In 1980, Maserati introduced the Merak 2000 GT. The 2000 GT was basically a standard Maserati Merak, but with a 2.0L V6 engine. Largely designed for the Italian market, the smaller engine allowed the car to avoid large taxes on cars with engines over 2 liters. The 2000 GT can be distinguished by the black stripe down each side, as well as the use of matte black bumpers instead of chrome ones. These late Merak models were limited in production, with only 200 examples built.