Biturbo celebration in Auto Italia
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ian roberts
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Nice one Nathan, when is it on the shelves ?
Nayf
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Hi it should be available now
minardirule
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Picked up a copy yesterday, will have a proper read when time allows but looks great!
minardirule
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dickyb
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Very interesting article, but there were a few points that I noticed that probably mean I’m a pedant:
Not sure where you got your performance figures from, but the 222 4v should be faster from 0-60mph than the 430 which is heavier and less powerful.
Fuel injection was introduced in limited official Maserati production before the 222 was launched, there were a very limited number of Biturbo i and Spyder i cars produced. In addition, a U.K. based company called Trident Enginering developed an aftermarket fuel injection system before Maserati made it mainstream. This was offered as a conversion to cure associated problems with the carburettor setup and hot starting issues but was very expensive.
The 222 SE wasn’t designed by Gandini, it was merely a 222E with the 2.24v bodykit (deeper front and rear bumpers, exhausts exiting through the bumper rather than under it, side skirts and usually the Shamal style wheels). The Gandini redesign came later on with the introduction of the Racing, 222 4v and 430 4v, and is characterised by the spoiler at the base of the windscreen and projector headlamps. In the case of the 2.24v and 4.24v which had earlier iterations, the Gandini revised versions were often referred to as “Restyling” or “Series 2”, and the Spyder is sometimes known as the “Spyder iii”. At this point the 222SE became the 222SR and was sold alongside the 222 4v as a milder version with the 18v version of the export market 2.8 litre engine and offered automatic transmission as an option (the SR name highlights the fact that the model was fitted with the electronic suspension: “Sospensione Regolabile”)
There was never a Biturbo SE, you are confusing this with the ES (Export Sport as opposed to Special Equipment). This was the export version of the Biturbo S and later Si and featured 2.5 litre engine rather than the 2 litre of the domestic version. The S saw the introduction of inter cooling and was fitted with NACA ducts in the bonnet to feed the horizontally mounted inter coolers on either side at the front of the engine bay. The later 2.24v onwards featured front mounted intercoolers and rear wards facing bonnet vents which acted as extractors rather than to feed cool air to the intercoolers as on the S and Si of Biturbo and 420.
Zagato never made bodykits, it was Zender in Germany that made bodykits and these were commonly fitted to U.K. Biturbos to boost sales early on.
The electronic suspension was first featured on the domestic model, the 2.24v. It was not offered on the 222 until it became the 222SR and 222 4v.
Not sure where you got your performance figures from, but the 222 4v should be faster from 0-60mph than the 430 which is heavier and less powerful.
Fuel injection was introduced in limited official Maserati production before the 222 was launched, there were a very limited number of Biturbo i and Spyder i cars produced. In addition, a U.K. based company called Trident Enginering developed an aftermarket fuel injection system before Maserati made it mainstream. This was offered as a conversion to cure associated problems with the carburettor setup and hot starting issues but was very expensive.
The 222 SE wasn’t designed by Gandini, it was merely a 222E with the 2.24v bodykit (deeper front and rear bumpers, exhausts exiting through the bumper rather than under it, side skirts and usually the Shamal style wheels). The Gandini redesign came later on with the introduction of the Racing, 222 4v and 430 4v, and is characterised by the spoiler at the base of the windscreen and projector headlamps. In the case of the 2.24v and 4.24v which had earlier iterations, the Gandini revised versions were often referred to as “Restyling” or “Series 2”, and the Spyder is sometimes known as the “Spyder iii”. At this point the 222SE became the 222SR and was sold alongside the 222 4v as a milder version with the 18v version of the export market 2.8 litre engine and offered automatic transmission as an option (the SR name highlights the fact that the model was fitted with the electronic suspension: “Sospensione Regolabile”)
There was never a Biturbo SE, you are confusing this with the ES (Export Sport as opposed to Special Equipment). This was the export version of the Biturbo S and later Si and featured 2.5 litre engine rather than the 2 litre of the domestic version. The S saw the introduction of inter cooling and was fitted with NACA ducts in the bonnet to feed the horizontally mounted inter coolers on either side at the front of the engine bay. The later 2.24v onwards featured front mounted intercoolers and rear wards facing bonnet vents which acted as extractors rather than to feed cool air to the intercoolers as on the S and Si of Biturbo and 420.
Zagato never made bodykits, it was Zender in Germany that made bodykits and these were commonly fitted to U.K. Biturbos to boost sales early on.
The electronic suspension was first featured on the domestic model, the 2.24v. It was not offered on the 222 until it became the 222SR and 222 4v.
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dickygrace
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Cyclone1
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Ewan
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The article in issue 300 was a fun day out. But the cars are way too different for a meaningful comparison. I can just about see how someone might chose an MCV over a Strad, for example, but not a Cup over either of them. (And I’ve had two Cups, as well as both the MCV and the Strad used that day.)
Cyclone1
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That’s the beauty of individual opinion and I don’t dispute you are correct. I can only take the word of the journalist, but if I got to experience some of the cars at some point, would form my own view. Must have been some day out and great to see such a cool selection of Maseratis together.
Lozzer
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Wow, I take my hat off, that's an education, thanks. Can't beat a proper enthusiast
Nayf
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What I was trying to get over, but perhaps in retrospect didn’t enforce in the feature, was not which one was best against each other but rather, which one was the biggest transformation from their standard (UK) counterparts.
In that regard, the Cup and MC Victory feel the most transformed, though it’s subsequently come to light that the steering rack may have been shared with late model GranSports and 4200s. Similarly, an Italian market 2.0-litre may well feel closer to a Cup (I’ve yet to have the pleasure), but as Auto Italia is primarily a UK magazine, the difference to an export market 2.8 V6 is stark.
This will no doubt upset some Stradale owners, but the difference behind the wheel between a Stradale and a normal GranTurismo is marked - but not as much as the Cup or MC Victory. All my opinion, of course…
And I do seem to remember a certain someone requesting to be kept in contact should a certain silver Cup come up for sale
Ewan
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Good point, Nayf. The Cup is quite a step up from the standard Ghibli of the day.
I’d quite like to own another Cup. But not to drive, only to have. For my physique and driving style, they’re not good. But as a thing to own, for ownership sake, that’s a different story. Just have to wait for the froth to blow from their prices. The last one I had cost me about £13k, which was about right - maybe call it around £20-£25k in today’s money. But to pay double that (current asking prices) would be daft.
I see there is a RHD UK 2.8lt Ghibli on the UK Maserati Club site, for £10k. Might make a nice car at reasonable money.
I’d quite like to own another Cup. But not to drive, only to have. For my physique and driving style, they’re not good. But as a thing to own, for ownership sake, that’s a different story. Just have to wait for the froth to blow from their prices. The last one I had cost me about £13k, which was about right - maybe call it around £20-£25k in today’s money. But to pay double that (current asking prices) would be daft.
I see there is a RHD UK 2.8lt Ghibli on the UK Maserati Club site, for £10k. Might make a nice car at reasonable money.
Nayf
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Yes, the Cup requires a certain driving style and it’s not a traditional Maserati one. That was why the UK importer didn’t bring the 2.0 one over in the first place, and from anecdotal conversations the Cup’s peaky delivery puts a fair few seasoned Maserati people off.
That means that there’s an outside chance I might be able to afford one, one day… need to have a word with that pesky journalist to stop writing about them and hyping them up.
Oh, bugger (coming soon…)
That means that there’s an outside chance I might be able to afford one, one day… need to have a word with that pesky journalist to stop writing about them and hyping them up.
Oh, bugger (coming soon…)
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Cyclone1
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Interesting comments and understandable.
Quite why a Ghibli / Ghibli Cup wouldn’t be worth the current prices it is commanding is baffling. Especially when you compare it to a Granturismo v Stradale. No disrespect to Stradale owners but the jump is no greater than that the Cup makes from a Ghibli GT, plus there is the added weight to a Granturismo /,Stradale that limits their actual driving capability. Scarcity, rarity, condition and demand drive market prices.
Quite why a Ghibli / Ghibli Cup wouldn’t be worth the current prices it is commanding is baffling. Especially when you compare it to a Granturismo v Stradale. No disrespect to Stradale owners but the jump is no greater than that the Cup makes from a Ghibli GT, plus there is the added weight to a Granturismo /,Stradale that limits their actual driving capability. Scarcity, rarity, condition and demand drive market prices.
Ewan
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No - not baffling. I’ve had 2 Ghibli’s and 2 Cups and driven over 100k miles in them. And in my opinion (which is all this is), paying in the region of £50k for a Cup makes no sense. It simply is not that good a car. There are way better cars (including Maseratis) at that that price bracket and below. A late GranTurisimo Sport being just one.
But of course, I’m perfectly happy for other people to think differently and to spend their own money however they wish.
But of course, I’m perfectly happy for other people to think differently and to spend their own money however they wish.
Oneball
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There’s very few cars that have had significant price rises over the last few years that I think are worth it, perhaps the Diablo and Testarossa, but most of the classic/collector cars now that you see are just not worth it in my opinion. £0.5m for a road going 70s 911 is just daft, when they were £40k that was about right. E-types, DB Astons, Clio V6, late TVRs they’re all silly money and not actually that good in period.