Feathering the throttle I eased the Biturbo out into traffic, always careful to take my time getting to know a new
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| Base models featured 185-horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 208 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,000 rpm, and the Biturbo E that I was driving, which was only made in 1985 by the way, developed considerably more power. (Photo: Maserati) |
Maybe the seating position is why the Biturbo felt lower to the ground than my 325? In retrospect I think it is somewhat lower, and because of that seemed faster even at lower speeds. But, of course, it was quite a bit faster than my car. Even base models featured greater output with 185-horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 208 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,000 rpm on tap, and the Biturbo E that I was driving, which was only made in 1985 by the way, developed considerably more power.
But before I get into such details I should mention that the original 1982 Biturbo, with its previous parent Citroen developed 2.0L V6, that saw use in the pretty little mid-engine Merak in the early '70s, was never introduced to the North American market, so
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| Twin Japanese-made IHI turbochargers are tucked underneath the cylinder banks while a single two-barrel Weber carburetor is perched atop the engine in a plenum chamber. (Photo: Maserati) |
Nevertheless, the North American bound Biturbo's 90-degree V6 featured aluminum construction with cast iron wet cylinder liners. The heads were comprised of 9 valves aside, 3 per cylinder, one for exhaust and the other two being dissimilar sized intake valves. With a healthy 91.6 mm bore and reasonably short 63 mm stroke, twin Japanese-made IHI turbochargers tucked underneath the cylinder banks and a single two-barrel Weber carburetor perched atop the engine in a plenum chamber, it revved easily and therefore was quite responsive to input.