The Amazon Prime car show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond aired its 11th episode of the inaugural season on Friday. The tent for the new episode is on the shore of Loch Ness, Scotland. The 11th episode has been named Italian Lessons and the trio travels to France to prove second-hand Maserati are a better buy than a Ford Focus.
Also read: Watch The Grand Tour season 1 episode 11 live online
The episode starts with Hammond test driving the new Fiat Abarth 124 Spider at the Eboladrome. Unlike the previous episode, in which only one major car is highlighted, the new episode has more car content that will satiate true car enthusiasts. Here are the details of all the cars featured in the latest instalment.
Fiat Abarth 124 Spider
The main agenda of Hammond testing the Fiat Abarth 124 Spider is to find out whether it's a real Italian sports car or just a Mazda in a fancy suit. Fiat revealed its performance brand Abarth named Abarth 124 Spider at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
The Abarth 124 Spider is powered by a MultiAir 1.4-litre engine that develops 168hp and 250Nm of torque mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The sports car has a claimed top speed of 232kmph and 0 to 100kmph time of 6.8 seconds. True to any sports car, Abarth 124 Spider has a weight of only 1,060 kg and 50:50 weight distribution between the axles. It is priced at Euro 29,565 in the UK.
Maserati Biturbo S Coupe
The Maserati Biturbo was a family of luxury sports cars, saloons and grand tourers produced by Italian car maker Maserati during 1981 to 1994. Maserati launched the sporting Biturbo S, a two-door 2+2 coupe for Italian market only. It was powered by a twin-turbo V6 engine that develops 202bhp at 6500rpm (up by 25bhp over regular Biturbo). The boost in power has been achieved by increased turbo boost and twin intercoolers fed fresh air by two NACA ducts in the bonnet. The S coupe also boasts of lowered suspension and magnesium alloy wheels, painted in gunmetal grey. The S version was separated on the looks with other Biturbo models with its black mesh grille. The car was sold only in two colours -- Silver or Red.
Maserati 430 Saloon
Two year after the Coupe, Maserati launched the sedan version of the Biturbo. Richard Hammond's 430 is a high-performance sedan version launched in 1986. It came with the range topping 2.8-litre V6 Biturbo engine that develops 247bhp at 5600rpm and maximum torque of 384Nm at 3600rpm mated to five-speed manual gearbox. The car has a claimed top speed of 240 kmph.
As a range topping model, it was equipped with luxury features such as standard leather upholstery and walnut veneered steering wheel rim, dashboard, door panels, gear shift knob and handbrake lever. The 430 was considered as the one of the true grand tourer back then.
Maserati Zagato Spyder
The convertible Biturbo versions were designed and assembled by Zagato an independent coach building company in Milan. The first Spyder was launched at the Turin Motor Show in 1984 with an option of both the 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre engine. The Spyder was built on a 2,400mm wheelbase, which is shorter by 4-inch than the coupe verison. It is a two-seater with folding rear seats, anf the luggage space is larger than in the original Biturbo. Overall 3,076 units were built over a 10-year period, setting a production record for Maserati Spyders.
