| Maserati Barchetta | |
| Manufacturer: | Maserati |
| Production: | 1991 - 1992 (17 units produced) |
| Class: | Racing car |
| Body Style: | 2-door speedster |
| Engine: | 90°, 24-valve twin-turbocharged AM501 V6 |
| Transmission: | 6-speed ZF manual |
| Length: | 4050NaN |
| Width: | 1965NaN |
| Height: | 930NaN |
| Weight: | 775NaN |
| Wheelbase: | 2600NaN |
| Layout: | Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Aka: | Barchetta Corsa (racing) Barchetta Stradale (road) one unit only |
| Designer: | Carlo Gaino at Synthesis Design[1] |
| Related: | De Tomaso Guarà Maserati Biturbo |
The Maserati Barchetta is a mid-engine racing car,[2] like the 350 and 450S, that was designed by Carlo Gaino[3] [4] of the Synthesis Design,[5] an Italian design house.
The Barchetta was designed and developed for the one-make racing series Grantrofeo Barchetta[6] which was held 1992 and 1993 throughout Italy and Europe. It featured sixteen races in total, most of them in Italy. The Barchetta had a backbone chassis made of aluminium which was unusual for a Maserati automobile for a time considering that the cars offered by Maserati had a steel unibody construction. It had a Formula 1 suspension geometry and body panels made of carbon fibre which resulted in a total weight of . The Barchetta was one of the last Maserati models built under De Tomaso ownership.[7] 16 examples of the racing model[8] were produced by hand at the De Tomaso factory in Modena, plus two prototypes (one racing-corsa, one street-stradale model). It featured a mid-mounted Maserati AM501 V6 engine displacing 1,996 cc and was shared with the local 2.0 L engine offered in the Italian market on the Biturbo and the Ghibli. The engine had a peak power output of at 7,250 rpm. The engine was mated to a 6-speed manual transmission manufactured by ZF Friedrichshafen and having straight cut gears. These modifications allowed the car to attain a top speed of . Having a true open top design, driver protection was provided only by a small air deflector.[9]
The central-frame concept was carried over in the De Tomaso Guarà, but the frame was around 1301NaN1 longer because it was fitted with a larger V8 engine.
This was thought as a way to inject much needed excitement and enthusiasm for Maserati that saw its reputation badly ruined by years of exciting but maintenance sensitive products,[10] eventually culminating in Maserati's withdrawal from the North American market at this time.
