This is the 1990 Maserati Chubasco Concept, a project that was intended to be Maserati’s next big supercar at the time. The Chubasco, which was named after violent Central and Southern American storms, was a mid-engined, two-seater design study that was planned to be produced in a total of 450 units worldwide. If you see some design similarities between this car and the wedge-shaped Lamborghini Diablo & Countach, that’s because the Chubasco was penned by none other than the famous Italian car designer, Marcello Gandini. Notably, the Chubasco featured the same scissor-style doors found on the Gandini-designed V12 Lamborghini’s, and many other unique and intriguing design elements. These included specially designed air intakes that were implemented to direct air to cool the cars most critical components, and also allowed for better overall aerodynamics. An electrical hard-top roof was also included on this unique car, which slid backwards and rested above the engine bay. The Chubasco features elegant body-colored aero-discs that cover the five spoke wheels underneath, which truly allows the model stand out from other designs of the same time period. While the design behind the Chubasco was certainly promising, the concept itself was simply a non-functional static display model, which current day is reportedly displayed at the Panini Museum near Modena, Italy. The project was canceled after Fiat acquired around 50% of Maserati shares in January of 1990, and the decision was made that the Chubasco would be too costly to produce. The chassis layout of the Chubasco was actually put to use later on in 1991 on the Maserati Barchetta Stradale prototype (1 built) and the 1992 Maserati Barchetta (16 built), a unique line of racing cars that were developed specifically to compete in a one-make racing series known as the ‘Grantrofeo Monomarca’. This in turn, lead to the chassis to also be utilized on the Barchetta-based DeTomaso Guara (52 built).
How many made? 1 of 1
Engine: Shamal-derived 3.2L twin-turbo V8 - 430bhp (planned)
Debut: Maserati festivities in Modena, 1990
Top Speed: N/A
0-60: N/A
Photo Credit: @carhistorian, @lambolog
Research: @rarecarsonly