Biturbo Modellen
The first Biturbo, introduced in 1982, was a complete departure from the quad-cam V8 powered supercars. From the flowing lines and big engines of the Seventies, the Biturbo was a subtle 
collection of sharp edges and high technology. The new Biturbo V6 engine was only two liters in size, but its twin turbochargers boosted the power up to 180bhp. The car could be sold for sensible money, although it would never be cheap, and the sales figures for the Biturbo in 1983 rose to 6,000, thus giving Maserati their best sales year ever.
Rather than a new big Quattroporte, the next model to be introduced was the 425 Biturbo of 1983, with the engine enlarged to 2500cc and the bodywork re-thought to provide four seats without compromising the line or balance of the car. Top speed was 130mph, respectable enough for a family sized car, and sales for the year again topped the 6,000 mark.
For 1984, the top came off the Biturbo to offer a Spyder version of the car, and each
year saw new developments of the same theme like the Biturbo S with electronic injection. 1985 saw the 420S with fuel injection and four doors, although it was just a quattro porte rather than a Quattroporte. In 1987, the enlarged 2.8-liter version of the engine was introduced in the 430, which saw the performance beginning to creep back up to the sort of levels that had traditionally been associated with the name Maserati. Watercooled IHI turbos were introduced with a much better endurance and life.
The Karif was a pretty and purposeful looking coupe version of the same squared off, clean 
body style. The Karif was as understated as the first of the Biturbos had been when they were first announced in 1982. 1989 also saw the introduction of the 222, featuring two doors, two litres and two cams, followed by the restyled 222SE an 222SR . The later 224 4V featured 24 valves and two turbos.
Fiat bought 49% of Maserati in 1989, which allowed sufficient capitalisation to let Maserati get back into what they did best, which has always involved seriously high performance and relatively low volumes of production. Nonetheless, the whole Biturbo story reflects rather well on the company in that they successfully changed direction and fought well against considerable competition.
The emergence of the Shamal in 1989 took Maserati right back up to the top of the league of practical supercars. The Maserati signature cut-out of the rear wheel arches seen in the birdcage racers of thirty years ago came back to add yet more understated menace to the presence of the Shamal, and some more purposeful elements also contributed to the design. The central roof pillar, painted black and badged with a Shamal logo, covers up a substantial roll over bar. The bar across the front of the windscreen, continuing the line of the front roof pillars, certainly looks sleek. It also keeps the screen clean at very high speeds, and keeps the wipers on the glass.
The heart of the Shamal has to be its engine. The engine is 3217cc V8 326bhp, with four valves per cylinder. The by now familiar twin water-cooled turbos and Weber-Marelli fuel injection cram in even more mixture than the last generation of Maseratis, which used to suck in through twin-choke Webers.
The engine is certainly not a leftover from the past in terms of its design, although the basic format is historic Maserati. It is light alloy with the Vee angle at 90º, and the bore and stroke at 80 x 80. Each bank of cylinders is managed as a separate system, with an interface between the two control units. By adding twin fuel pumps total failure was thus unlikely, and the car will remain driveable under failure.
With the engine completed, the transmission was next. 
Getrag provided a six-speed gearbox which was capable of handling the powerful 436Nm of torque put out by the engine without disintegrating. The box also had to change swiftly and easily without giving a clue as to its agricultural strength.
At the back, Maserati had already developed their own torque-sensing differential (Ranger®), which was fitted to the Shamal. This set-up could apply 92% of the engine’s power to whichever wheel had the most grip. The Maserati system is also notably smooth in doing this, which is absolutely crucial in high speed driving.
Electronics are extensively used in the suspension on the Shamal, which was developed by Koni in Germany. Intelligent damping means that each wheel’s activity is reported back to a central computer which affects the other wheels in relation to the signal from the first. The whole thing is also controllable by the driver, with four levels of ride firmness available at the mere touch of a switch.
The Shamal represents Maserati’s return to the top rank of supercar manufacturers. Compared with some, it is understated, subtle, and won’t do over 200mph in a straight line, but across country on genuine everyday roads it is one of the fastest cars in the world.
In 1991 the Barchetta , a racing car for the road, was introduced using the 2.0 liter V6 315bhp
In 1993 the 224 coupe evolved to the "new" Ghibli coupe. The Ghibli stayed quite content to pass relatively unnoticed except by the cognoscenti. 5.7 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed of around 160mph was powered by an 
engine is developed from the early Biturbo idea, enlarged from the original two liters to 2790cc to bring in a fair bit of torque: 413Nm, to be exact. T
he engine is pure Maserati, an all-alloy 285bhp V6 with four cams driving four valves per cylinder with a new direct ignition system taking the place of ignition coils. The fuel system has been electronic for some time, and the twin turbos have been a familiar Maserati feature for a decade now. The gearbox was a five-speed ZF soon being replaced by the 6-speed Getrag connected to the sophisticated Maserati limited slip Ranger fitted with an oil cooler on the rear axle. The tax friendly two liters V6 had even more power (306 bhp) and somewhat less torque. The 2.0 Ghibli Cup version was introduced in 1996 putting out a massive 330bhp featuring special cup alloys, carbon fibre interior trimming and more.
The family man was served by the new 1994 Quattroporte built on an all new non-biturbo based chassis. The four door saloon is considered to be more exciting than most manufacturers sportscars. At first customers had a choice between the two V6 2.0 / 2.8 engines. At this time a the 335 bhp V8 Evoluzione is the ultimate Maserati sports saloon.
