THE all-new Maserati Spyder is now on sale in the UK. The GT costs £65,750 on the road and the Cambiocorsa £68,750.

Fitted with a new 4.2-litre normally-aspirated V8 engine, the Spyder also pioneers Maserati’s use of a new Cambiocorsa (racing gearbox) transmission and an active suspension system called Skyhook. The Maserati 4244 cc all-aluminium engine produces a maximum speed of almost 176mph and a zero to 60mph acceleration time of 4.9 seconds.

Philip Mills, general manager of Maserati UK, said: “The 3200 GT Coupe really put Maserati back on the map worldwide and here in the UK, too. Our new Spyder is a technological leap forward and will move this exciting brand onto an entirely new level.

“It’s a car which truly embodies the spirit of the new Maserati, which is undergoing a dramatic revival both here in the UK and all around the world.”

The engine, which has a structure similar to the latest racing engine, is more powerful and 20kg lighter than the 3200 GT engine.

A conventional six-speed manual transmission is fitted to the GT version and an electronically-controlled, hydraulically actuated six-ratio transmission on the Cambiocorsa.

There is no clutch pedal on the Cambiocorsa. Instead, it uses F1-style gearshift paddles, a product of Ferrari’s Formula 1 experience, mounted to the steering column and an electronically controlled clutch. There are four different modes of gearshift to suit the driver’s capabilities and driving conditions - sport, auto, low grip and normal - which are selected using buttons on the console.

The manual gearbox on the GT has a conventional clutch pedal with hydraulic control and the gear lever is linked via shift cables.