Maserati Karif

Maserati Karif
Overview
Manufacturer	Maserati
Production	1988 - 1993 222 units
Body and chassis
Class	Entry-level luxury sports car (S)
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	FR layout
Platform	AM 339B28
Related	Maserati Biturbo Spyder
Powertrain
Engine	2.8 L biturbo 90° V6 petrol
Transmission	5-speed ZF manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Length	4,043 mm (159.2 in)
Width	1,714 mm (67.5 in)
Height	1,310 mm (51.6 in) [1]
Curb weight	1,281–1,346 kg (2,824–2,967 lb)[2]
Chronology
Predecessor	Maserati Mistral

The Maserati Karif (Tipo 339) is a luxury coupé produced by Maserati between 1988 and 1993. It was designed to be luxurious, but also sporty and agile to allow the driver to "feel like a racing driver again or for the first time".^[3] At the car's unveiling, Alejandro de Tomaso declared a very limited production run of 250 examples.^[4] Of these planned 250, only 222 were actually sold.

In a throwback to Maserati's earlier naming practices for two-seater GTs, the car was named after the wind called "Karif", which blows South West across the Gulf of Aden at Berbera, Somalia.^[3][5]

The Karif was built on the same shortened chassis as the Zagato-bodied Maserati Spyder model, adding a fixed notchback coupé roof. It used the most powerful Maserati Biturbo engine: the AM473, a 2.8 L 90° V6 engine with 3 valves per cylinder, producing 285 PS (210 kW) at 5500 rpm. According to Maserati the Karif could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 4.8 seconds, and achieve a top speed of over 255 km/h (158 mph).^[1][4] Other sources claim 248 PS (182 kW), and 224 PS (165 kW) for the later catalyzed model.^[2] With these lower power outputs, claimed top speeds were 233 and 230 km/h (145 and 143 mph) respectively.

References

1. "Maserati Karif". supercars.net. Retrieved 2006-11-09.
2. Tabucchi, Maurizio (2003). Maserati: The Grand Prix, Sports and GT cars model by model, 1926-2003. Milano: Giorgio Nada Editore s.r.l. pp. 316–317. ISBN 88-7911-260-0.
3. "The Karif". Maserati Alfieri. Retrieved 2006-11-09.
4. "Maserati per pochi". la Repubblica (in Italian). 1988-02-27. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
5. "LEAD Glossary:Karif". Frozone. Retrieved 2006-11-12.

External links

• Official Maserati Heritage pages: The Maserati Karif