Car Parts 2011

Today is a day that ends in the letter "y" which means an Ebay search is inevitable.  After checking the usual lust worthy subjects, I stumble upon a hallowed mark that has had some rough patches over the years, Maserati.  To my surprise, it isn't the current Gran Turismo or Quattroporte that grabs my attention.  It isn't even the sexy lines of a coupe or cabrio.  It's this:

r3vlimited.com

Considering this Maserati Biturbo is on Time magazine's list of 50 worst cars of all time, most of you probably think I'm crazy for liking it.  It's inexplicable really.  There was a Biturbo coupe on Ebay just a couple days ago and the lines looked so clean.  Now, I see the sedan and it isn't far off the mark.  It just exudes a kind of Italian style that is terribly hard to put into words.

Styling is nice but most of you are aware that I primarily like to talk about drivetrain and performance.  Well, I won't disappoint today.  Depending on year and trim, the Biturbo housed anything from a 2 to 2.5 liter V6 which made anywhere between 180 and 290 horsepower.  The lower end of this range is comparable to an E30 M3!  All the physical dimensions are within a stone's throw of the M3 also.  In addition, it was naturally a rear driver.

So what's the catch?  This isn't titled the The Rich Man's 3-Series for nothing!  The reason behind it being on Time's worst car list is largely due to a plethora of service advisories and reliability issues.  I'm sure after dumping a bunch of cash into the car, it's a sweet ride.  Here's one on Ebay to get you started.