1988 Maserati Karif (Zagato)

В 1988 году по заказу Maserati ателье Zagato представило уникальное купе Karif, созданное на основе модели Biturbo Spyder. От обычного купе Biturbo Karif отличался укороченной базой и более жёстким кузовом. Всего было произведено немногим более 200 купе Karif, однако модель сразу же после дебюта вошла в историю дизайна и заслужила титул "современной классики".

One of the most distinctive features of the 80’s was the phenomenon of an ‘Instant Classic’ automobile. A few current production cars were included in this exclusive club of prestige models and were identified immediately as collectibles.

Zagato, consistent since the beginning under the philosophy outlined by the founder (two-door, two-seater sports cars, bodied as coupés or spiders) lended great impetus to the Instant Classic niche with various designs in limited series.

In 1988, along with the Biturbo Spyder, Maserati entrusted Zagato with the job of creating of a special version. The Karif was a coupé developed on the chassis of the Spyder, though shorter and stronger than the Biturbo, and was distinguished by its small, fixed hard-top. This two-door, slim lightweight, capable of 280 hp (225 hp on U.S. model) was produced in just over 200 units. In the same period, Zagato was assembling the four-seater, coupé version for Maserati named 228.

Zagato

The Karif 'berlinetta' was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1988, where it received a mixed reception from both motoring journalists and public alike. Perhaps the name Karif, the name of yet another wind, had leaked out in advance of its launch and stirred the imagination, with thoughts of perhaps another Ghibli, Mistral or Bora. With this in mind the first viewing of the Karif must have appeared as an anticlimax; for this was certainly no design classic. The Karif was elegant but lacked the necessary move away from the 'ordinary' looking Biturbo range.

This extract from a Karif sales brochure gives one an idea of its appeal "The Maserati Karif: an exceptional road 'animal', an exciting driving experience, an invitation to feel like a racing driver again or for the first time: the subtle pleasure of feeling the throb of so many horses and of knowing you can control them". It possessed all the luxury trimmings of the Biturbo and was based on the short wheelbase chassis, 2400mm compared to the Biturbo's 2514mm, of Zagato's pretty looking spyder, but with a fixed roof.

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Karif was the name of an African wind, chosen to respect the Maserati tradition of using wind names for the designation of its GT cars (Mistral, Ghibli, Khamsin, etc). The proportions were rather unusual for such a high-performance coupé. In fact it was the result of a no-nonsense approach: the Karif's lines were derived closely from those of the Biturbo Spyder with a rigid roof welded on. The aim was to create a rigid body that would enhance the handling qualities of the shorter wheelbase model.

The colour and trim treatment followed the style of the Biturbo S range, thus with two-tone paint, blacked out chrome trim and an elegant interior clad in wood and leather. Though the car was equipped with occasional rear seats, it was basically a 2-seater but with a sense of airiness due to the large windows and thin posts.

Mechanically, the car was equipped with the most powerful version of the twin turbo V6 available at the time, of 2.8-litre capacity. Rated at 285 hp it was claimed to be good enough for a top speed of over 255kph, despite later versions being de-tuned by way of a catalytic exhaust. The relatively light overall weight combined with a 5-speed manual gearbox with special short ratios to add to the sense of performance. The Karif gained a reputation for being a demanding driver's car, of which just 222 found their way in the hands of true enthusiasts.

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