‘fastback’ rear ended abruptly, giving a short rear overhang – yet there was an even more eye-catching detail on this most eye-catching Maserati. The roof and front pillars flanking the windshield were made of stainless steel, left unpainted with a brushed satin finish – just in case the rest of the stunning design wasn’t enough to grab your attention.

The interior was equally innovative. The driver’s seat adjusted for height, but was otherwise fixed – instead, the pedal box moved fore and aft hydraulically, and the steering wheel was adjustable for both rake and reach. Courtesy of Maserati’s collaboration with the French Citroën company, the car featured brakes operated by a high-pressure hydraulic system; braking effort was defined by how much pressure was applied to the pedal, rather than by how far the pedal was pushed.

The combination of the Bora weighing only 1,400kg and the V8 engine producing over 300 hp meant the Maserati had true supercar performance; 0-60mph in 6.5sec may sound modest today, but in 1972 it made the Bora faster than the Jaguar E-Type V12 and the Lamborghini Miura P400S, while its top speed of well over 160mph put it firmly in the top drawer of supercars. When the British magazine Autocar tested the Bora they were thoroughly impressed. “From a standing start the Bora fairly rockets away with just a few yards of wheelspin and a real shove in the back… We never found the limit of adhesion on normal roads and are quite prepared to believe the factory claim that 0.8g laterally can be maintained before the big Michelin XWX tyres let go… the limit is way above the speeds we are prepared to corner at, even on a closed circuit.” So their overall verdict was no surprise: “As we said at the beginning, we started out most impressed with the Bora. By the end of the test, when we had proved it to be the fastest and most advanced of the mid-engined coupés, we had even more respect and admiration for its engineering and behaviour. It is truly one of the most impressive high performance cars to come our way.”

Recently we had the chance to discover for ourselves just how good the Bora really is. Courtesy of Doug Magnon, we covered several hundred miles in a genuine unrestored example. It was enormous fun – the mighty V8 engine sounded lusty whenever it was revved, and the handling was completely secure – as Autocar noted, the limits of the Bora are so high that it would take an extremely talented (or foolish) driver to explore them on the open road. With the engine behind us, the steering was much lighter than the Ghibli we also drove on the same trip; that played a part in a minor incident which reminded us of progress in the intervening years; a late lane-change by another vehicle approaching a red light on a wet road left little room to maneuver. As soon as we braked the front wheels locked, forcing us to dig into our memory banks and use cadence braking: brake-release-brake-release. Unfamiliar high-pressure brakes, a wet road and no ABS – not a good combination. No traction control, no air bags, no stability program, all systems that are standard on a modern Maserati and taken for granted these days.

So driving the Bora today is more challenging than pressing on in, say, a GranTurismo S – and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Going fast in the Maserati Bora, when our own reactions and skill are all there was to rely on, was hugely satisfying. The Bora remains a great bargain – an authentic seventies supercar, with pace and handling to put it up there with the Lamborghini Miura and Ferrari Daytona, but for far less money.