MASERATI KYALAMI 4.9

Under Alejandro De Tomaso’s leadership, Maserati unveiled the Kyalami which shared its basic layout and elements with the De Tomaso Longchamp coupé.

Initially powered by Maserati’s reliable 4.2 V8, the Kyalami was seen as a transition model while the new management formulated their future plans. Even so, it proved worthy of the Trident badge. Unveiled at the 1976 Geneva motor show, it revived a notchback four-seater coupé philosophy which had been discontinued with the last Mexico four years earlier, and fittingly took its name from the South-African race track where Pedro Rodriguez won the 1967 F1 Grand Prix driving a Cooper-Maserati T81. The Kyalami was Pietro Frua’s last creation for Maserati, crowning a successful collaboration initiated 25 years earlier.

The 4.2 litre V8 produced 265 hp (later reduced to 253 hp with a new exhaust) powering the Khamsin to a top speed of 235 km /h. Starting in 1978 the Kyalami was offered with the most powerful 4.9 liter V8 engine - type 129/49. It was the eight-cylinder DOHC who made his debut on the Ghibli SS few years earlier, the same as the Khamsin with 280 hp at 5,600 rev / min maximum speed went up to 245 km / h however the 4.9 V8 was penalized by the regulations on pollutant emissions, and had to adopt a more restrictive exhaust system that reduced the power to 257 hp . Both engines were coupled with a ZF five-speed manual transmission or upon request a three-speed Borg Warner automatic. Mechanically the Kyalami was closely related to its contemporary Quattroporte, which was also offered with the same engines and gearboxes.

Out of 200 Kyalamis produced, 25 were specified with a 3-speed automatic Borg-Warner gearbox. The model remained in production until 1983 after which the Maserati range would remain without a V8 coupé until 1990 and the arrival of the Shamal.

According to the 'Catalogue Raisonné 1926-1990' by Gianni Cancellieri, 3 Kyalamis were built in 1976, 59 in 1977, 72 in 1978, 24 in 1979, 15 in 1980, 22 in 1981, 8 in 1982 and 7 in 1983.