The Maserati Karif, internally Tipo AM339, is a luxury coupé produced between 1988 and 1991. It was designed to be luxurious but also sporty and agile, so that the driver could feel “like a racing driver again or for the first time”. At its unveiling Alejandro de Tomaso announced a run of 250 cars; in the end only 221 were sold.
Maserati Karif at a glance
| Maker | Maserati, Modena |
|---|---|
| Project code | Tipo AM339 |
| Production | 1988–1991 |
| Body | two-seat notchback coupé |
| Chassis | shortened Spyder chassis with a fixed roof |
| Engine | AM473 2.8-litre 90-degree V6, three valves per cylinder |
| Power | 285 PS (210 kW) at 5,500 rpm |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.8 seconds according to Maserati |
| Top speed | over 255 km/h |
| Gearbox | five-speed ZF dog-leg manual |
| Differential | GKN Ranger limited-slip |
| Sold | 221 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Karif.
History of the Maserati Karif
The Karif was built on the same shortened chassis as the Zagato-bodied Maserati Spyder, with a fixed notchback coupé roof added. In a throwback to Maserati’s earlier naming practice for two-seater GTs, it was named after the wind called Karif, which blows south-west across the Gulf of Aden at Berbera in Somalia.
Engine and performance
The car used the most powerful iteration of the Maserati Biturbo engine: the AM473, a 2.8-litre 90-degree V6 with three valves per cylinder rated at 285 PS at 5,500 rpm. According to Maserati the Karif could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and reach over 255 km/h. Other sources claim outputs of 248 PS, and 225 PS for the later catalysed model, with claimed top speeds of 233 and 230 km/h respectively. The rear limited-slip differential was a Ranger unit made by GKN, and the gearbox was a five-speed ZF dog-leg manual.
Production
Production dates are not entirely clear, but the last cars were sold late in the summer of 1992, long after they had been built. The Karif was a niche model even by Maserati standards of the period, and its short wheelbase, fixed roof and powerful V6 made it the most focused road car to come out of the Biturbo family.
Design and features
- Short wheelbase: the Spyder chassis with a fixed notchback roof.
- Most powerful Biturbo engine: the 2.8-litre AM473 V6 with 285 PS.
- Quick by the standards of its day: 0–100 km/h in 4.8 seconds according to the factory.
- Driver’s gearbox: a five-speed ZF dog-leg manual and a GKN limited-slip differential.
- Rare: 221 sold against the 250 originally announced.
Maserati Karif versions
- Karif (1988–1991): the standard 285 PS car.
- Catalysed cars: later versions with lower output, quoted at 225 PS.
- Zagato Spyder: the open car whose shortened chassis the Karif used.
The Karif was developed from the Maserati Biturbo family and shared its chassis with the open Zagato car; the related Shamal was the other sporting Biturbo derivative. More cars are in the Maserati collection.
Sources
- Maserati Karif, English Wikipedia: history, engine, performance, production
