Maserati Biturbo 425

Maserati
Biturbo 425 Biturbo 425 i
Production period:	1983-1988
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engine : 2.5 liters (138 kW)
Length:	4400 mm
Width:	1730 mm
Height:	1360 mm
Wheelbase :	2600 mm
Empty weight :	1287 kg
successor	Maserati 430

The Maserati Biturbo 425 and 425 i are four-door sedans from the Italian sports car manufacturer Maserati , which were in the range from 1983 to 1988. Maserati built the vehicles on the technology of the two-door Coupé Biturbo . The 425 was the first four-door type of the biturbo series , to which a few more powerful and weaker motorized variants were later added.

History of origin

After Alejandro De Tomaso took over Maserati, he pursued the idea of ​​establishing the company as a series manufacturer, which had previously only produced high-quality, very expensive sports cars by hand. For this, future models had to be significantly cheaper than the previous sports cars. De Tomaso's concept therefore envisaged a compact, automated vehicle that was powered by a comparatively small engine. With this, Maserati reacted to the Italian tax legislation, which imposed a sales tax of 38 percent instead of 19 percent on automobiles with a displacement of 2000 cc and more. On this basis, the Maserati Biturbo was born, which was presented to the public in December 1981 after three years of development. It had a nearly 2.0 liter six-cylinder engine that was equipped with two turbochargers to increase performance. However, from 1983 onwards, Maserati offered a version enlarged to 2.5 liters on export markets. The manufacturer developed both the export and the Italian version of the Biturbo step-by-step in the following years: In 1983 Maserati added a performance-enhanced S variant to both versions (Biturbo S for Italy, Biturbo ES for export); From 1986, an electronically controlled intake manifold injection was installed instead of the outdated carburettor .

At the end of 1983, Maserati added a four-door sedan to the series that had previously only consisted of two-door coupés and used the - extended - floor assembly of the two-door coupé with its drive technology. The body was similar to that of the coupé, but had no identical parts. The four-door model initially appeared only as an export model with the 2.5 liter variant of the six-cylinder engine; a sedan with the smaller 2.0-liter engine for the Italian market ( Biturbo 420 ) was only introduced two years after the 425, because Maserati was of the opinion that the larger and slightly more powerful 2.5-liter engine was better for the higher weight of the sedan. Initially the 425 was only available with a carburettor. In 1987 a version with an injection engine was introduced, which Maserati sold as the Biturbo 425 i. The model name Biturbo was dropped in the following year, so that the car was now identified with its numerical code alone. Unlike the 420 and 420 i models intended for Italy, which were also available in performance-enhanced S and Si variants, Maserati did not offer a sports version of the 425.

As early as 1987 appeared 430 with a larger six-cylinder engine, the displacement of 2.8 liters had. Both models were produced side by side until 1988, after which the 430 replaced the 425 i.

Model description

platform

For the Biturbo 425, Maserati used the platform of the Biturbo Coupé presented in 1981. However, the wheelbase was extended by 85 mm to 2600 mm. From 1986, Maserati also used this longer platform for the Maserati 228 luxury coupé . The Biturbo 425 was around 100 kg heavier than the coupé version with the same engine.

body

High rear section (here on the parallel model 420)

The body of the Biturbo 425 was self-supporting . As with the two-door Biturbo, its shape was the work of the former Pininfarina designer Pierangelo Andreani . Andreani was based on the body of the coupé, but the structure of the sedan was a new design. Due to the changed dimensions of the sedan, which was both longer and higher, no body part of the coupé could be taken over. Differences can be seen in the profile, among other things, in the positioning of the door handles, which were arranged below the horizontal bead on the coupé and above the horizontal bead on the sedan. The angle of inclination of the windshield was steeper and the rear of the vehicle was significantly higher than that of the coupe. Stylistically and in terms of dimensions, the 425 was similar to the four-door version of the contemporary 3-series BMW .

engine

Maserati twin-turbo engine with 2.5 liters displacement ( Tipo AM 453 )

Like the two-door Biturbo Coupé, the Biturbo 425 was also powered by a six-cylinder V-engine with an aluminum engine block and a 90 degree cylinder bank angle. The displacement of the Biturbo 425 was 2490.9 cm³. For each cylinder row there was a camshaft that was driven by a toothed belt. Each cylinder had two inlet valves and one outlet valve, which were actuated by bucket tappets - a common for the two inlet valves of a cylinder . There were no four-valve versions in the 425. The cylinders had pressed-in liners . To increase performance, the engines were equipped with two exhaust gas turbochargers from IHI . From 1983 different systems for charge air cooling were used. Until 1985, the mixture was exclusively processed by Weber register carburettors (Type 42 DCNVH) (Tipo AM 453). This system was criticized as out of date when it was first introduced. In particular, the difficult-to-adjust carburetor was responsible for numerous problems in the early years; this included poor starting properties with a warm engine. From 1987, an electronic manifold injection from Magneti Marelli was available in the sedan (Tipo AM 472).

In the carburettor version, the engine developed 203 hp (149 kW) according to the factory specifications, and 196 hp (144 kW) according to TÜV measurements. They occurred at 5500 revolutions per minute. The injection version was equally powerful, but was more drivable than the vehicles with carburetor engines.

Power transmission

All biturbo models were equipped with a manual five-speed transmission from ZF as standard . An automatic three-speed transmission from BorgWarner was optionally available. The rear wheels were driven by a split cardan shaft .

landing gear

The front and rear wheels were suspended individually . There were subframes on both axles . At the front and rear, coil springs and hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers were used, at the front as MacPherson struts and at the rear together with trailing arms . There were stabilizers on both axles . The delay was achieved with servo-assisted disc brakes from ATE. The rack and pinion steering was also available with a servo on request . Contemporary test reports criticized the chassis of the early versions as being overwhelmed; it is not appropriate to the engine power. Oversteer set in early, and "strong load change reactions" were criticized. For model year 1985 Maserati replaced the previously used differential of Salisbury by a Sensitork- slip differential , which led, according to many drivers to a significant improvement in driving characteristics.

inner space

Interior: seats with Missoni covers

The interior was considered to be particularly well equipped. The dashboard was covered with synthetic leather; the instrument panel had a semicircular shape, as it was introduced at the same time in the coupés and replaced the previously angular unit there. The seats had a fabric cover designed by Missoni as standard . Seat covers made of gathered leather were optionally available at an additional cost.

production

Only the biturbo engines were built in Maserati's main plant in Modena . The bodies of the limousines as well as those of the coupés, on the other hand, were manufactured by Innocenti in the Lambrate district of Milan . The engines were also installed there and the cars completed. Production of the 425 i ended in 1987; the last models were sold until 1988. The Biturbo 425 and 425 i produced a total of 2372 vehicles. The Italian version was more successful in comparison. In just three years, Maserati produced almost 4,800 units of the Biturbo 420.

Press reviews

In contemporary press reports, the Biturbo 425 was received ambiguously. On the one hand, the authors praised the style of the car and the good driving performance. On the other hand, there was criticism in particular for the poor response behavior and the starting properties of the carburetor versions. The high fuel consumption, the difficult handling and the very negligent processing quality were also criticized.

The German trade magazine auto motor und sport published a test report on the carburettor version of the 425 in February 1986. The 425 took over all the deficiencies of the two-door biturbo unchanged. This includes the poor response behavior in the warm-up phase, the sloppy fit and the suspension comfort, which is bad at any speed. In the warm state, however, the 425 is a spirited and flexible to drive car that "does not have the qualities of a VW Jetta", but regardless of it "makes you happy".

The Biturbo 425 on the classic market

In the market for vintage and classic cars, the vehicles of the biturbo series are considered to be underestimated. Well-preserved limousines will be traded at prices between 10,000 and 15,000 euros in 2017; Restoration objects cost around 5000 euros. The two-door versions generally reach slightly higher prices than the sedans, which are now also bought as part donors for higher-quality coupés.

The Biturbo 425 in the film

Maserati positioned a 425i in the movie James Bond 007 - License to Kill . James Bond's opponent Franz Sanchez ( Robert Davi ) uses the car in individual scenes. The car crashed while trying to escape towards the end of the film.

literature

• Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 .
• Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1
• Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 .
• Anthony Pritchard: Maserati. The history of racing , Delius Klasing, Bielefeld, 1st edition 2003, ISBN 978-3-7688-2513-9
• David Sparrow, Iain Ayre: Maserati Heritage . Osprey Classic Marques. Auckland 1995. ISBN 1-85532-441-5 .
• Klaus Westrup: Quattroporte . Test Maserati Biturbo 425 in: Auto Motor und Sport, issue 5/1986, p. 46 ff.

Web links

Commons : Maserati Biturbo Sedans  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Sales brochure of a Maserati Biturbo 425 from 1986

Remarks

1. ↑ The first four-door model with four valves per cylinder was the Maserati 4.24 v, which was sold on the Italian market from 1989. A four-valve version of the 2.8-liter engine was not released for the export markets until 1991, and was used in the 222 4v coupe and the 430 4v sedan.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 60.
2. ^ Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 235.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 . , P. 66.
4. ↑ Brief portrait of Pierangelo Andreanis (accessed on September 8, 2017).
5. ^ ^{A b} Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 237.
6. ↑ Description of the Maserati Biturbo on the website www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk (accessed on August 27, 2017).
7. ^ Klaus Finkenburg: Maserati Biturbo model check . In: Motor Klassik Kaufratgeber Italienische Klassiker, 2017, p. 145.
8. ^ Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 234.
9. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 62.
10. ↑ ^{a b} Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 . P. 63.
11. ^ ^{A b c} Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair. Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 139.
12. ↑ Sales prospectus of a Maserati Biturbo 425 from 1986 (accessed on September 8, 2017)
13. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 . P. 67.
14. ^ Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 136.
15. ^ Auto Motor und Sport, Issue 24/1983 on the Biturbo Coupé from November 30, 1983.
16. ^ Klaus Finkenburg: Maserati Biturbo model check . In: Motor Klassik Kaufratgeber Italienische Klassiker, 2017, p. 147.
17. ^ Klaus Westrup: Quattroporte . Test Maserati Biturbo 425 in: Auto Motor und Sport, issue 5/1986, p. 46 ff.
18. ^ Klaus Finkenburg: Maserati Biturbo model check . In: Motor Klassik Kaufratgeber Italienische Klassiker, 2017, p. 147.