In Maserati's long history, mid-engined models are few and far between. The Merak, produced from 1972 to 1983, was the last of the line until the confidential MC12 in 2004, then the MC20 we know today. Fundamentally, the car is similar to the Bora, from which it differs only in aesthetic details, the design by Giorgetto Giugiaro having fortunately not been altered. It's under the hood that things get serious, the Bora's V8 having been replaced by a V6 - the same one that powers the Citroën SM. This is hardly surprising, since the Merak was launched when the French firm controlled Maserati, and the most observant will have recognized the exterior door handles found on the latest DS, for example!