1984 - 1987 Maserati Biturbo Pre-Owned

This benefit was made especially apparent when factoring in the car's curb weight of about 1,200 kilos (2,700 pounds),

The Biturbo is about 170 kilos (375 lbs) lighter than a new VW Golf GTI VR6, with 13 more pound feet of torque and about a 15 horsepower reduction. (Photo: Maserati)

allowing a rather peppy 7 second 0 to 100 km/h sprint. To put this weight into perspective, the Biturbo is about 170 kilos (375 lbs) lighter than a new VW Golf GTI VR6, with 13 more pound feet of torque and about a 15 horsepower reduction. Due to the weight savings, stronger torque and rear-wheel drive layout, the little Maserati should still sprint away from a modern top-line GTI, which is a really fun car to drive.

Of course its lightweight construction makes for agile handling too. Factor in its unimpeded manual rack and pinion steering, MacPherson strut front suspension system and independent semi-trailing arm rear setup and it's no wonder it felt so enthusiastic.

But hold on, I wasn't inside a base Biturbo, which I have incidentally previously driven by the way, but the top-line E version. What does the E add? A heck of a lot more than when an "e" replaces an "i" on a BMW (e was for efficiency and the engine, while extremely reliable, was detuned to save fuel).

Rather, my E tester featured stiffer, shorter springs, a firmer front anti-roll bar, revalved shocks, larger 205/60-14 tires instead of 185 sized rubber, and unique wheels. What's more, all Es featured one of two

The lightweight Biturbo E produced a solid 205 horsepower, no wonder it took off like a cheetah when I put my foot into it. Maserati raced it and due to its nimble chassis it did reasonably well. (Photo: Maserati)

intercoolers, either dual air-to-air or air-to-liquid system, the latter being the most advantageous. Strangely, the air-to-liquid Spearco unit was only available on cars sold on the west coast, where I just happen to live. In a nutshell, the car I was driving didn't produce a mere 185-horsepower, but instead a solid 205 at 5,250 rpm, while torque was up to an astonishing 260 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm. No wonder it took off like a cheetah when I put my foot into it. Actual verified numbers show the Biturbo E sprinting to 100 km/h in about 6.4 seconds, which matches it to a modern V8 powered luxury car like a BMW 745i or Audi A8.