Update Khamsin 1160: Made my own 17 inch wheels: 3 piece rims, used BBSS Style barrels ( 2.5 " outer, 5 " inner ) and made ( whith help of Khamsin owner Thomas Roelle ) CAD designed center disc. Tires: Michelin Primacy 4: 225-55 / 17. Drives perfect, big difference to Michelin XWX 215-70-15 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Very interesting. Could you elaborate on the construction process? As I see your wheels, they seem to have two structural pieces (a back barrel including the center, and maybe a front lip) plus a kind of cover that is fixed on the center on the front part). So more a kind of so-called 2 pc. wheel plus a decorative cover, more than a true 3 pc. wheel like the BBS-RS wheels. Also what was the fabrication process for the pieces: center/barrel from existing wheel, front cover CAD designed and machined from an aluminum disk? front lip from existing wheel? And did you keep the original studs to attach the wheels? Would also appreciate to see other pics of the wheels on the car... Finally, your comment on the driving is most interesting because Primacy's are not renowned to be spoty tires. They are kind of grand tourer tires with not that stiff sidewalls. Still they seem to provide a much improved handling compared to the XWX... Also no harsh behavior due to reduced sidewall of the tires?
Impressive work Achim, just like your restoration of course. Do you plan to make such wheels available to others and if so at what cost? Small world, I was just with Thomas last saturday, see my recent post with his red K.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-maserati-khamsin/ One for sale I see AM120US1284 I am not related to sale....
Very original car, interesting thing I noticed is that the control for the passenger side mirror was added to the center console next to the window switch
Goes to Europe no doubt. They're gorgeous to look at but that steering is not popular here. Brakes not so much either. But so many modern cars here now have electronic brake force distribution and are touchy as hell that I think the brakes aren't the issue they once were. Besides it's not a high performance sports vehicle it's a grand tourer. LHM is a god send compared to brake fluid for vintage cars. Alfieri went way too far what with headlight, seat and pedal rams. For me and I'm only 6'1" the pedals are all the ways back anyway and still not enough room. Being of Nordic heritage is not an advantage with a lot of older Italian cars. I haven't driven the Khamsin enough to remember but I imagine it's same as the Ghibli of Wilt Chamberlain fame, ditto The Indy and my Espada is also quite commodious, no not the toilet.
WHY? 235/60 15 Michelin P600s I just put on are perfect! Why go through all this for Michelin Primacy 4: 225-55 / 17s? If you just need a harsher ride there are much easier etc. alternatives.
Apologies re Pirelli--- Obviously too many bottles of Rhone! BTW---what do you dislike about the P600? Thanks .
Not the best handling and rather expensive for a "modern" tire. Not a "classic" tire either. And they become noisy when they wear. But I agree that there is no real choice in 15"... Today 16" and 17" are better for performance tires (not high performance!) but require alternative wheels. But that is a never ending debate
Is anyone going to track a Khamsin, Bora, Ghibli etc. Today? No they’re not. Is anyone going to be doing top speed runs? No they’re not. Is anyone going to be sliding them through a corner? Maybe, but probably not. Today the owners of these Vintage cars primarily do Tours with Spirited Driving where an absolute all out performance tire isn’t needed. About 15 years ago I was having this discussion with the Pirelli Rep. one thing he said to me was that No One builds a tire like the XWX that it was a genuine 200Mph tire. put on XWXs that is the proper tire for the cars.
Terribly expensive, ride like crap and just an all around awful tire IMHO. Great for high speed straight runs though. I remember vividly when I switched to Michelin XGTs and Gatorbacks it transformed the car and not just for 10/10ths extreme driving. I wish Pirelli P6000s were still available. In a 225/65-ZR15 it was a decent compromise.
I had no problems with the XWX on my Khamsin (in 1997-99) and in my LP400 Countach (1999-2001) despite that they became a little "soapy" in the wet. I drove both cars on the race track (Balocco, Imola, Goodwood, Nürburgring) and never had a serious problem related to the XWX. But I assume that there might be better alternatives now available.... But the visual aspect of these better tires could be another cup of coffee.....
That Joe is the American view. In Europe there are still track days at Maserati events and trust me I know a number of owners who drive their cars very spiritedly. Don't forget that the car cultures are massively different in the old and new worlds; in the USA you have massive police presence, ten times more than we do. So unlike us you don't get so easily to a great back road with practically zero traffic. Also in Europe there is a clear understanding in the public and police about the difference between a gentleman going quickly but respecting others and a dangerous criminal chased by a police helicopter at night on one of those horrible police TV shows. In the US you either drive like grandma or you are a felon that people want to report. So the culture of driving fast does not exist anywhere near as much consequently the focus has long ago turned to concours and people barely if ever driving their cars. That also has the perverse effect that a lot of US owners never get to experience the potential of their cars and some are intimidated by it and therefore driven even less. That is sad... I intend to do a filmed top speed run with GPS with a Khamsin on the Autobahn I know a couple of owners who will probably be willing. I was offered just 10 days ago to drive a Khamsin on track during the Maserati famiglia day in Beaune etc etc. Oh and what the Pirelli rep said just shows what a lousy company they are as they show constantly in F1 at the moment. Michelin is just so much more competent as professional racing drivers have told me numerous times.
The first photo below is probably #214 in the warehouse of Adam Carolla in Glendale (LA County) in 2015. The other two photos are of the same warehouse with some of Carolla’s Lamborghinis and a Nissan racing car. It was not easy to find because I hardly know him let alone his warehouse, Americans will probably be more familiar with him and his shows. Here are more photos of his collection in 2016: https://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-la-drives-adam-carolla-pictures-photogallery.html I don’t know if he owned #214 or if it was used for a show, so I made this post a reply to a post from 67alloy from 2015 because he appeared to know more about (the owner of) #214, so maybe he will react and tell us more. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
There were far better alternatives back when you were using them. A set of 245R and 235 front XGTs really do transform the responses and handling of a Bora. I can't speak for the Khamsin. I don't even know if they would fit. My experience with the XWXs was that they would give little warning as to when they were going to lose traction and it was all at once. Nasty.
Mark, I ran track events for over 20 years (Le Belle Macchine at Pocono & Daytona). If one is inclined you could find a find track days 2 to 3 times a week. The serious track people in the Italian car world purchased retired Ferrari Challenge cars or like Staats a Ghibli Open cup car. The spirited driving Maserati crowd will pick up a 4200, very few people will subject their vintage cars to aggressive track driving, it just hammers the car to much, even those that are properly maintained, they’re still 50 year old cars. If you want a track car, the buy is an Alfa 4C.
Well you don't do hours and hours flat out at ten tenths in a classic of course, a few laps, pause, let it cool down and back again. You can go very quickly with smoothness and without killing the car. Here in Burgundy it is paradise tons of B and C twisty roads and I drive my humble current Giulietta fast all the time outside of villages when there is full visibility no one is around but very smooth and never screech the tires, only slide in the wet; I don't want to buy a new set every month Tomorrow I drive 830kms, 500+ miles to the Padova show and when driving the Simplon pass in the mountains between Switzerland and Italy I will have my fun
