The Coupé Cambiocorsa (Cambiocorsa means “racing shift”) was introduced at the same time as the Coupé GT in 2002 and was the car – along with the Spyder – that reintroduced Maserati to North America. Along with the new 4.2 liter engine, Maserati engineers adapted Ferrari’s already proven electro-activated manual gearbox, characterized by paddle-shift levers located behind the steering wheel to change gear in place of the traditional manual gear stick. This marked the first such application of this racing-derived technology in a Maserati, providing greater precision and control of the car in order to enhance the driving experience. While the gearbox is a true manual with a clutch, the electro-hydraulic actuator eliminated the need for a clutch pedal.  Control of the clutch by the car’s engine management system meant faster gearchanges, and made it almost impossible to miss a shift or stall the vehicle.  Also by eliminating the traditional gearshift lever in the central console with the paddles fixed to the steering column (right paddle for upshifts, left paddle for downshifts) the driver could keep both hands on the steering wheel when changing gears, helping to improve control.  This technology was adapted straight from the racetrack, and just as in racecars that use this system the paddles are affixed to the steering column, not the steering wheel, so the paddles themselves do not rotate.  This helps limit the possibility of selecting the wrong paddle when the wheel is turned, and also as race drivers know gearchanges are rarely to be executed in the middle of a corner.

Together with the new 390 hp 4.2 liter V8, designed and built for Maserati by Ferrari, the 80 millisecond gear shift time courtesy of the new gearbox combined to launch the car from a standstill to 60 mph in a blistering 4.8 seconds.

The transmission was integrated into the rear axle, a technique Maserati has been using on race and road cars for decades to help balance and handling.  The transaxle unit came with four settings:

“Sport” for competition style gear changes and faster responses, “Auto” for a fully automatic driving experience or “Ice” which limited the engine throttle to offer more control in the most treacherous driving conditions, and “Normal” to optimize the smoothness of the gear change and enhance fuel economy. The Maserati Stability Program included ABS (anti-lock braking), ASR (automated slip reduction – a traction control system), MSP (Maserati Stability Program – a stability control system) and EBD (electronic brake-force distribution) and was fitted to all versions.

As in the Coupé GT, the seats featured 8-way fully-electric adjustments. Driver’s seat memory kept the position of the seats and side mirrors, and heated seats were an option. The car received a subtle restyle in July 2004; the front grille, now taller with four horizontal slats, was the main change.

The Coupé Cambiocorsa served as the basis for development of the Trofeo racing car with which Maserati returned to competition in its own single-make championship; later it also debuted the car in the Italian GT and Grand-Am series in America.  A Trofeo with an essentially showroom stock engine and Cambiocorsa gearbox also completed the Daytona 24 hour race in an ultimate test of durability.

PRESS
Forbes Autos reviewed the Coupe in May 2006 under the headline “Practical Exotic Car”:

“An alluring two-door with scintillating performance to match its sensual styling… Even the most aggressive drivers won’t be disappointed with the Coupe’s firm suspension that enables razor-sharp handling… It blends classic and modern styling beautifully… The interior is spacious for an exotic sports car.”