FOR A PAGE COVERING CARS THAT CAME F close to production only to be culled at the prototype stage, the Group B rally years are fertile ground, and here we are again with another obscurity from that amazing era of homologation specials.
Despite the Japanese name above the door, the story of this car is also rooted in Italy and Innocenti, the Milanese company that made BMC Minis under licence, was bought by British Leyland in 1972, and in 1974 introduced its own Mini, using the same old underparts but dressed in a crisp Bertone-styled body. This was such a convincing update that BL considered selling it through its own channels, only abandoning this plan because the Italian remix had less interior space than the British original and Longbridge marketing people couldn't stomach such a retrograde step.
Bu hikaye Evo UK dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Evo UK dergisinin December 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo - The latest, V6-powered GranTurismo is now available in open-top form. Is its combination of performance, comfort and style a winning one?
How appropriate for a car that includes a variant called 'Folgore' ('Lightning' in Italian) in its line-up that giant forks of the stuff are straddling the road ahead. It's almost as if Maserati has a direct line to the big man upstairs. Then again, giant hailstones are clattering against the fabric roof as well, and then turn to a deluge of water so heavy that to top 15mph feels reckless. Possibly not the environment the Italian firm had in mind when they chose to launch the new GranCabrio Trofeo around the Italian Lakes. Still, if nothing else it's a stern test of the canvas above my head and one that it passes with ease: there are no puddles forming inside, as you would expect of a £169,585 convertible, and it feels as quiet and snug as if I was driving the GranTurismo coupe.
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