A coupe or coupé ( / k uː ˈ p eɪ / , also US : / k uː p / ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors.
74-633: The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS , and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S. In 1961, Citroën began work on 'Project S' – a sports variant of the Citroën DS . As was customary for the firm, many running concept vehicles were developed, increasingly complex and upmarket from
148-577: A 'sports coupe' or 'sports coupé'". Coupé ( French pronunciation: [kupe] ) is based on the past participle of the French verb couper ("to cut") and thus indicates a car which has been "cut" or made shorter than standard. It was first applied to horse -drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. These berlines coupées or carrosses coupés ("clipped carriages") were eventually clipped to coupés . There are two common pronunciations in English: A coupé
222-525: A 38% Value Added Tax (VAT) against the usual 19% VAT. The Merak's competitors were similar two-litre models, specifically the Urraco P200 and Dino 208 GT4. The Merak 2000 GT featured a 1,999 cc (122.0 cu in) engine rated at 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) at 7,000 rpm and 186 N⋅m (137 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm, obtained by de-stroking and de-boring the V6 to 80x66.3 mm. Colour choice
296-402: A 5-speed, all synchromesh Citroën transaxle gearbox and a standard open differential . The original Merak's three-litre engine was rated at 190 PS (140 kW; 187 hp) at 6,000 rpm and 255 N⋅m (188 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm. Three twin-choke Weber carburetors (one 42 DCNF 31 and two 42 DCNF 32) fed the engine, and the compression ratio was 8.75:1. Maserati declared
370-676: A Maserati V8 motor – this was a heavily used test bed developed by Maserati for the 1974 Maserati Quattroporte II . Despite developing 190 kW (260 hp), the car required relatively modest adjustments, and the performance made the SM into a true sporting car. One SM had a V6 twin Turbo – developed by specialist Jerry Hathaway ( SM World ) for land speed record testing at Bonneville Salt Flats – achieving 325 km/h (202 mph). Smooth shifting 5-speed manual transmissions were fitted to most SMs. A 3-speed Borg Warner fully automatic transmission
444-539: A car with 2 doors and no B style are considered a true coupe. In the United States, some coupes are "simply line-extenders two-door variants of family sedans", while others have significant differences from their four-door counterparts. The AMC Matador coupe (1974–1978) has a shorter wheelbase with a distinct aerodynamic design and fastback styling, sharing almost nothing with the conventional three-box design and more "conservative" four-door versions. Similarly,
518-547: A coupe-like roofline at the rear. The low-roof design reduces back-seat passenger access and headroom. The designation was used for the low-roof model of the 1962–1973 Rover P5 , followed by the 1992–1996 Nissan Leopard / Infiniti J30 . Recent examples include the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLS , 2010 Audi A7 , Volkswagen CC , Volkswagen Arteon , and 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe . Similarly, several cars with one or two small rear doors for rear seat passenger egress and no B-pillar have been marketed as " quad coupes ". For example,
592-403: A coupé by applying this description to models featuring a hatchback or a rear cargo area access door that opens upwards. Most often also featuring a fold-down back seat, the hatchback or liftback layout of these cars improves their practicality and cargo room. The coupe carriage body style originated from the berline horse-drawn carriage . The coupe version of the berline was introduced in
666-518: A higher 9:1 compression ratio. The SS was recognizable from a black grille between the pop-up headlights. A Maserati-designed upper fascia with round instruments and a four-spoke steering wheel replaced the previous SM-derived interior. Later cars were bestowed with the full driver-oriented dashboard and three-spoke padded steering wheel of the Maserati Bora. The US-spec version of the Merak SS also saw
740-532: A number of two-door sedans built as well, a bodystyle the French call a coach . The 1977 version of International Standard ISO 3833— Road vehicles - Types - Terms and definitions —defines a coupe as having two doors (along with a fixed roof, usually with limited rear volume, at least two seats in at least one row and at least two side windows). On the other hand, the United States Society of Automotive Engineers publication J1100 does not specify
814-522: A production vehicle in this market sector since before World War II . The SM had an engine of only 2.7 liters owing to these regulations; it was the first response to the luxury/performance sector since the export oriented Chrysler Hemi V8 engine Facel Vega in the late 1950s. Citroën's flagship vehicle competed with high-performance GTs of the time from other nations and manufacturers, such as Jaguar , Ferrari , Aston Martin , Alfa Romeo , Mercedes-Benz , Porsche and Maserati's Merak . The origin of
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#1732852657794888-763: A return to traditional hydraulics, eliminating the last of the Citroën high pressure system. 1000 units of the SS had been made by 1983, when the Merak was discontinued. In November 1977 at the Turin Auto Show Alejandro de Tomaso presented the Merak 2000 GT ( Tipo AM122/D ), basically a Merak with a smaller two-litre powerplant. It was built almost exclusively for the Italian market, where a newly introduced law strongly penalized cars with engine capacity over 2,000 cc by subjecting them to
962-485: A rollover were proposed, limiting the development of new models. The hardtop body style went out of style with consumers while the automakers focused on cost reduction and increasing efficiencies. Saab used the term "combi coupé" for a car body similar to the liftback . A two-door car with no rear seat or with a removable rear seat intended for traveling salespeople and other vendors carrying their wares with them. American manufacturers developed this style of coupe in
1036-571: A steel monocoque construction paired to a rear tubular subframe supporting the powertrain and rear suspension. This was of unequal length A-arms type all around, with coaxial coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The braking system consisted of discs on both axles with the front ones vented. On early models with the Citroën hydraulics, the rear brakes were inboard so as to reduce the unsprung weight. Wheels were cast light alloy Campagnolo 7½J x 15", fitted with Michelin XWX tyres measuring 185/70 at
1110-570: A sturdy car if maintained rigorously, an SM requires two sets of specialist care – Citroën specialists, which are widespread in Europe, and a rarer Maserati specialist, to keep the engine in tune. Once potential buyers began to realize this, sales dropped precipitously. The Quai André-Citroën factory on the banks of the Seine River in Paris closed in 1974, necessitating new manufacturing facilities for both
1184-601: A symbol of optimism and progressive technology, similar to the SM's contemporary, the Concorde aircraft. The SM's design placed eleventh on Automobile Magazine ' s 2005 "100 Coolest Cars" listing. The main export market for the SM was the U.S., where the market for personal luxury cars was much larger than in Europe. Competitors included the Cadillac Eldorado , Lincoln Mark IV and Ford Thunderbird alongside Italian, British, and German imports. The unique design of
1258-453: A three-spoke steering wheel. The lightweight and more powerful Merak SS ( Tipo AM122/A ) was introduced at the 41st Geneva Motor Show in March 1975, although it did not enter production until the next year. The SS featured a 50 kg (110 lb) weight reduction and a 30 PS power increase to 220 PS (162 kW; 217 hp), due to the adoption of three larger 44 DCNF 44 carburettors and
1332-509: A top speed of over 240 km/h (149 mph). Early left hand drive Meraks (1972 to 1975) were fitted with the same dashboard as the Citroën SM, characterized by oval instrument gauges inset in a brushed metal fascia and a single-spoke steering wheel. 630 cars were made in this configuration up to 1974. Right hand drive Meraks from this period were fitted with the same dashboard as the Bora with
1406-484: Is a fixed-roof car with a sloping rear roofline and one or two rows of seats. However, there is some debate surrounding whether a coupe must have two doors for passenger egress or whether cars with four doors can also be considered coupés. This debate has arisen since the early 2000s, when four-door cars such as the Mazda RX-8 and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class have been marketed as "four-door coupés" or "quad coupés", although
1480-412: Is a lightweight sporty two-door car, typically with two seats but also including 2+2 cars. A club coupe is a two-door car with a larger rear-seat passenger area, compared with the smaller rear-seat area in a 2+2 body style. Thus, club coupes resemble coupes as both have two doors, but feature a full-width rear seat that is accessible by tilting forward the backs of the front seats. A hardtop coupe
1554-400: Is a style of automobile characterized by two side windows and a backlight (rear window). The front windscreens are not counted. The three-window coupe has a distinct difference from the five-window coupe, which has an additional window on each side behind the front doors. These two-door cars typically have small-sized bodies with only a front seat and an occasional small rear seat. The style
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#17328526577941628-472: Is a two-door car that lacks a structural pillar ("B" pillar) between the front and rear side windows. When these windows are lowered, the effect is like that of a convertible coupé with the windows down. The hardtop body style was popular in the United States from the early 1950s until the 2000s. It was also available in European and Japanese markets. Safety regulations for roof structures to protect passengers in
1702-437: Is accustomed to the system, then traditional steering feels old-fashioned. This steering was controversial at the time – the exaggerated, strong-arm steering inputs required in contemporary cars could cause abrupt manoeuvres in the SM. When the SM was cast as a TV series regular on The Protectors (1972), the lead actress refused to drive it, because of the familiarization required from the steering. The DIRAVI steering
1776-405: Is aircraft grade aluminum, while the external bright work is stainless steel, rather than 'cheaper' chrome (except for "plastichrome" "SM" trim at the rear base of the rain gutter). In 1970, it was the fastest front-wheel-drive car, with a factory-quoted top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph), and independent tests achieving as much as 235 km/h (146 mph). It was an example of the car as
1850-406: Is required at higher speed. If the driver released the steering wheel, then the steering would center back to the straight ahead position. It was geared for minimal steering input – with 2 turns from lock to lock, often described as like a go kart . Many contemporary reviewers remarked that this system would take at least 80 km (50 mi) of driving to become familiar, but once the driver
1924-415: Is self-centering and fully powered (as opposed to hydraulically assisted). This feature allows the front wheels to run near-zero caster, and means that there is no camber change as lock is applied, and also ensures that the maximum amount of tyre area is in contact with the road at all times. The wiper mechanism, when on the "low speed" setting, is 'sensitive' to rain, by measuring the current needed to drive
1998-565: The Alfa Romeo GT or Infiniti Q60 – or have little engineering in common with other vehicles from the manufacturer – such as the Toyota GT86 . Maserati Merak The Maserati Merak ( Tipo AM122 ) is a mid-engined 2+2 sports car produced by Maserati between 1972 and 1983. The Merak was closely related to the Maserati Bora , sharing part of its structure and body panels, but
2072-553: The Biturbo (40,000 units). The Merak, Khamsin , and Bora , used Citroën's high-pressure hydraulics for some functions, and the Citroën gearbox in the Merak, during the Citroën-Maserati alliance. Contemporary automotive journalists were effusive about the SM's dynamic qualities, which were unlike anything they had experienced before. The SM provided a combination of comfort, sharp handling, and braking not available in any other car at
2146-611: The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus coupes and sedans (late-1990 through 2000s), have little in common except their names. The coupes were engineered by Mitsubishi and built in Illinois, while the sedans were developed by Chrysler and built in Michigan. Some coupes may share platforms with contemporary sedans. Coupes may also exist as model lines in their own right, either closely related to other models, but named differently – such as
2220-523: The Rover P5 was a much earlier example, with a variant introduced in 1962 having a lower, sleeker roofline marketed as the Rover P5 Coupé. In the 1940s and 1950s, coupés were distinguished from sedans by their shorter roof area and sportier profile. Similarly, in more recent times, when a model is sold in both coupé and sedan body styles, generally the coupe is sportier and more compact. There have been
2294-468: The Society of Automobile Engineers suggested nomenclature for car bodies that included the following: Coupe: An enclosed car operated from the inside with seats for two or three and sometimes a backward-facing fourth seat. Coupelet: A small car seating two or three with a folding top and full height doors with fully retractable windows. Convertible coupe: A roadster with a removable coupe roof. During
Citroën SM - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-479: The hydropneumatically suspended Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 . Peugeot even introduced a V6 powered car of similar displacement and fuel consumption in 1975, the 604 . In the U.S. (the main export market for the SM), the SM was actually an economical vehicle relative to its competitors. However, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) imposed new automotive design regulations in 1974, effectively banning
2442-696: The sophisticated Citroën suspension with a Maserati V6 . The result was the Citroën SM, first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1970. It went on sale in France in September of that year. Factory produced cars were all left-hand-drive, although RHD conversions were done in the UK and Australia. This car was unusual for France – production of luxury cars was heavily restricted in the country by post-World War II puissance fiscale horsepower tax , so France had not had
2516-403: The 18th century as a shortened ("cut") version with no rear-facing seat. Normally, a coupé had a fixed glass window in the front of the passenger compartment. The coupé was considered an ideal vehicle for women to use to go shopping or to make social visits. The early coupé automobile's passenger compartment followed in general conception the design of horse-drawn coupés, with the driver in
2590-506: The 2003 Saturn Ion , the 2003 Mazda RX-8 , and the 2011-2022 Hyundai Veloster . Particularly popular in Europe, many cars are designed with coupe styling, but a three-door hatchback/liftback layout to improve practicality, including cars such as the Jaguar E-Type , Mitsubishi 3000GT , Datsun 240Z , Toyota Supra , Mazda RX-7 , Alfa Romeo Brera , Ford/Mercury Cougar and Volkswagen Scirocco . A two-door car designed for driving to
2664-585: The 20th century, the term coupé was applied to various close-coupled cars (where the rear seat is located further forward than usual and the front seat further back than usual). Since the 1960s the term coupé has generally referred to a two-door car with a fixed roof. Since 2005, several models with four doors have been marketed as "four-door coupés", however, reactions are mixed about whether these models are actually sedans instead of coupés. According to Edmunds , an American automotive guide, "the four-door coupe category doesn't really exist." A berlinetta
2738-548: The Citroën from the U.S. market. As illustrated under production numbers, SM sales declined starting in 1972. This appears to be attributable to maintenance issues. Like an exotic Italian car, the Weber carburetors require frequent adjustment. Many engines experienced failure at 60,000 km – it was unclear to most owners that the interference engine design has timing chains that require manual adjustment, an issue not corrected until long after production ceased. The 90° engine timing
2812-693: The DS and the SM. The runout DS models were built at the new Aulnay-sous-Bois factory, while the final 135 examples of the SM were built by Ligier . Components of the SM lived on, albeit mirror imaged – in the Maserati Merak (engine, transmission) and the Lotus Esprit (transmission). The successful Citroën CX carried forward most of the SM's dynamic qualities, including the trendsetting speed sensitive power steering . A total of 12,920 SMs were produced during its lifetime. Sales declined steeply each year following
2886-401: The DS. At some stage in the 9-year project, it evolved from developing a faster variant of the 1955 DS to developing an entirely new, thoroughly engineered car – in terms of engineering effort, a replacement for the high volume DS model. Citroën purchased Maserati in 1968 with the intention of harnessing Maserati's high-performance engine technology to produce a true Gran Tourer car, combining
2960-460: The Merak used a more compact V6, that could therefore be mounted longitudinally . Having been designed during the Citroën ownership of Maserati (1968–1975) certain Citroën hydropneumatic systems were used in the Merak and the early Merak SS. In these cars the braking system was hydraulically assisted and operated, and the pop-up headlights hydraulically actuated. The clutches on these cars used
3034-534: The Merak. Unlike its bigger sister the Merak doesn't have a full glass fastback , but rather a cabin ending abruptly with a vertical rear window and a flat, horizontal engine cover pierced by four series of ventilation slats. Giugiaro completed the vehicle's silhouette by adding open flying buttresses, visually extending the roofline to the tail. The main competitors of the Merak were the similarly Italian, mid-engine, 3-litre and 2+2 Dino 308 GT4 and Lamborghini Urraco . However unlike its transverse V8-engined rivals
Citroën SM - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-502: The SM made quite a splash and won the Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award in 1972, unheard of for a non-US vehicle at the time. The SM's system of six replaceable-bulb composite halogen headlamps with swivelling high beams was illegal in the U.S., where regulations at the time required all vehicles to have two or four round sealed-beam headlamps on fixed mounts and with no lens or other covering in front of them. So, SMs for
3182-401: The SM resembles a teardrop, with a wide front track tapering to a narrower rear track. The SM was unusually aerodynamic for its era, with a Kamm tail and low drag coefficient . At launch, Citroën claimed a drag coefficient of 0.26, although it later published a revised figure of 0.339. The ventilation intake is located in a "neutral" area on the hood, which makes the ventilator fan regulate
3256-426: The SM's fuel economy and the large 90 L (20 imp gal; 24 US gal) fuel tank made long, fast, relaxing journeys possible. Because the SM had a smaller 130 kW (174 hp) engine than competitors, the acceleration was adequate rather than exemplary – some competitors were quicker. Some owners have fitted the similar sized 160 kW (215 hp) Maserati Merak SS engine, which does improve
3330-500: The U.S. market were fitted with four exposed round non-swivelling sealed beams. Despite initial success, U.S. sales ceased suddenly when Citroën did not receive an expected exemption for the 1974 model year 5 mph (8.0 km/h) bumper regulation imposed by the NHTSA . The integral variable height suspension of the SM made compliance impossible. The 1974 SMs built for the U.S. market (134 cars), could not be supplied to Americans due to
3404-610: The common DS model's nickname 'La déesse' (The Goddess). The SM did not find a sufficient customer base in the small European GT market, but much of the SM's technology was carried forward to the successful Citroën CX , launched in 1974 the DIRAVI steering being the most obvious example. The same basic engine in enlarged 3.0 L form (some in Italy had 2.0 L) was used in Maserati's own Merak (1,800 units) and later with some modification in
3478-473: The company and, in May 1975, divested from Maserati . Peugeot quickly decided to stop building the SM, as production had dropped to 294 cars in 1974 and 115 units the final year. Observers often attribute the demise of the SM to the 1973 oil crisis and economic recession . While the oil shock certainly affected sales, many far more profligate cars were introduced at the same time the SM ceased production, including
3552-421: The driving experience considerably. Fuel consumption compares favorably to most competitors. The SM combined many unusual and innovative features, some of which were only becoming commonplace on cars manufactured many decades later. It borrowed heavily from the innovations introduced on the DS, by including hydro-pneumatic (oleo pneumatic) self-leveling suspension , and self-leveling lights that swiveled with
3626-470: The effective date of the bumper regulation, so were sold in Japan instead. The SM was sold with a small, lightweight engine in various forms, designed from scratch by Giulio Alfieri but capable of being assembled on existing V8 tooling. Because of this, the engine sported an unusual 90° angle between cylinder banks – a trait shared with the later PRV V6 . It was a very compact and innovative design that allowed
3700-422: The first full year of production. The North American market took 2,400 cars in 1972 and 1973. The factory produced just a single body style – a LHD two-door fastback fixed head coupé, but the design did inspire a variety of derivatives, none produced in any quantity. Coachbuilder Henri Chapron from Levallois-Perret produced several very collectible variants of the SM. Coup%C3%A9 The term coupé
3774-459: The front and 205/70 at the rear. The compact spare tyre was stored in the engine compartment, above the transmission. On most US delivered models, the spare tyre was full size, requiring a modification to the engine cover (the humpback) and lowering the muffler. The Merak's V6 engine descended from the 2.7 L Tipo C.114 originally designed by Giulio Alfieri in 1967 for use in the Citroën SM , that
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#17328526577943848-570: The gruelling 1971 Rallye du Maroc . Citroën continued rallying the SM, eventually developing a "breadvan" short-wheelbase racing variant. SM World, a marque specialist in Los Angeles, California, produced a turbocharged SM, which in 1987 set the land speed record for production vehicles in its class at the Bonneville Salt Flats , Utah – traveling 325 km/h (202 mph). After the 1974 bankruptcy of Citroën, Peugeot took ownership of
3922-425: The interior ventilation at all road speeds. With its distinctly modernist influence, the interior styling of the SM is as dramatic as the exterior. The small oval steering wheel is matched by oval gauges. The manual shift lever 'boot' is a highly stylized chrome gate. The seats are highly adjustable buckets with centre padding composed of many individual 'rolls'. High-quality materials are used throughout. The bonnet
3996-411: The late 1930s. The 1921 and 1922 LaFayette models were available in a variety of open and closed body styles that included a close-coupled version featuring two center-opening doors on each side that was marketed as a Four-Door Coupe. The 1927 Nash Advanced Six was available in four-door coupe body style. More recently, the description has been applied by marketers to describe four-door cars with
4070-552: The model name 'SM' is not completely clear. The 'S' may derive from the Project 'S' designation, the aim of which was to produce what is essentially a sports variant of the Citroën DS , and the 'M' perhaps refers to Maserati, hence SM is often assumed to stand for "Systeme Maserati" or "Sports Maserati". Another common alternative is Série Maserati , but others have suggested it is short for 'Sa Majesté' (Her Majesty in French), which aligns with
4144-404: The number of doors, instead defining a coupé as having a rear interior volume of less than 33 cu ft (934 L). The definition of coupé started to blur when manufacturers began to produce cars with a 2+2 body style (which have a sleek, sloping roofline, two doors, and two functional seats up front, plus two small seats in the back). Some manufacturers also blur the definition of
4218-445: The open at the front and an enclosure behind him for two passengers on one bench seat . The French variant for this word thus denoted a car with a small passenger compartment. By the 1910s, the term had evolved to denote a two-door car with the driver and up to two passengers in an enclosure with a single bench seat. The coupé de ville , or coupé chauffeur, was an exception, retaining the open driver's section at front. In 1916,
4292-442: The opera with easy access to the rear seats. Features sometimes included a folding front seat next to the driver or a compartment to store top hats . Often they would have solid rear-quarter panels, with small, circular windows, to enable the occupants to see out without being seen. These opera windows were revived on many U.S. automobiles during the 1970s and early 1980s. The three-window coupe (commonly just "three-window")
4366-485: The rear of the car, so on hard braking the entire car lowers evenly. Standard wheels are steel with stainless trims, but for the rigors of off-road racing, Michelin developed a unique solution – a lightweight fiberglass wheel, which became a factory fitted option. These plastic wheels weigh less than half the standard weight and were decades in advance of similar applications. Hemmings and others are wrong when mentioning Michelin's "Roues Resin" as carbon fiber wheels,
4440-512: The same hydropneumatic system as the brakes, but only some cars included servo assistance on the clutch. After 1976, when the French manufacturer gave up control of Maserati, the Citroën-derived parts were gradually replaced by more conventional systems. When Alejandro de Tomaso purchased Maserati in 1977, the Bora was discontinued after a production run of less than 600 cars, while the Merak remained on sale for six more years. The Merak used
4514-401: The steering (except in the United States, where these were illegal at the time). The SM was Citroën's means of demonstrating just how much power and performance could be accommodated in a front-wheel drive design. This was novel, and many technical issues needed to be overcome, especially related to torque steer , where excessive steering feedback affects control of the vehicle. A solution
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#17328526577944588-404: The time. The magazine Popular Science reported that the SM had the shortest stopping distance of any car they had tested. Automotive journalists marveled at the resulting ability to travel for hours at 200 km/h (124 mph) in comfort. In 1972 Motorsport (U.K.) noted ..."that rare quality of being a nice car to be in at any speed, from stationary to maximum." The touring range based on
4662-470: The use of just one pattern for the cylinder heads and an intermediate shaft extended out to drive the auxiliaries. The engine was aluminum, weighing just 140 kg (309 lb), and was always mounted behind the front axle . The size of the 2.7 L engine was limited by French puissance fiscale taxation, which made large displacement vehicles too expensive to sell in any quantity in France . One SM had
4736-591: The wheels contain glass fibers, not carbon fibers. This is very clear when seeing the backside of the rims. Jalopnik also wrongly states that the wheels are made with carbon fibers Designed in-house by Citroën's chief designer Robert Opron , the SM bears a family resemblance to the Citroën CX and Citroën GS , and to some extent the Maserati Mistral . Like the CX, the SM retains the rear fender skirts , and seen from above,
4810-400: The wiper motor, while the steering column is adjustable in both height and reach. The braking system, adapted from the DS, employs disc brakes at all four corners (the DS has drums at the rear), with the front brakes being inboard , and cooled via large ducts on the front underside of the car. The hydraulic braking pressure front to rear balance is self-adjusting according to the weight in
4884-736: Was an option in North America in 1972–73, and in Europe 1974–75. The engine was also used in the Maserati Merak from 1972 to 1982. Later versions of the Merak SS had much larger valves and developed 160 kW (220 hp). The Ligier JS2 sports car also used this V6 engine . The final SMs were produced in the Ligier factory in Vichy . Under new ownership, Maserati developed the 1981 Biturbo model, by applying turbocharging to this engine, and sold 40,000 units. The SM won its first competitive outing,
4958-412: Was bored out to 91.6 mm (piston stroke remained 75 mm) to displace 3 litres (2,965 cc). It was a chain-driven double overhead camshaft, 12-valve unit featuring an unusual 90° angle between the cylinder banks . The lubrication system used a wet sump and an oil cooler. The powerplant was mounted longitudinally behind the passenger compartment, and joined through a single-plate dry clutch to
5032-507: Was called, allowed great assistance to the motorist while parking, but little assistance at motorway speeds. The system adjusts the hydraulic pressure on the steering centering cam according to vehicle speed so that the amount of steering feel remained almost constant at any speed, counteracting the tendency of manual and ordinary power assisted steering to feel light at high speed. Thus the car turns easily at low speed, emphasized by high gearing given two turns lock-lock, and relatively more effort
5106-418: Was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past participle of couper , "cut". Some coupé cars only have two seats, while some also feature rear seats. However, these rear seats are usually lower quality and much smaller than those in the front. Furthermore, "A fixed-top two-door sports car would be best and most appropriately be termed
5180-457: Was found – no road feedback at all – the driver points and goes, regardless of what the driven wheels are experiencing. Hitting a pothole at high speed would not turn the steering wheel in the driver's hands. This new type of variable assist power steering was later fitted to the Citroen CX in large numbers and its basic principle has since spread throughout the vehicle production. DIRAVI as it
5254-454: Was named after Merak , a star in the constellation of Ursa Major . The Merak shares the front part of its bodyshell with the Bora up to the doors. The front ends differ, mainly by the use of dual chrome bumpers on the Merak, in place of twin trapezoidal grilles on the Bora, but the similarities end at the B-pillar. Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign was commissioned to transform the Bora into
5328-422: Was popular from the 1920s until the beginning of World War II . While many manufacturers produced three-window coupes, the 1932 Ford coupe is often considered the classic hot rod. Some SUVs or crossovers with sloping rear rooflines are marketed as "coupe crossover SUVs" or "coupe SUVs", even though they have four side doors for passenger egress to the seats and rear hatches for cargo area access however only
5402-416: Was powered by a 3.0 L V6 in place of the latter's 4.7 L V8 . The extra cabin space gained by fitting a smaller and more compact powertrain was used to carve out a second row of seats—suitable for children or very small adults—making the Merak not just a less expensive alternative to the Bora but also a 2+2. The Maserati Merak was introduced at the 1972 Paris Auto Show , over a year after the Bora. The model
5476-457: Was unfamiliar to mechanics in the 1970s. Only Buick (1962–66; 1975–) and Jeep (1966–71) used a V6 with 90° between banks of cylinders. Another issue that has been resolved with retrofit is the unreliable ignition breaker cassettes. Most vehicles require only generalist maintenance, where any competent mechanic can properly maintain the vehicle. Certain vehicles – like Citroëns and Ferraris – require specialist care due to their unique design. While
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