by Mike Gulett –
I asked ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence program, to compare and contrast the classic Maserati Ghibli S with the De Tomaso Mangusta written in the style of Mark Twain.
Below is the result, note how the program seems to know about some technical issues with the Mangusta. I love this line, “…the handling, which is more of a friendly wager with fate than a calculated maneuver.”
De Tomaso Mangusta
In the style of Mark Twain
Ah, the Maserati Ghibli S and the De Tomaso Mangusta—two hot-blooded Italians, each with a heart of steel and a spirit of mischief. If ever there were two wagons cut from the same devilish cloth, yet stitched together with entirely different tempers, these would be them.
The Ghibli S, now, she is a lady of refinement. She wears her long, sweeping dress of sheet metal with an air of aristocracy, her proportions drawn out like the lingering notes of a fine aria. She glides down the road as if she owns it, which—if you ask her—she does. Under the hood purrs a V8, tuned by those same hands that once built racing chariots, and she has power enough to make a man forget his obligations, his responsibilities, and perhaps even his own good sense.
The De Tomaso Mangusta, however, is another matter entirely. If the Ghibli is the elegant lady, the Mangusta is the rogue—the smirking, knife-wielding outlaw who leans against the saloon door, daring you to make a mistake. Her mid-engine layout and gullwing rear deck make her look like something sent from the heavens, but her manners are entirely infernal. That Ford V8 at her core is raw, brutish, and unrefined, much like the handling, which is more of a friendly wager with fate than a calculated maneuver. She does not glide—she lunges. She does not purr—she snarls.
The Ghibli S is a grand tourer in the old sense, made for long, sweeping roads and gentlemen with tailored jackets and time to waste. The Mangusta, meanwhile, is a scrapper, designed for the man who values excitement over longevity, for whom every corner is an opportunity to gamble with destiny.
So, which is the better beast? Well, that depends on whether you are the sort to sip wine on a moonlit veranda or throw back whiskey in a dusty saloon. Either way, the devil rides shotgun.
Maserati Ghibli
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
I owned a Mangusta in the late 70’s with a transplanted 351V8 it was a weapon in a straight line
But super dangerous in the handling department .You could see pedestrians mouth ‘ Ferrari ‘ at the traffic lights.
Mike….. A very interesting juxtaposition of styles, but completely comprehendible. Next thing you know, you will be paying Huckleberry Fin to paint the car!
Mike – i prefer your writing or that of Wallace. My ADHD acts up and I don’t like to spend time on all the fluff, to quote Mr T, “too much jibba jabba”.
Great info moment, one of your best! These two great sexy and beautifully Giorgetto Giugiaro designed cars from 1966 +- are worlds apart even though they were born within two years of each other. The Ghibli is an extremely handsome and very elegant gran touring man car which takes no prisoners whereas the Mangusta is a sexy, strong yet very sensitive automotive female car that acts as an elegant race car. You marry the Ghibli yet spend your free wild time with the Mangusta! It seems that the Mangusta was the female version of the Ghibli. I witnessed Ghiblis and Boras being made at the Modena factory in last week of Dec of 71 and I own today a 69 SS, 71 Bora and a Mangusta prototype. The Ghibli acts as Mohammid Ali and the Mangusta reacts as Mikhail Baryshnikov. Sort of like a 500sl to a Porsche 911 in terms of mechanical function and definitely on a lower level of beauty! Keep your great articles flowing.