We’ve seen several examples of Maserati’s early version of their sleek two-door “exotic” twin-turbo, literally named the Biturbo, and they’re always interesting. It’s probably more interesting to dream about owning one than to actually own one, but that’s often the case, as most of you know. This 1984 Maserati Biturbo is posted here on craigslist in Campbell, California, and the seller is asking $7,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Mitchell G. for the tip!
This one is priced at all the money. Hagerty is at $8,300 for a #2 excellent-condition example and $4,900 for a #3 good car. With several dings and maybe some other things holding it back from being “excellent”, I’m not sure if they’ll get close to that price. They say it was their uncle’s beloved Biturbo, and, sadly, he passed away this year, and this is from his estate.
Between 1981 and 1994, Maserati offered well-heeled and brave customers the Biturbo, and whether it had two doors or four (under a different name), or a steel top or no top, they were impressive at the time. They are still impressive today, but maybe more on the side of being impressive if you can use one for daily driving or jump in and take a two-week family vacation to visit several National Parks. You would be a legend documenting your journey through Yellowstone in this car.
The Dark Aquamarine exterior looks great overall, but there are a few dings showing in the photos, and some nicks and scrapes. The seller says their uncle kept this car under a cover if it wasn’t in the garage, and there is no rust on this car anywhere, even underneath. The classic tan leather interior looks nice, with the only glitch being a rip in the top of the driver’s seat.
This isn’t the engine a child would draw in art class when the teacher gives that as an assignment, but with some detailing, it could look nice. This is Maserati’s 2.5-liter SOHC V6 with 192 horsepower and 233 lb-ft of torque when new. That doesn’t sound like a lot, and it isn’t, but it propels this 2,700-pound car to 60 mph in around 6,5 seconds, give or take. Maserati was the first company to use twin turbos in a production car, so that’s a fun fact. Getting to your destination will be fun with the ZF 5-speed manual, and the seller says this car starts and runs well. Have any of you owned a Biturbo?
An Italian 🇮🇹 Classic. 🏁
While I was at a stoplight in my 1978 Ford Fiesta,a guy
pulled up in the merging lane next to me.I acted like I didn’t
noticed him,but “gave it gas” when the light changed,then he
“floored it” to get ahead of me,kicking both turbos in.
I guess the jerk couldn’t stand to be content with following
me,even though I was driving the speed limit up to that point.
If it was one of these, he’s lucky it didn’t stall
Ha, classic. I’ve noticed that “those folks” usually want someone else to run block for them, so that’s why they tailgate so often. They look for someone going fast enough over the speed limit and then slide in behind them so they can send emails, make a sandwich, do their nails, etc., while someone else is leading the pack to ward off the highway patrol. Not to generalize…
“What’s-a behind-a me isn’t important”
I’m going to Trader Joe’s tomorrow!
They’re wonderful cars that need to be driven. Keep the oil changed and enjoy!
Pretty, unreliable.
Pretty unreliable.
Punctuation matters.
Along with the Alfa Romeo Montreal, the Biturbo is one of the cars best owned by someone else who is footing the repair bills and towing expense. The Montreal at least didn’t catch on fire with the same regularity as the Biturbo.
Last seen on BAFE. Bring a Fire Extinguisher…
Reminds me of an attorney who purchased a 1988 high mileage Rolls at a low price. Always it seemed on a rollback yet he continued to call this block long behemoth “My Baby.”
Took care of one of these for my boss’s husband – it had lots of gremlins that never were completely solved – my impression was it was an overpriced Fiat with twin turbos (who really cares) – an Italian POS.
As always, you need to dive a little deeper and avoid the stories passed on unheeding by people who haven’t actually experienced it first hand. The first series were indeed problematic, with carburetor, turbo and differential all structurally unsound. As of later models (I believe post-1987) these major weaknesses were addressed and there are plenty of stories of very reliable ownership. I think its one of the prettiest cars ever penned. I would worry more about roadholding than reliability!
From someone who experienced it first-hand I would recommend something more reliable like an Acura NSX.