Maserati Shamal
The Maserati Shamal is a small, two-door coupe introduced by Italian automaker Maserati on December 17, 1989. It is named after shamal, a hot summer wind that blows in large areas of Mesopotamia. The Shamal was designed by Marcello Gandini, who is famous for designing the Lamborghini Countach.
The center pillar acts as a roll bar and is always finished in black, a distinguishing characteristic of the Shamal. The name "Shamal" appears on either side of the central pillar in chrome lettering. The car has alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler and a blacked-out grille with chrome accents.
The interior of the Shamal features extended leather seat cushions, temperature control and the famous Maserati circular clock, which is placed in the middle of the dashboard. The gearlever is finished in elm. While built for comfort as well as performance, the Shamal was not as luxuriously appointed as the similar Maserati Ghibli II.
The Shamal is powered by a front-placed 325hp V8 engine. It has a six-speed manual transmission and an electronic active suspension control system. This system updates the adjustment on each wheel, based on road conditions and the level of comfort desired.
The Shamal has a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 5.3 seconds.
The final year of production for the Maserati Shamal was 1996. The car was similar in appearance and performance to the Maserati Ghibli II, which was replaced by the 3200 GT in 1998. Only 369 Shamals were ever produced by Maserati.