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Model history and curiosity

The Maserati Karif is a car produced by the Italian car manufacturer Maserati in only 221 units between 1988 and 1992.

The name, following the Maserati tradition, takes its name from a hot wind that blows across the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen, called Karif.

The Karif "berlinetta" was unveiled at the 1988 Geneva Motor Show, where it did not receive a warm reception from the public and journalists.

The short wheelbase chassis of 2400 mm was the same as the Biturbo Spyder by Zagato, much shorter than that of the Biturbo coupé of 2514 mm.
The interiors were well finished and luxurious with extensive use of fine leather and burl. The Karif was born as a two-seater plus two, but in reality the two rear seats could only comfortably fit two children.

The engine, located at the front, shared with the Maserati Biturbo was a 2800 cm³ twin-turbo V6 with 3 valves per cylinder and capable of delivering 285 HP at 5500 rpm. Power that added to a very low weight allowed the Karif to achieve high-performance sports car performance.
The rest of the mechanics were also taken from the Maserati models already on the market: ZF 5-speed + reverse gearbox with first gear at the bottom, Ranger self-locking differential, self-ventilated front disc brakes and full rear disc brakes.
The Karif reached a top speed of 255 km/h and went from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds.