Italian coachworks Modena Automobili has revealed its first restomod which reimagines the Maserati Biturbo
There has been no shortage of restomods over the last few years and it seems the trend only continues to build pace. The latest work comes from Italian studio Modena Automobili, which brings together designers who had previously worked for another Italian coachbuilder Ares Modena, best known for its take on the DeTomaso Pantera.
The Biturbo Shamal project started life in 2022 when Modena Automobili took the decision to revisit the iconic Maserati Shamal – the performance offshoot of the Biturbo – amid broader plans to take on other 70s and 80s legends as well. Modena Automobili’s Style Center is headed by shareholder Paolo Ferrari, who has coordinated the work of designers Antonio Bonacci and Daniel Contini.
Using a 1983 Coupe as the base, the team has pretty much reworked everything else. “The only thing that is left of donor car is the chassis, which gets scanned and serves as the basis for both style, engineering and for assembling the prototype,” the team told Car Design News.
It uses a 3.0-litre twin turbo V6 from the current Maserati Ghibli S and the technical components have been modernised. On the exterior, there are various styling tweaks and carbon fibre is prevalent throughout. The back seats have been kept and restored in line with the rest of the car, and other iconic elements of the original, such as the oval clock and the distinctive Tridente logo, remain.
The aim, we are told, was to turn an iconic 40-year-old car into a “modern, comfortable, fast and safe car of the 21st century. Restomods such as these are often quite polarising – some love them, some hate them – and it is interesting to hear that the team at Modena Automobili was initially unsure which approach to take.
“Conservative restorations (bringing the car back to its original status) was the initial idea,” CDN heard, “but then the business model evolved into restomod. “We were also following our young team’s suggestions and passion for modern, better looking and better running cars.” Production will be limited to just 33 units, retailing at over €500,000 each.
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