Engines 4200 GS different?

[Andy]

GS engine is advertised to be more powerful. But is this true or is it mere marketing?

A regular engine produced 433hp in this test.

http://www.autoweek.nl/video/4787/op-rollenbank-maserati-4200-gt

Was this an exception?

Andy

 

[MAF260]

GS has a whopping 10bhp extra apparently. Something to do with build tolerances, valve seats and intake changes.

 

[mjheathcote]

The GS also has a slightly different exhaust.
Then you have the different exhaust manifolds, the US style with the primary cat built onto the header, and the Euro style after a more free flowing design. Power figures are claimed the same though.

 

[rockits]

I think there must be several anomolies with cars at this level for several reasons.

The age & wear?

Does driving a certain way over time affect output and increase or lower it?

Did it come out of the factory up or down on factory figures?

Has it has any mods from previous owners that current owner is unaware of.

I had an R129 SL60 AMG a few years back that had a fabled story about factory figure stock being 380bhp. Story has it that the 6.0ltr V8 SL60 had about 410bhp in real world but Mercedes didn't want it to be perceived as a higher output than their flagship SL600 V12.

I had mine rolling road tested at about 380bhp at 13 years old and 100k miles so maybe some truth in that. That was with coil pack that could have been dodgy as I replaced it a few months later.

 

[ANY]

Nice video.

When I was visiting the factory a couple of years ago the guide told me that their test cars (4200/Gs) normally where driven 75 000 km before thorough analysis and in many cases the power output at that stage was clearly higher than when new.

Maybe Maserati were as well forced to present reduced official figures when the 4200 was released to not overshadow the then current Ferrari 360? When on track days I've never had any issues to keep up the pace / acceleration with the lighter 360s on the straights.

 

[allandwf]

Nice video.

When I was visiting the factory a couple of years ago the guide told me that their test cars (4200/Gs) normally where driven 75 000 km before thorough analysis and in many cases the power output at that stage was clearly higher than when new.

Maybe Maserati were as well forced to present reduced official figures when the 4200 was released to not overshadow the then current Ferrari 360? When on track days I've never had any issues to keep up the pace / acceleration with the lighter 360s on the straights.

Didn't they do that also with the 3200, and supress the Fiorano circuit times?

 

[safrane]

I have read many people stating this - that the engines were de tuned to prevent embarrassing the Ferrari brand.

Personally I think its up there with all the other urban myths.

I have been in a couple of 330s and they wiped the floor when compared to the 4200 and GS I have owned. The only way this could ever be proven is to have an independent test...and thats very unlikely.

 

[allandwf]

60s Ferrari quicker than a 4200 shocker! Yes the 355 and 360 were quicker than the 4200, the older ones weren't, including the 456. Though figures are very sparse, the AC reputedly matched the 550 round Fiorano, this came from write ups at the time.

 

[hladun]

4200 engines have long, fixed intake runners for low end torque (daily driving). Ferraris have variable length intake runners that are short at high rpm for more top end hp. I think if you overlay a Maserati dyno curve over a Ferrari 430 curve that would be pretty obvious. The Maserati engine "runs of of breath" at high rpms. And I agree no Maserati would ever have been allowed to have more nominal hp that the equivalent Ferrari.