Maserati Bora (1971 – 1978) Review
Maserati Bora (1971 – 1978) At A Glance
Terrific handling, excellent high speed stability, and amazing good looks, a proper mid-engined supercar
The Maserati Bora was the company's first mid-engined car, and what a magnificent effort it was. Maserati decided to build a mid-engined car in 1968, in order to compete against the Lamborghini Miura and De Tomaso Mangusta - at the time, it looked like all top-flight supercars would end up being mid-engined. Initially known as Tipo 117 the first prototype was completed in the summer of 1969, with the production car being launched at the Geneva motor show in March 1971.
Like the Ghibli, the Bora was styled by Giugiaro, who had by now gone it alone to form Ital Design, but the design studio had also devised the all-new steel unitary construction underneath it. As part of Maserati's then-current association with Citroën, high pressure hydraulics powered the brakes and steering, and aerodynamics were carefully considered. The Bora was fitted with the Indy V8 in 4.7- and, later, 4.9-litre form, giving the car a 170mph-plus maximum speed.
