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StarLight Garage presents the one-off Maserati Boomerang from 1972, with a very futuristic exterior and interior design.
This car would be a good addition to GT6 so it can race against the Lamborghini Countach or the Dome-ZERO.
Idea for this car given by CostasDrifter.
Launched at the Turin Motor Show late in 1971, the Maserati Boomerang was the third in a line of wedge-shaped show cars created by designer Giorgietto Giugiaro for his company Italdesign. It carried on where the Alfa Romeo Caimano and Porsche Tapiro that came before had left off. In addition to the striking exterior, the Maserati Bora-based Boomerang boasted an equally futuristic interior.
Finished in a striking bright orange, the Boomerang was still a non-runner when shown in Turin. By the spring of 1972, the car was fully functional and re-painted silver ahead of its appearance at the Geneva Motor Show. What was left unaltered was the dramatic wedge-shape design. A single, straight line ran from the tip of the nose all the way to the top of the roof. The windshield had a 13° rake, which was a further 2° less than the Bizzarrini Manta's windshield. The sides of the Boomerang were two flat surfaces, cut in half by the sharp belt-line.
On the inside, the Boomerang was perhaps even more spectacular with all the attention focused on the steering wheel. Mounted on a circular extension of the dashboard, the steering wheel housed all the major dials. In the original design, the emphasis was on a single large rev-counter but for the sake of practicality other, essential dials were added and a smaller rev-counter fitted. The whole column also served as a safety feature as it was connected to chain to prevent it protruding into the car in case of an accident. The rest of the interior was lavishly appointed with leather used for both the seats and the door-cards.
Serving as underpinnings for the Boomerang was a Bora platform, including its throaty V8. Although reports at the time suggested a competition engine was fitted, it is more likely that a street-specification V8 was fitted. In fact, when later tested, the Boomerang actually proved slightly slower than the Bora on which it was based. So thorough was Italdesign's conversion to road specification that when later examined by the notoriously strict German TÜV all that was needed for a full compliance was the installation of yellow indicator bulbs.
Following the fully functional Boomerang's debut at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, the wedge-shaped machine was displayed at the Paris, London and Barcelona motor shows. Like so many show cars of the day, the Boomerang was sold to a private customer in 1974. Many of the details of the one-off Maserati have made it onto subsequent production cars, most notably the wedge-shaped Lotus Esprit. What was not seen again was the highly unusual steering wheel / dashboard.
Specifications
Country of origin: Italy
Produced in: 1972
Numbers built: 1
Introduced at: Geneva Motor Show 1972
Designed by: Giugiaro / Italdesign
Engine
Configuration: AM 107.07.47 90º V8
Location: Mid, longitudinally mounted
Construction: Light alloy block and head
Displacement: 4.719 liter / 288 cu in
Bore: 94.0 mm (3.7 in)
Stroke: 85.0 mm (3.3 in)
Compression: 8.5:1
Valvetrain: 2 valves / cylinder, DOHC
Fuel feed: 4 Weber 42 DCNF Carburettors
Lubrication: Wet sump
Aspiration: Naturally Aspirated
Power: 306 bhp / 228 KW @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 460 Nm / 339 ft lbs @ 4200 rpm
Red Line: 6000 rpm
BHP/Liter: 65 bhp / liter
Drivetrain
Chassis: Steel monocoque with separate subframes
Suspension (fr/r): double wishbone, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Steering: Recirculating ball
Brakes: Ventilated discs, all-round, power assisted
Gearbox: 5 speed Manual
Drive: Rear wheel drive
Dimensions
Weight: 1400 kilo / 3086.5 lbs
Length: 4342 mm (170.9 in)
Width: 1860 mm (73.2 in)
Height: 1070 mm (42.1 in)
Wheelbase: 2600 mm (102.4 in)
Track front: 1475 mm (58.1 in)
Track rear: 1445 mm (56.9 in)
Performance
Power to weight: 0.22 bhp / kg
Top Speed: 240 km/h (149 mph)
0-60 mph: 6.8 s
THE OTHER MASERATIS ARE HERE
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