Maserati 3200GT Coupe

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Launched in 1998, the fabulous 3200GT marked Maserati's re-entry into the world of glamorous, big-engined GT cars and was the first genuinely new Maserati since the Bi-Turbo of the 1980s – although you will be pleased to hear that it's build quality was in a different league to the woeful Masers of that era!

It was a natural rival to the Porsche 911 and Jaguar XKR, although far more individual than either of those relatively commonplace machines. Performance from the twin-turbo 3.2-litre V8 was nothing short of ferocious: with 370bhp on tap it could sprint to 60 in just 5.1 seconds with a top speed of 174mph. To help keep all those horses in check, traction control was standard and there were airbags for both front seat occupants. There was also enough room in the back for two normal-sized passengers, often not the case for supercars in this bracket.

Styling was by Italdesign, whose founder and head, Giorgetto Giugiaro, previously designed the Ghibli, Bora and Merak. A distinctive feature were the LED 'boomerang' tail lights, sadly dropped in later cars as they were considered too quirky for the American market. One of the finest features of the car was its superbly trimmed interior with acres of beautifully crafted Italian leather, including a suede headlining.

Dating from October 1999, this particular car has the desirable 6-speed manual gearbox which allows you to take full advantage of the prodigious power on offer. With just four owners from new it has been in the current ownership since 2006 and has been pampered throughout that time, receiving a major £10,000 overhaul in 2014 when any issues were attended to. Recent new parts include the clutch, cam belt, starter motor, ABS module, thermostat plus numerous other items.

It has covered just under 81,300 miles from new with 11 service stamps to date and is said to be in good condition throughout and to drive well with an MOT until May 2016. A nice extra is the throaty stainless steel exhaust which was fitted by the previous owner at considerable expense and adds a thrilling soundtrack to match the performance.

Supplied with a good file of invoices to support the service stamps, this exciting and individual sportscar is just the kind of toy that any true petrolhead would love to have at their disposal to blow those cobwebs away on a quiet Sunday morning. Go on, you only live once...