Earlier this month, Ferrari pulled the wraps off its latest series-production flagship, the 849 Testarossa, the wild 1,036-horsepower twin-turbo hybrid V8 successor to the already formidable SF90 Stradale. Now, here on Petrolicious, we don’t necessarily talk about the newest and greatest, and our focus remains mainly on vintage and classic cars, but this all-new model is relevant to our story, as it revives the storied ‘Testarossa’ nameplate, a badge that carries heritage going back decades and one that Ferrari first used in the 1950s. Also, the idea of a 1,000-horsepower Testarossa makes this the perfect time to once again revisit a model that we first featured nearly a decade ago, back in 2016.
Resurrecting The Modern-Day Ferrari Testarossa
While the 849 has received headline coverage, why has Ferrari chosen to resurrect the “Testarossa” name now? It is because back in 2015, a German businessman, Kurt Hesse of Autec AG, challenged Ferrari’s rights, arguing that since the badge hadn’t been used for more than five years, Ferrari couldn’t continue to hold onto it. For a time, the ruling stuck, and the name was legally free. But, imagine Ferrari risking losing one of its most iconic designations to toy makers and model-car companies.
Thankfully, after a decade-long litigation, Ferrari finally won back the rights to the Testarossa name in July 2025, as it appealed that the name was still in use for parts, resale of Vintage Testarossas, and for classic car events. To avoid any future uncertainty, Ferrari registered “849 Testarossa” as a trademark in Iceland until 2035, most likely because of the Nordic nation’s geographical position, securing coverage for both Europe and North America.
While the specifications of the 849 are impressive, it is the design that is more divisive and has the Ferrari-faithful on the fence. Yes, from a purely functional perspective, the new shape should be mighty effective, be it on the road or out on the race track.
But a Ferrari is also supposed to be an evocative thing of beauty and one that strikes the emotional chord. While much of Ferrari’s recent models, like the limited-run F80 and 12Cilindri now feature a 365 Daytona-inspired front fascia with the narrow black panel upfront, the 849 goes a step further with a distinctive rear twin tail that takes cues from the 512 S. So what’s missing? Side Strakes.
The OG Testarossas of the 1950s, like the 250TR and 500TR, didn’t feature them, but if you’re going to revive one of the most iconic names to wear the Prancing Horse badge, and a nod to one of the most celebrated periods (a.k.a. the Miami-Vice era) in its past could have been a more faithful interpretation, making it instantly recognizable.
We’ve already seen this on the limited-run Daytona SP3 part of the Icona Series, which embraced retro cues from the 1960s. Regardless, the internet was quick to provide its own take by including the strakes for the 849. Now the trade-off, of course, with those strakes would have been aerodynamic efficiency, and Ferrari has clearly prioritized outright performance on the 849 Testarossa, even if it meant leaving some of the visual magic behind.
Compared to the SF90 Stradale, the 849 offers a lot and outperforms its predecessor owing to factors like more horsepower, more downforce, and better overall aerodynamics. You can read more about how the two models compare here, but crucially, this all-new 849 Testarossa packs the aforementioned 1,000 horsepower, bringing us to the next part of this story: the Koenig Special Competition Evolution.
The Outlaw Koenig Specials
Koenig Specials began life in Munich in the mid-1970s when Willy König, a former amateur publisher and race car driver with a taste for speed, modified his Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer. His formula was simple: take an exotic car, beef up its performance, enhance its looks until it stood out at any high-society gathering, and perform on the infamous de-restricted German autobahns. By the early ’80s, Koenig’s operation had already grown from a garage into a recognized tuning powerhouse.
When Ferrari launched the Testarossa in 1984 at the Geneva Motor Show, König was quick to act. In stock form, the car’s 4.9-liter flat-12 put out 385 horsepower, good for a 0-60 mph dash in 5.2 seconds and a 180-mph top speed. Respectable figures, but for Koenig it wasn’t enough, and his early kits added about 50 horsepower through ECU tweaks, freer-flowing intakes, and bespoke exhausts. You could also opt for upgraded suspension, wider tracks, and stronger brakes.
Visually, Koenig offered fixed headlights in place of the now iconic pop-up units, custom bumpers, side skirts, and even a Spider conversion kit, which was something that Ferrari itself did only once, for then Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli. Ferrari was still under Fiat ownership at the time.
But the real draw was forced induction. Building upon his turbocharging experience with the 512 BB, Koenig offered twin-turbo packages with forged pistons, heavy-duty gaskets, custom manifolds, and uprated cooling systems. The first Evolution I package for the Testarossa made between 600 and 700 horsepower, dropping 0-60 mph times to 3.9 seconds and raising top speed to 200 mph.
Then came the Evolution II package, with bigger turbos, upgraded intercoolers, and a bespoke ECU. With not one, but two massive KKK turbos, and the flat-12 engine now made over 1,000 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. Koenig claimed a 0-62 mph time of 3.5 seconds and a 230 mph top speed, which numbers on par with modern-day exotics.
Remember, this was still in the late 1980s when the F40 was all the rage, and both the road-going Porsche 959 halo supercar and Gordon Murray’s McLaren F1 were still a few years away.
Inside, Koenig cars were just as extreme as you could trim the cabin in bright leather with custom dashboards and even upgraded radios. The Competition Evolution also featured a dial on the center console that let you choose between 600 and 1,000 horsepower, depending on how much power you wanted. This was done by adjusting the boost pressure. Prices reflected the ambition: nearly $600,000 in the ’80s, which is $1.43 million in today’s money.
Ferrari’s response was swift because Enzo Ferrari sued König to remove all prancing horse badges, which would soon be replaced with ‘KS’ badges. Yet despite Maranello’s disapproval, Koenig Specials cars have become cult icons of 1980s excess, and today, some well-kept Evolution examples command upwards of $500,000, which is higher than the average market price for stock Testarossas.
That brings us full circle. Where the 849 Testarossa represents Ferrari’s controlled evolution of the nameplate; legally protected, aerodynamically optimized, and engineered to perfection, the König Competition Evolution is the opposite: unrestrained, rebellious, and not concerned about tradition. While Ferrari may have won the rights to the name, König showed that the spirit of excess had potential outside of Maranello’s control. If you are in a fortunate position to afford either of these two cars (provided you can even get your hands on one), which one would you park in your garage?
Photos: Ferrari and Bring a Trailer
