My very first Italian car was a 84 Biturbo, I bought it in the fall of 1998 and drove it from Boston to California, and back! Reliable the entire way, two speeding tickets too, one for 115mph in the middle of nowhere Utah on I-15. I cruised between 110-115mph for over a hundred miles until I was caught I was 19. In my youth I knew nothing of engineering or what the Biturbo meant as a car to the brand Maserati, all I knew when I bought it was that it had the Maserati name on it, was built in Italy, and had two turbos. Sold. I came to learn that the Biturbo, although built in Italy at the same factory, represented something very un-Maserati. As a car and in fitting with Maserati's previous design philosophy, such a car like the Biturbo would have been the last thing the Orsi family or the brothers, or even Citroen would have done. Citroen at least had the decency to try for a mass-produced Maserati product, yet only stuck a Maserati engine in and not call it a Maserati, we know it as the Citroen SM. The Biturbo should have been a new brand altogether or perhaps labeled as a Detomaso because it was not at all what a Maserati ever was. This is why I cannot see them as a real, classic Maserati even if they were built in the same factory as its lineage suggests.
Boy did we follow similar (life) paths. I bought mine at 16 in 1995. It was an 85. So I guess we're the same age. All of the mispronunciations in high school....hahaha
OK I'll bite, what was "non Maserati" about them? They're going to now make the "Ghibli III" with the intent of it being a mass production, certainly more than the Biturbo ever was because if they don't they will fail. It also has a motor not produced by Maserati. These new cars hardly follow in the footsteps of the older cars which for the most part is a good thing if you're after a daily driver. So are they not Maserati's? Given the prevailing conditions at that time Maserati wasn't realistically going to be able to anything else. You will hear some people today bemoan the fact that Maserati isn't producing a smaller, lightweight sporty car just bigger heavy sedans and GT coupes. The product line varies over the years.
That's the bottom line. Ferrari was financed by FIAT. Lamborghini was financing the car business by selling tractors. Each of the three did what they had to to get through some pretty bad years for automobiles. Most of the mid-70's to mid-80's cars were not really such great cars. I'm sure you can find a few exceptions but there are ten bad ones for every good one. All of the manufacturers were sorting out: safety, emissions, crash worthiness, competition from the Japanese in all ranges of the car market, electronics, fuel efficiency, and on and on.
Are the new cars Masers? From a traditional sense, no not really, at least not in my opinion. The MC12 is the only car that comes close, even then I question is due to its engine of course, but the suspension and chassis work for that car is 100% Maserati. I have a love hate relationship with the Biturbo, I loved it because it was my first, it was strangely reliable, and it got me hooked on Italian cars. My misguided youth should have known better, but I'm glad I didn't. It cannot be a Maserati because the entire concept of the car is opposite of what we knew Maserati's paradigm to be, which was hand made GT cars. The Biturbo represented a car built more for the masses i.e. cheaper, and that simply isn't what Maserati was. Detomaso should have badged the car a Detomaso and perhaps made it in the Maserati factory along a new 80s model actual Maserati.
Sorry, but this is tired purist boloney. Are the new Lamborghinis true Lamborghinis? Not by your definition. Ferruccio wanted GT cars. Ferrari didn't even want to build road cars. So, by your statement, no roadgoing Ferrari is a true Ferrari. Ignore the market and all will be well is a surefire recipe for failure.
Way off topic here, but: What the heck is a Bugatti these days? It has nothing to do with Bugatti but the name. Also, I think the last GT built by Lamborghini was the Espada. And they were building the Miura by 1967(?). Mostly they've built supercars. The new cars are actually German aren't they?
Precisely. Just because it was once one thing does not mean it can never be another. What one person "thinks it should be" is an opinion, not a definition.
I may be slightly biased but a certain Biturbo has always been one of my dream cars. Here's mine: Image Unavailable, Please Login
It's a bit different than that. As a part of the deal to take over Maserati the Italian government wanted to create more jobs hence the higher volume models. Sound familiar? In fact they're doing it again to day. The new SUV is not going to be built in Detroit as some speculated. I just got this bit of news in a MCI/MIE news email. Fiat to invest almost 1 billion euros to make Maserati SUV at Turin factory: unions (Reuters) - Italian carmaker Fiat (FIA.MI) told union leaders on Wednesday that it would invest just under 1 billion euros by the end of next year to begin producing a Maserati SUV at its Turin Mirafiori factory. Fiat's CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that it would make promised investments in Italian factories, according to minutes from a Rome meeting with union leaders. The company also confirmed it would create a single luxury-car unit combining its Mirafiori and Grugliasco plants. "We reached an accord with Fiat, which decided to free up investments in the Mirafiori factory where the Maserati SUV will be produced," Luigi Angeletti, leader of the UIL union, told reporters after the meeting.
There ARE some Vintage Lamborghini folks who don't think the German Lamborghinis are authentic. God knows they aren't built anywhere near the same. These days nothing is. While certain vintage models are now enjoying a vaunted status it's not because of their legendary terrific build quality. Some of the construction was downright shoddy and even some of the engineering looks silly and sub par. Typical Italian "supercar" stuff from those days. They were a tiny and very inexperienced manufacturer at the time right up until their most recent acquisition. The complete opposite of Audi today. You can't get away with that stuff now and succeed. It's a German company now. Times change.
Just mentioning i met a fellow today looking to sell his 7000 mile Biturbo Spider which, from a quick look, seemed almost as new. Northern Nj area if anyone is interested and will put you in touch. Guy
Due to the threat of high winds and the possibility of rain I did not make the journey from Palm Desert to Riverside for the Vino Rallye sponsored by Doug Magnon and Philip Yanni. Instead we met up with the group at the Sunnylands estate in Palm Springs. Upon my arrival I was very suppressed to see a beautiful black Shamal, yes a Shamal. I could not believe my eyes as this is one of my favorite Maseratis. The photo shown is not the car but one very similar. It is my guess that this is the only one in the USA, there might be one other but I doubt it. Roland, the young man who owns it lives in Fullerton and is new to the Maserati community. I invited him to display the car in our upcoming Desert Concorso to be held March 30th at the Shadow Mountain Resort in Palm Desert. He was very eager to bring his car and may well come to Monterey in August as well. Ciao, FGM PS There was a really nice happy hour at Doug and Yvonne's with several old time Maserati guys present including Jim Bradford, Ken Olson, and Bill LeMasters a good time was had by all. FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login
Show and display import or is this the one that was for sale in Canada a while back? I thought that one was red. PM me if need be.
Bob, Would you say that this guy is a bit optimistic: 1989 Maserati Spyder BiTurbo 1989 Maserati Spyder BiTurbo - $27999 (Little Ferry) Exceptionally clean, like new Maserati with only 8,000 miles. Paint in perfect condition, interior in beige Alcantera in perfect condition. It's powered by a 2.8L Twin Turbo V6 with 225hp and 246ft/lbs of torque. You will be surprised how fast this car is from the factory. Mechanically in perfect condition. Ideal for a collector or enthusiast, car has no modifications . . . Image Unavailable, Please Login
Those photos from last year? Hey it looks very clean and that is exceptionally low mileage. One might be concerned about whether the head gaskets were ever re-torqued so they might be due for imminent failure. Best thing is to do a valve adjustment with a re-torque and new cam belt. Then hope for the best. Conservatively, plan on new head gaskets. I'm still on mine from 1988? so they last a long time if properly taken care of. That's a fair piece of work unless you're doing them all the time and are in practice. Who is these days? I've seen some 430s and 228s with low mileage too and similar asking prices. They're still asking. $15K, maybe $17k for someone who's will to pay the premium for a clean low mileage car. The rougher ones are all over the map from $8->12K. An 87 is less and still a great FI car. I prefer it's seats to the ones in the later cars. Much more durable and more comfortable. Here's another: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Maserati-Other-BITURBO-ZAGATO-1987-maserati-biturbo-base-coupe-2-door-2-5-l-/251379814018?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3a87678e82&item=251379814018&pt=US_Cars_Trucks
I sure would! As much as I like them.....eehhhh, no. The 87 just posted is a much better deal. Neat alfas in the background too. What is with the hood fit? Does everyone close the hood with jump leads on it at some point?