The 1985 model year was the last one in which the Maserati Biturbo would carry Weber carburetor, as from 1986 the car wore Weber-Marelli fuel injection in a bid to improve engine emissions, power, responsiveness, and reliability. This Biturbo hails from that last year of carburetors and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The car is located in El Paso, Texas, and is being offered for sale with a clean title. The owner of this Maserati has set a sale price of $5,000 for what he refers to as the Italian Stallion.
Poor old Maserati. Talk about drawing the short straw. When people are asked to name an Italian company, based in Modena, that produces hand-made sports cars, the most common answer is almost always Ferrari, although there are the motoring enthusiasts who will name Maserati. Regardless of the fact that the company existed in the shadow of Ferrari, it is a company that has always attempted to be innovative and to push the boundaries. The Biturbo is a perfect example of this approach. This one presents well, and there are only a few minor marks, chips, and scratches in the paint. Otherwise, it presents really well.
When I talk about Maserati being a company that pushes the boundaries, it is features like this engine that are a case in point. This engine is actually a work of art, and it was a ground-breaking design on a number of fronts. The aluminum V6 engine was introduced in 1981, and it was the first production engine to feature three valves per cylinder. That was only the tip of the iceberg because it was also the first production engine to be fitted with two turbochargers. In 1985 this allowed the 2.5l V6 engine to produce 185hp, which was a respectable figure at the time. The seller states that this 2.5l V6 runs and drives well. Power from the engine is then directed via a 5-speed ZF manual transmission. While it looks quite clean and tidy under the hood, I have noticed that one of the hoses is missing off the cabin ventilation system. Sucking hot air directly off the engine and into the cabin doesn’t sound like my idea of a fun time.
While it was possible to purchase a Biturbo fitted with velour seat upholstery, the vast majority were fitted with these beautiful, hand-stitched leather seats. I will say this much for this particular car: Not only do those seats still look superbly comfortable, but the interior trim has stood up amazingly well to the passage of time. There is some minor discoloration to be seen on the wheel center and a few minor plastic components, but otherwise, this Biturbo has held up well and still looks inviting.
The Maserati Biturbo is a car that has been both revered and reviled. When they are functioning properly, they are a wonderful car that can accelerate from 0-60mph in a touch over 6 seconds, and then carry on to a top speed of around 140 mph. Even today, those are impressive numbers for a 4-seat production car. They could also be the most temperamental cars on the planet, and more than one Biturbo owner has considered automotive arson to rid themselves of the problem. However, today it is possible to make a Biturbo into a reliable car. It is possible to fit aftermarket fuel injection that not only reduces engine emissions, but makes the car both more reliable and provides improved engine performance, and conversion of a Biturbo is not a particularly expensive proposition. At $5,000, this Biturbo sits about $1,000 under the sort of price that you would expect to pay for a car that is a bit on the rough side, so if you are willing to take a bit of a punt, this might be the car for you.
“it is a company that has always attempted to be innovative and to push the boundaries. The Biturbo is a perfect example of this approach.”
How? While Maserati has made some gorgeous cars over the years, this just isn’t one of them. This design is the epitome of 80’s boxiness. What boundaries does it push, besides seeing how much people will pay for horrible reliability?
The engine design boundary.
This was a quick car for its day also. Beautiful luxurious interior too.
I like them .. underrated in my humble opinion.
Fair ’nuff.
Adam, it’s a tough call. I think if funds were available and one was near a mechanic who knew these cars it might be worth taking a chance on it. And modifications regarding fuel injection and so on are mandatory.
One of these was actually turned in as a Cash For Clunkers trade back during The Great Purge.
IIRC there was a You Tube video of it being fed that killer cocktail to destroy the engine as part of the scheme.
These never ever rusted. They always caught fire first…
Honda had 3-valve heads in the 1970s. The ED in the 1975 Civic CVCC is an example.
What’s Italian for burro?
LSX swap, replace the “Sitting on my grandmother’s lap while she is stark naked,” seats, re-do the wiring with a Painless Wiring kit, suppliment the brakes & suspension…then it might be fun and reliable
That’s right Fiete or a Hemi out of a new cjrysler I would buy a wrecked mopat strip wiring and differential tranny and drive shaft then you can be proud toddo e and be the sleeper on the highways and track focused high dollar guys biturbos have love too
The missing hose is for fresh air inlet into the air filter box, not the cabin…
The carburetted versions have bad reliability reputation, better head for a FI version…
I bought one once for $300, sold it for $700 and the guy yelled at me when it arrived, would never buy one again.
These engines are garbage, as in NOT rebuildable, despite all the parts being available. The blocks warp if they are overheated in the slightest amount. I did a second rebuild on one , and instantly regretted the attempt when I rotated the block and three of the cylinder liners fell out of the block.
Pure junk.
Really important to keep context of the times in mind when talking about these Biturbos. These were considered to be by all the automotive journal set a time to be really exotic machines.
My father and I bought an 86 in the early mid 90’s (MIE body kit really improved looks). It was running poorly, but otherwise in good shape. After fixing several previous owner caused wiring issues had a full tuneup, it ran fantastically. My father kept it for about 10 years, and for the most part it was fairly reliable. It was also a real blast to drive, what the real rush has the turbos came on.
The interior was very comfortable but was delicate. The real weak point in these cars is the electrics and how they affected everything else particular the motors. It was also mentioned the later fuel injected ones are far superior drivers.
I know the looks are polarizing to some, but not out of step from the times. They can be made to be great driving cars, although undertired for the power they can make, and are decently reliable if you start with one that has see loving owners.
I actually really like the styling but these cars never ran well, even when new. My dad wanted one and everyone he went to look at was sitting with a flat tire and a dead battery, and this was when they were a couple of years old. Also, there is a reason you usually see these with about 10,000-20,000 miles, and it wasn’t because they were pampered.