Maserati’s first BiTurbo was in a market segment the coupe basically had to itself, but the Italian automakers aimed these models squarely at Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and BMW territory. Tough business. Now there were two models for the U.S: the 228 coupe and the 430 sedan.
It’s no secret that things didn’t work out as planned with the BiTurbo’s. Living with the cars long term could be frustrating. Maserati took a big step toward solving these problems in ’87 when it replaced the Weber carburetor in the BiTurbos with Weber/Marelli electronic fuel injection.
The 430, outwardly was the 425 model with a few exterior detail changes. Most noticeable was a new grille and a stance that had the car’s rear sitting a bit lower, giving the sedan a less raked appearance. Two new seat styles, both finished in leather, included sport seats, with tall, firm supports for both derriere and back, and an inviting luxury loose tuck style.
What about a power increase? Regular 2.5-liter BiTurbos had 185-bhp and 208 lb-ft of torque. The intercooled BiTurbo did 205/260 respectively. with the 2.8, Maserati claimed 225 bhp and 266 torques. Transmissions remained as before; 5-speed manual, or 4-speed automatic, both made by ZF.
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