2003 Maserati 4200 GT Coupé Cambiocorsa - A Perfect Balance of Luxury and Sport
 |
| The new 4200 GT is gorgeous, a fitting tribute to a revered history. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
During a conversation yesterday someone referred to Maserati as the 'poor man's Ferrari,' a term I thought I'd never have heard years back. Ironically, when my 1967 Maserati Mexico coupe was purchased new its USD$19,000 price set its California owner back approximately $4,000 more than the equivalent prancing horse, came with a much more sophisticated quad-cam V8 and lavished occupants with mahogany wood trim and pigskin leather. How times have changed.
 |
| Maserati had this glorious 'Birdcage' Tipo 61 on display in Detroit earlier this year. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Now that Ferrari has taken over post arch-nemesis Maserati, two automakers that battled for Formula 1 and Le Mans dominance in the late 1940s, '50s and early '60s, the firstborn of a new cooperative effort is available to North American enthusiasts. The prancing horse division contributes its F1 proven world's best automotive engineers - Maserati left top-tier motorsport in the '60s - and much needed investment capital to resuscitate a time worn product line. The result? A two-place roadster with the traditional Italian 'Spyder' designation has been in Ferrari showrooms for about a year while the 2+2 coupe arrived mid-summer 2002.