Let's see - they rust out frequently, they aren't very fast nor powerful, they aren't worth much used and parts are expensive and hard to come by in some cases.
Geez - if you didn't know what I was describing it could be a Jag XJS, except the parts situation is better for the Jag!
Guess they have always struck me as a kind of Chrysler Crossfire soft boulevard cruiser, but to each his own.
I happened upon a Bee-toorboh in a central Virginia junkyard maybe 15 years ago while I was looking for RX-7 parts. Looking back, I probably should have snatched a souvenir or two off of it.
"In 1985, the U.S. importer on the West Coast introduced a hotter version called the Biturbo S."
This is incorrect. There was no Biturbo S for the U.S. market in 1985. The car you are thinking of is called the Biturbo E. In this case, the E does not stand for Export (none of the cars were ever badged as such anyway) but Evolution. The U.S. Biturbo E featured the first generation of Spearco liquid-to-air intercoolers and power was increased to 205bhp up from 185bhp.
I have mentioned a few times about a friend that converted one into a track car running the stock drive train. Biggest problem was handling. Complete rebuild was needed.
He runs a Citroen service and restore shop he has some interesting sources .
He has pretty much retired the bi-turbo in favor of a tube frame,Maserati v6 mid engine car, which he autocrosses in the summer and ice races in the winter.
You can find pictures on the AMEC web site.
In reply to Robert Bowen :
When my parents took me home from the hospital, I'm sure they imagined me growing up to ferry around 2 or 3 grandchildren in a nice, sensible minivan or wagon. Meet a nice girl, settle down... all of that.
But something about that chiseled Italian body has called out to me, since adolescence. If it looks good and feels good, how wrong could it be?
Don't many of us yearn to push those hardened, well-oiled exotic rods to their limits? To experience the surreal grunt of a force-fed continental beast, driving one back into a caress of firm leather? Probing newfound limits of human performance and collapsing, spent, dripping gloriously scented oil?
I guess I've always been a bit "bi-curious."
Dad had a 87 biturbo vert with 5k miles that he would allow us to ride in once a season. 10 min trips around the block at full boost caused the most intense sensation for a 7 year old caused much lust to own it one day. Then it was sold once I turned 15 during a sad chain of events (but I did take a Ferris Bueller Day out in it before it was gone).
Man I loved that thing, and the interior leather felt alien to me. So suppulent ulent compared to our Volvo.
Old man (RIP) busted the oil pan in an alley and dropped a trail of oil for 3 blocks to get it back to the shop. Was NOT a cheap fix and much cursing was commenced but lucky he didnt lockup the motor
Of course I went to CL to check prices..came across this really nice example
https://newyork.craigslist.org/fct/cto/d/new-milford-1987-maserati-biturbo/7006287890.html
Interior looks nice to me. Simple and plush.
Couch cushion back seats!?!
John Welsh said:Funny. I had never considered pronounced Bee-turbo. I have always said/read as Buy-turbo.
The correct pronunciation of "Biturbo" is Bee-trouble
It's an Italian N54!
My brother bought one of these back in the day, and Wow! Strange things happened, like the starter motor deciding to run continuously, then finding that it was in the V at the top of the engine, so you had to remove the entire induction sytem to replace it. But that was nothing compared to the main bearing failure. It turned out that the block was missing an oil passage and was a factory defect. Maserati agreed, and supplied a replacement block, but it took over a year to get it. My brother is not a fan of Maserati to this day.
If you want a rare Biturbo that was made even rarer by being the first and only to make it to the GRM $2000 Challenge, you could drive home this one: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1136725610853696/
In reply to martybtoo :
The Toyota 4.7 V8 has the starter motor in the valley as well. There probably aren't a lot of other things shared between a Biturbo and a Tundra :)
wae said:If you want a rare Biturbo that was made even rarer by being the first and only to make it to the GRM $2000 Challenge, you could drive home this one: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1136725610853696/
If a) it were a convertible Biturbo and b) I didn't already have (and love) the E46 convertible I'd be drooling over that a lot more. I've always wanted a convertible one since given their shared DNA it's about as close as you can get to a convertible DeLorean...
In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :
I can throw in a sawzall.
wae said:In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :
I can throw in a sawzall.
As I said- if I didn't already have a convertible that I was very happy with it would be a different consideration. Well, that and the fact that I already have one Giugiaro-designed car 2/3 of the way disassembled in my garage- I don't need another.
1987 BiTurbo Si of Dead Pedal Racing at Ozarks at ChampCar Endurance Series National Championships in 2022 -- winning D class both days. Since has been wrecked at NOLA in November 2022 and a new 87 BiTurbo (Red this time) is being built right now -- hopefully to be introduced at Road Americal this fall
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