Photography Courtesy of Silverstone Auctions
How much power is enough? In 1987, Ferrari thought that—on its road cars, at least—its top-of-the-line F40 supercar with about 470 horsepower was as good as it should get. German tuner Koenig, however, disagreed—and would sell you a Ferrari Testarossa with 800.
The foundation of Koenig Specials lies with the longtime race-winning driver Willy König. With his racing career dovetailing nicely with some of the most powerful machines ever pressed into competition (including Group C), he was one of the few who could buy a brand-new 365 GT4 BB in 1974 from Ferrari and be disappointed with how it drove.
Given its immense displacement of 4,943-cc and 12 cylinders to work with, Koenig could reportedly coax up to 800 horsepower from what it called the Koenig Competition and, later, the Competition Evolution II. Through a 21-car production run, each of the specials it produced are quite different, with some owners opting for the offered upgrade to more than 1,000 horsepower—courtesy of twin turbocharging.
Driving a highly-strung, tuned Ferrari around isn’t a hobby most can indulge in, but believe me, we all want to.
Before this car here was upgraded to become a Koenig Competition Evolution II with 800 normally-aspirated horsepower, it was a 1987 Ferrari Testarossa in Rosso Corsa, a color which has been kept through its transformation with a full red leather interior to match. Offered at Silverstone Auctions’ upcoming May Sale, it sports less than 47,000 km on its odometer.
Its first owner in 1988 took the car to Koenig, leaving with new bodywork and the engine modifications; its next owner, in 1996, had Koenig further update the car to match the look of the Ferrari 512M. A string of subsequent stewards have owned the car since, with it crossing the block at Artcurial two years ago in Monaco for 119,200€—its current estimate of between £115,000–£130,000 doesn’t seem so steep now, does it? Specialists DK Engineering did a thorough service after that sale, with the car said to be in excellent, well-maintained condition throughout.
Upgrading the performance of high-performance machines soon found Koenig with a loyal group of customers who wanted their cars endowed with head-warping style and power. Don’t concern yourself with wondering if it’s a sacrilege to modify a Ferrari—in this car’s case, that deed has been done. Ask yourself: how does 800 horsepower sound?
Specifications
~800 horsepower, 2,943-cc 12-cylinder engine, five-speed manual transmission, four-wheel independent suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: ~2,550 mm
Vehicle Information
Chassis no.: ZFFAA17B000076967
Engine no: F113B12085
Valuation
Auction company: Silverstone Auctions
Estimate: £115,000–130,000;
Price realized: TBD; auction on May 14
