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Maserati Biturbo 222 E - stylish compact dynamics

Name: Maserati Biturbo 222 E 1990
Brand: Maserati

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Created on July 5, 2018

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Daniel Reinhard

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - twin headlights have always proclaimed sportiness

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - compact sports coupé with luxury character

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the wheels are not original, the standard version was delivered on 15-inch aluminum wheels

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - with small rear spoiler

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - with a length of 4155 mm very short

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - clearly visible - the trident on the radiator grille

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - interesting the upward looking rear view mirrors

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - twin headlights provided overtaking prestige

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the spare wheel is mounted under the trunk

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - two twin exhausts demonstrate the power potential

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - simple bodywork

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - powerful sports coupé

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - no aerodynamic miracle, but it doesn't heat up so much inside

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - at home on country roads

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - liked to show others the exhaust ends even back then

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the car was not quite 230 km/h fast back then

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - tastefully furnished

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - complete information for the driver

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Turbo boost pressure between the speedometer and the rev counter

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - classic analog clock in the center console

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Push-button control for the air conditioning system

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Center console with many buttons

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - "Maserati" lettering on the dashboard

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - five-speed gearbox with the first one at the rear left

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - interesting mix of materials

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - good access to the rear, but space more for children than adults

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - "Maserati" lettering and trident on the door sill

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Trident on the radiator grille ...

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - ... and trident on the engine

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the angle of 90 degrees is unusual for a V6

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - fuel injection and two turbochargers from IHI

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - beautifully packaged technology

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - "Maserati" lettering on the cylinder head

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Chassis number

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - specifications for the Swiss version

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Twin headlights

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the trident can also be found on the door handle

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Warning notice on the rear-view mirror

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Wheels from the accessories program

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - the fuel filler neck is hidden behind the round cover on the right

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - beautifully packaged fuel filler neck

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - refueling on the right

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - beautiful details

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Trident on the C-pillar

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Type designation on the right at the rear

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - "Maserati" lettering on the rear

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Maserati Biturbo 222 E (1990) - Type lettering "222 E"

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Maserati Biturbo (1982) - at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show - the Maserati, whose bodywork was built by Innocenti, cost just under 40,000 francs and was just starting up

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Maserati Biturbo (1982) - at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show - Maserati plans to produce 6,000 to 7,000 units of the new sports car per year - Entry into the large-scale series

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Maserati Biturbo (1982) - at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show - two turbochargers breathe life into the engine

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Maserati Biturbo (1985) - on a test drive

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Maserati Biturbo (1985) - standard version

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Maserati Biturbo (1983) - there is now talk of an upcoming 2.5-liter version - at the 1983 Geneva Motor Show

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Maserati Biturbo Quattroporte - shown as a prototype, 8000 Biturbo models have already been built - at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show

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Maserati Biturbo Spyder (1985) - Prototype with 2.5-liter turbo engine - Geneva Motor Show 1985

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Maserati Biturbo ES (1986) - new version in the extensive Biturbo range - Geneva Motor Show 1986

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Summary

With the Maserati Biturbo, the sports car company from Modena not only dared to make a completely new start, but also to enter a different market segment. Over 10,000 units were to be produced per year, but not that many were built. Nevertheless, the Biturbo was a success and a lifeline for Maserati. And a good car at that. This driving report portrays a Maserati Biturbo 222 E from 1990 and tells the development story of this interesting car.

This article contains the following chapters

Completely new development
Advance praise
Initial success
Quality problems
Larger and more versatile
Continuous evolution
The 222 for the export markets
From numbers to names
Rarity remains
Stylish dynamism
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Maserati Biturbo was actually a sensation, as it was the first completely newly developed sports car from the Italian manufacturer since the 1950s. And it was also built in large numbers! However, Alessandro De Tomaso had even bigger dreams, but unfortunately these did not come true. Maserati had never actually developed a completely new sports car since the 3500 GT presented in Geneva in 1957. In most cases, either the engine, chassis or body could be taken from an already established model. The Merak was an exception, depending on your point of view, but it adopted the V6 engine developed for Citroën. Interestingly, this also provided some of the little that connected the Maserati Biturbo with earlier cars from Modena, namely the fork angle of 90 degrees between the two cylinder banks of the newly designed V6 engine. This had three valves per cylinder, controlled by one overhead camshaft per bank. Between the cylinders was a Weber downdraft twin carburetor, which was given compressed air to breathe by two Japanese IHI turbochargers. The result? The light alloy six-cylinder engine produced 180 hp at 6000 rpm.

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