Maserati Biturbo Spyder

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Maserati
Maserati Spyder i
Maserati Spyder i
Biturbo Spyder
Spyder
Production period: 1984-1994
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Cabriolet
Engines:
Gasoline engine : 2.0-2.8 liters (132-180 kW)
Length: 4043 mm
Width: 1714 mm
Height: 1305 mm
Wheelbase : 2400 mm
Empty weight : 1298 kg

The Maserati Biturbo Spyder (later: Maserati Spyder ) is a two-door sports car from the Italian car manufacturer Maserati, which belongs to the Biturbo family . He supplemented this series, which initially only consisted of coupés and sedans, from 1984 onwards and remained in the range in various versions until 1994. The Spyder was the first open Maserati model since the Ghibli . It was available with different engines, which were also used in the coupés and sedans at the same time. From today's perspective, the Spyder is the most sought-after variant of all biturbo models.

History of origin

The biturbo family

Technical basis of the Spyder: Maserati Biturbo Coupé

After Alejandro De Tomaso took over Maserati in 1975, he pursued the idea of ​​establishing the company, which had previously only produced high-quality, very expensive sports cars by hand, as a series manufacturer. 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. Over the years, further developed engine variants with increased displacement, electronic fuel injection and four-valve technology were added. At the end of 1983, Maserati expanded the Biturbo program with a four-door sedan, which was initially offered as an export model ( Biturbo 425 and 430 ) and later also as a version for the Italian market ( Biturbo 420 ).

Embo prototype

Immediately after the Biturbo Coupé was presented, the Italian supplier Embo constructed a convertible version based on the Biturbo Coupé in Turin , which was presented to the public at the Turin Motor Show in March 1982. The vehicle, painted in dark red metallic, had the full chassis of the coupé and was a 2 + 2 seater. The soft top was comparatively wide and was felt to be inelegant. The reports found the Embo convertible “more luxurious than sporty.” The Embo version did not go into series production; the car remained a one-off.

Zagato

Zagatos logo on a Maserati Spyder

Nevertheless, the open biturbo met with public interest. Ultimately, Alejandro De Tomaso decided to expand the Biturbo family with a convertible version. According to De Tomaso, the biturbo convertible was to be sold primarily in the USA. The trailblazer for this decision was the Chrysler LeBaron Cabriolet , a compact cabriolet based on the K-Cars , which was extremely successful in the USA from 1982 and established a renaissance of open sports cars there.

Instead of Embo, the Milan-based car body manufacturer Zagato received the order to develop the production version of the open biturbo. Unlike Embo, Zagato also intervened in the technical structures of the biturbo design. In particular, the wheelbase has been shortened. The open biturbo was given the model name Spyder. Maserati used the American version of the term with "y"; this should expressly address the potential main sales market for the car. Zagato also took over the series production of the Spyder and also derived the hardtop version Karif from it, which in turn was built by Zagato.

In the course of its ten-year production period, the Spyder went through almost all the technical and stylistic developments of the coupés and sedans. However, the nomenclature differs significantly from that of the other body versions. From 1988, as with all models in the series, the model name Biturbo was dropped; the open vehicle was then only called Maserati Spyder.

A total of 3,076 Spyders were built.

Model description

Body and platform

Manually operated soft top with connected rear side window

The Biturbo Spyder was based on the platform of the Biturbo Coupé. The body was self-supporting . In terms of style and structure, it corresponded to that of the biturbo coupé presented in 1981, which Pierangelo Andreani had designed by Giorgio Giugiaro with reference to a concept vehicle called Medici . However, Zagato shortened the wheelbase to 2400 mm. So the Spyder was in fact a pure two-seater; the rear jump seats weren't really usable. The front section, windshield and doors were the same as the coupé, but the Spyder had fixed triangular windows behind the doors. The design of the front and rear sections corresponded to that of the coupés produced at the same time. The Spyder made all stylistic changes, but there were sometimes delays in the adaptation.

The top was made of fabric and was covered with Alcantara on the inside . It was operated by hand; there was no electric convertible top mechanism. When the top was folded down, it completely disappeared into the body. The triangular rear side windows, which were firmly attached to the hood, turned into the rear fenders.

Motorization

Maserati six-cylinder Tipo AM 453: 2.5 liter displacement, twin turbocharging, carburetor (1985)

Almost all engines that were also available for the coupés and sedans were used as drive in the Biturbo Spyder. In each case there were six-cylinder V-engines with a cylinder bank angle of 90 degrees.

For the Italian market it was the two-liter engine

  • with three valves per cylinder and carburettor (Tipo AM 452)
  • with three valves per cylinder and gasoline injection in two power levels (Tipo AM 470 and 471)
  • with four valves per cylinder and petrol injection (Tipo AM 475).

The export models only had engines with three valves per cylinder, namely

  • the carburettor version of the 2.5 liter engine (Tipo AM 453)
  • the injection version of the 2.5 liter engine (Tipo AM 472) and
  • the 2.8 liter six-cylinder (Tipo AM 473).

Not available in the Spyder were the performance-enhanced S versions, which were supplied on request in the coupés and some sedans in the first few years, and also the four-valve engine with 2.8 liter displacement (Tipo AM 477) and the particularly powerful two-liter engine from Maserati Racing did not exist in the Spyder.

The individual models

As with all members of the Biturbo family, a distinction must be made between the models for the Italian market and the export vehicles with the Spyder. The Italian models were equipped with different versions of the 2.0 liter six-cylinder twin-turbo engine. Unlike the sedan, which was initially only sold in the larger export version, the Spyder appeared for the Italian market before the variants sold internationally. However, the differentiation between domestic and exported models was not reflected in the nomenclature as clearly as in the case of the coupés and sedans.

Models for the Italian market

Biturbo Spyder

An early Maserati Biturbo Spyder

The first open model was the Biturbo Spyder. It was on offer from 1984 to 1986. As the Biturbo Spyder in 1984, it already adopted all the stylistic changes that Maserati had introduced in the meantime for the Biturbo Coupé and sedans. These included the semicircular instrument panel and the Alcantara cover on the dashboard. Automatic air conditioning and full leather or Alcantara were standard equipment on all Spyders.

The first version of the Biturbo Spyder had the 2.0-liter, six-cylinder V-engine with register carburetors (Tipo AM 452), which here, as in the coupé, developed 180 hp (132 kW). The vehicle reached a top speed of 215 km / h. The higher compression S version with 205 PS (151 kW) was not offered in the Spyder. As in the coupe, the carburetor system was criticized as out of date. In particular, the drivability of the carburettor versions was considered difficult. From 1984 to 1986, 276 Biturbo Spyder were built.

Biturbo Spyder i

Spyder i

In 1986 Maserati equipped the open biturbo with the further developed Tipo AM 470 engine, which had an electronically controlled petrol injection. As in the closed biturbo i, the engine developed 185 hp (136 kW); the convertible thus reached a top speed of 220 km / h. The Spyder i lost its biturbo designation in 1988. The Spyder i remained in the range until 1990. From 1988 it was the only Maserati that was still powered by the 185 hp version of the 2.0 liter engine. At that time, the basic coupé for the Italian market, which was named 222 , was already equipped with the more powerful Tipo AM 471 engine, which delivered 220 hp (162 kW). The Spyder i produced 297 vehicles.

Spyder i 90

Bulky bumpers: Maserati Spyder i 90

In autumn 1989, a revised version of the convertible called Spyder i 90 appeared. With a delay of more than a year, it resembled the Spyder visually and technically to the Coupé 222, which had replaced the closed two-door Biturbo i in 1988. Visually, the Spyder i 90 took over the stylistic changes that Maserati had already introduced in the 222. This included more voluminous bumpers and a differently shaped radiator grille. Technically, the Spyder i received the 220 hp (162 kW) engine of the closed 222. Zagato had manufactured a total of 309 Italian Spyder 90 i by 1991. The sale of the models dragged on until 1992.

Spyder Nuova

With a shamal look: Maserati Spyder Nuova

In the 1991 model year, another revised Spyder version appeared, which was called Spyder Nuova (Italian: new) or, alternatively, Spyder III. It was the last version of the open biturbo that was presented anew. With this revision, Maserati made the Spyder look and feel like the 2.24v Coupé , which was positioned above the 222 base model. Externally, like almost all models in the Biturbo family, the Spyder adopted some of the design features of the Shamal sports coupé . This included a new front mask with front light units that were combined from angular and round elements. There was also a wind deflector at the lower end of the windshield, which covered the windshield wipers, as well as a new radiator grille and aprons on the sides of the vehicle, each painted in the same color as the car. Technically, the Spyder Nuova was equipped with the Tipo AM 475 four-valve engine, which developed 245 hp (180 kW). The top speed of the Spyder increased to 230 km / h. 409 Spyder Nuova vehicles were built by 1994.

Export models

Biturbo Spyder 2500

The first export model of the Biturbo Spyder appeared in 1985. This version was called the Biturbo Spyder 2500; an alternative name was Biturbo Spyder 2.5. Outwardly it corresponded to the version intended for the Italian market, but had the 2.5 liter carburettor version of the six-cylinder engine (Tipo AM 453), which here, like the sedan, developed 196 hp (144 kW). By 1986, 1,049 Spyder 2500 vehicles had been built.

Biturbo Spyder i 2500

In the fall of 1987, Maserati replaced the Spyder 2500 with the Spyder i 2500. It was a short-lived model that was equipped with an injection version of the 2.5-liter engine (Tipo AM 472). It has already been used in the Coupé Biturbo iE and the Sedan 425 i for a year. The engine developed 195 hp (143 kW). This version of the Spyder was only produced for one year. In total, only 122 copies were made. The Biturbo Spyder i 2500 is one of the weakest members of the Biturbo family. The sale lasted until 1990.

Spyder 2800

The successor to the Spyder i 2500 appeared as early as 1988. As with all export models, Maserati replaced the 2.5-liter engine with a more powerful version with a displacement of 2.8 liters (Tipo AM 473) called the Spyder 2800 (alternatively: Spyder iE) . The engine developed 250 hp (184 kW) without a catalytic converter ; with a catalytic converter, the output was reduced to 225 hp (165 kW). This new Spyder variant was externally very similar to the original biturbo, with the wedge shape and the chrome parts. Of the 2.8-liter export model Spyder 2800, only about 40 vehicles were built in this variant.

Spyder iE 90

In autumn 1989, a revised version of the export model appeared parallel to the Italian model Spyder i 90. The version called iE 90, like the i 90, adopted the stylistic changes that Maserati had already introduced in the 222. This included more voluminous bumpers and a differently shaped radiator grille. Technically, the export model remained unchanged; it was still powered by the Tipo AM 473 engine, which was optionally available with or without a catalytic converter. Both models remained in the range until 1991. A total of 603 copies were made of them.

Spyder Nuova 2.8

The last newly introduced export model of the Spyder was the Spyder Nuova 2.8, which appeared in December 1991. It took over the stylistic changes of the Italian parallel model, so it received family resemblance to the Shamal sports coupé. While Maserati gave the Italian Nuova yet another technical upgrade by taking over the four-valve engine, the export Nuova kept the previous Tipo AM 473 three-valve engine with a displacement of 2.8 liters unchanged. It was now equipped with a catalytic converter as standard; the output was therefore only 225 hp (165 kW). 220 copies were made of this model.

Prototype: The Opac Spyder

The bodyworks Opac from Turin presented a newly clad Maserati Spyder at the Turin Motor Show in 1993: the vehicle had smooth, rounded contours and folding headlights on the front. The rear lights of the Audi 80 B3 were initially used at the rear . The substructure was taken over unchanged from the standard Maserati Spyder; however, Opac had installed the Maserati Shamal's eight-cylinder engine with over 220 kW . A revised version was exhibited at the Turin Motor Show in 1994; In addition to a dark red paintwork, it had four round Ferrari- style rear lights .

The Opac Spyder aroused great interest among the public and the specialist press. However, there was no series production. The rumor was repeatedly spread in the specialist press that Alejandro de Tomaso had spoken out against the production of the attractive Opac Spyder and tried to prevent production by all means.

The Opac Spyder remained a unique piece that still exists today.

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 .

Web links

Commons : Maserati Biturbo Spyder  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Martin Buckley: Maserati. Italian luxury and flair . Heel Verlag, Königswinter 2012. ISBN 978-3-86852-633-2 , p. 142.
  2. ^ Klaus Finkenburg: Maserati Biturbo model check . In: Motor Klassik Kaufratgeber Italienische Klassiker, 2017, p. 146.
  3. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 60.
  4. ^ Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 235.
  5. ↑ a b c d Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 68.
  6. ↑ a b Description of the Maserati Biturbo on the website www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk (accessed on September 29, 2017).
  7. ^ A b c Gianni Cancellieri: Maserati. All the cars. Giorgio Nada Editore, Vimodrone 2015, ISBN 978-88-7911-609-1 , p. 240 f.
  8. ↑ a b c Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 69.
  9. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 62.
  10. ↑ Hans-Karl Lange: Maserati. The other Italian sports car. Zsolnay, Vienna 1993, ISBN 3-552-05102-3 , p. 63.
  11. ↑ Description and images of the Opac Spyder on the website www.classicitaliancarsforsale.com (accessed on September 29, 2017).