The Biturbo Spyder Zagato

Fuel injection was a huge help but unfortunately in America because it was Marelli and not Bosch (which was 99% of the euro market), very few mechanics had the proper equipment to diagnose problems and the dealers had already closed. At the time the only other car that used Marelli Fi in America was the Lamborghini Diablo. Bosch was cheap and easy to get parts for.

The Zagato spider with Fuel injection and Manual gearbox was my favorite of the entire series. Almost all of the spiders came to America with auto gearboxes (a huge mistake by the importer Qvale). The auto gearbox shifted way too early to get the Turbos to really kick in. With a manual you could drive it really hard. Such a fun car....

 

The Ferrari F40 used the same dual Marelli ECUs as the Maserati Ghibli II, Shamal V8 and QPIV V6.

 

You prove my point. Extremely rare with no diagnosis tools and expensive parts.

When these last edition Biturbo fi Zagatos came out the dealers were closing as fast as you could count them.

And as I said, Bosch owned 99% of the European Fi market. It was a good system but with no support in the USA.

 

Well there was never a good service network for Biturbos here. Even less so to day and the dual ECU models I speak of never came here except through special importing like my car. But tuners who now service F40s here can utilize the same equipment to service the later dual ECU Maserati Biturbo here. All six of them LOL . At the time Ferrari utilized those Marelli ECUs and later Maserati no Bosch nor single ECU was capable of managing a V8 with twin Turbos and direct injection. That's why they utilized two as two 4 cylinder motors. Maserati simply followed Ferrari's path albeit several years later with the Shamal and then adapted it for the V6 motors all the way to 1999.

 

Hello Terry...

Hope all is well.. It's been a while since you were here in TN on your way home.. Hope the car is doing great as well...

Mike

 

Same unit used for the F40, we used this last month for our 430.

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Two weekends ago, pulled some cars out.

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Hahaha, you betcha!!

 

I have been curious about this. I heard that just a few hundred FI spyders were imported, and that many were autos in the US market. Does anyone here know the production numbers? I wonder how rare the 5 speed is in the US (although technically mine is a Canadian ex-pat, like me).

 

Hi Mike! Great to hear from you. Mark and I really enjoyed visiting with you in TN. It made the trip home much more fun. We really appreciated your hospitality! We made it to Cincinnati for dinner and then home in the wee hours. I tried to send you an email to let you know we made it (too late for texting) but we were migrating our email system so I don't know it ever made it to you. Anyway, it was a smooth trip home and the car performed flawlessly. Its been a lot of fun and gets a lot of love from everyone, especially my kids. My teenage daughter doesn't mind it when I drop her off at school anymore!

 

Actually the crummy 3spd automatic was just for 86. There were no automatics in 87, no 88 cars at all. Then in 89-90 and a few called 91 for all the models 430, 228 and spider the automatic was a new much better 4spd. Those were decent and I'd have no problem owning one of them but mostly they came as a 5spd.

 

86 Spyders were 2.5 Carb 3 speed automatics, 87 Spyders were 2.5 FI stick, 88 not imported, 89 Spyders were 2.8 FI mostly stick, 90 Spyders were 2.8 FI 4 speed automatic, 91 Spyders were 2.8 FI 4 speed automatic (less than 20 imported)

 

Bob: just sent you a PM

Ivan

 

I was once told it was around 220-222 back around 1996. I think the source was MIE, but not sure.

for those looking for rare Italian cars, the 89 spyder should be worth more than they are based on comparisons to other rare Italian cars.

 

I have no real data. MIE might know. But I believe I heard something like 150 manuals were brought to the states -- and they were the later ones. Qvale insisted they be auto boxes. By the time the word got back from the dealers this was a mistake, it was too late.

Best thing about the Fi was smog testing. The carbed versions are a PITA.

 

Look to the GranSport Spyders, 473 total production.

 

Interesting. For some reason I thought the autos outnumbers the 5-speeds in the 2.8L cars. Maybe it's because those are the ones I see for sale most often. They're also the ones most often neglected. It wasn't easy finding well-cared for 5-speed 2.8L Spyder.

 

Agreed. Both are great cars and a lot of bang for the buck.

 

I am looking for a nice fuel injected 5-speed spyder. Must be in the USA or Canada.

Ivan

 

Sunday I did my last open trip: winter is coming!

ciao

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Today I got the Maserati Classiche badge, at Maserati headquarters in via Ciro Menotti, Modena, Italy.

Ciao

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Very nice! Congratulations!!!

 

The car have all kinds of modifications including a small cage inside. Not visible from the outside.

 

My USA model Spyder 2,5 injection version. One of only 122 cars like this... Bought cheap in Maine and transported to Oslo. Undergoing work to become roadworthy. Probably seen alot of sun in America. As you can see the window switch is faded from the sun. I just swapped it with the one for the seats (which is out of sight anyways) and then I had a like new switch Dark Aquamarine Blue metallic and beige interior. Thrange thing is, that this car had cloth interior in the sitting surfaces, and leather on the rest also on the back side of the seats! So I sourced two good used seats in full leather in Germany and put then in. Looks so much better!

Cheers from Oslo
Erik
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