Tune in to watch the story unfold..
"On December 14, 1981, precisely 67 years after Alfieri Maserati founded the Maserati Company in Bologna, Signor De Tomaso introduced the long-awaited Maserati for the masses. The Biturbo (pronounced Bee-turbo) had a V6 twin-turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with a single Weber carburetor driving through a ZF transmission. The Biturbo is about the size of a BMW 320i, and has many features borrowed from the BMW including the front and rear suspension and steering. There the resemblance ends, for the interior is very luxurious. Cars destined for the US had leather seat faces and matching Naugahyde to cover the rest of the interior. Very nice, very Italian. The first Biturbos were introduced to the USA in 1984. Incidentally, issue number 51 of Viale Ciro Menotti (click here for the Back Issue Index to order) contains an excellent Biturbo owner's survey, including good points, bad points, and how the owners feel about their Biturbos. For 1986 a four-door Biturbo was added to the line -- number the 425: 'four' for four doors, and 'two-five' for 2.5-liter. Also in 1986, a stylish spyder by Zagato was added to the line, available with automatic transmission only and a blue convertible top. For 1987, fuel injection was added, which turned the car into a completely different animal.
After the spyder came the Biturbo E model, the first of several variants, to which West Coast distributor Kjell Qvale added Spearco intercoolers and other accessories. Approximately 250 E models were sold. The next cars we saw in the US were the 425 I, the Biturbo Si, and the spyder. All three were fuel-injected, but basically the same car as before. In 1987, we got the 430, the new spyder and the 228. The 430 was a 425 with new sheet metal, the engine enlarged to 2.8 liters, quad exhaust, 15-inch wheels, twin air-to-air intercoolers and a lovely new interior. The new 1988 spyder also got the 2.8-liter engine as well as all of the above features. The 228, built on the 430 chassis, was wider and stouter with softer lines. It also came equipped with the quad-exhaust, 2.8-liter engine, air-to-air intercoolers, 15-inch wheels, etc. Only 97 228s were imported into the US, and at $57,000 they were not big sellers."
