Modifying a supercar is a daring gamble, especially when it comes to Ferrari. As we've already mentioned in a number of articles, tampering with or tuning a Ferrari can lead to irreparable damage. blacklisted by the Italian manufacturerThe Ferrari brand, which doesn't take kindly to its cars being used as guinea pigs for experiments. Today, at least, if customers really want to stand out from the crowd, they can rely on Maranello's Tailor Made department, which offers highly advanced customization of their Ferraris. If we go back forty years, this was far from the case. Conservatism permeated the automaker's mores, all the more so as the Commandatore was still there to keep an eye on things. When the Ferrari F40 came out in 1987, it was only available in red. Basta!
König, one of the pioneers
But long before the likes of Novitec, Mansory and others began modifying and boosting Ferraris, a German tuner led the way, at his own peril: Willy König! Coming from the publishing world, where he had made his fortune, König became a racing driver in the early '60s, and enjoyed some success with Ford, Mercedes and Ferrari. In 1974, he bought and modified a 365BB and decided to specialize in this still embryonic sector. This was the foundation of König Special, which offered to optimize and modify your supercar, opening a breach into which the Brabus, AMG and other Gemballas would rush in the 80s, the years of uninhibited excess!
His work became so popular that Ferrari owners approached him for his services. His work begins with the addition of factory parts or parts copied from other racing cars. The first modifications involved on 512BB models with modified cylinder heads, high-performance camshafts and the addition of spoilers, reinforced suspension and brakes. Koenig even offered a twin-turbo conversion, which became his trademark. The master stroke came in 1985 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, when Koenig unveiled its version of the Testarossa, the GT supercar launched a year earlier by Ferrari.
Demonic power for its time!
This first preparation caused a sensation, promising 710 hp - 320 hp more than a production Testarossa - but it was only the beginning. It was soon followed by the 800 hp Competition (1988), which added an unprecedented aerodynamic kit designed to bring the "Koenig Testarossa" closer to the look of the F40, with widened wings (2.15 meters at the rear!) and a huge spoiler extending the bodywork. Koenig even offered a cabriolet version, the Competition Cabrio (1989), which received significant chassis reinforcement to compensate for the lack of upper structure, a conversion that alone cost 55,600 $ US at the time.
But this was clearly not enough for some who wanted more power. The result is the Competition Evolution Biturbo, rated at over 1,000 hp at 7,000 rpm, with the 12-cylinder boxer receiving two even larger KKK turbos. The Koenig claims a top speed of 370 km/h, an estimated 0 to 100 10 km/h in 3.5 seconds and 0 to 200 Km/h in 8.9 seconds. Performance worthy of today's...Koenigsegg! Koenig also remodeled the interior to meet customer specifications. The total cost of the car, including a leather interior and a 1,000 W, 16-speaker Kenwood audio system, would have cost 595,900 $ US, or 1,434,197 $ US in 2025!
Mansory's spiritual father?
The Testarossa's look has been radically altered, with a new openwork front bumper and rectangular headlamps that replace the retractable models to save weight. On the flanks, the characteristic claws have disappeared: what is lost in aesthetics is gained in air intake to cool the volcano ready to erupt behind. The sides feature new skirts and air intakes, notably those overhanging the wheel arches extended by a huge F40-type spoiler.
The diffuser incorporates a specific central double exhaust tailpipe, while the grille covering the lights is adorned in red, as is the logo. Mansory didn't invent anything with its Purosangue Pugnator) The car gets a new transparent engine hood, in lexan, as on the F40. The machine sits on 17-inch gold wheels! Inside, it's bright red everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling, including the doors and even the leather-wrapped steering wheel! A kitsch interior that Mansory would certainly not have disowned! The center console features a display that provides all the temperature indications, while a knob lets you adjust the power from 600 to 1000 HP according to your desires...and the driver's level of madness!
Enzo's opprobrium
What does Ferrari have to say about all this? Enzo Ferrari was very irritated, and took Koenig to court to remove all the prancing-horse badges from his cars once the modifications had been received, as they no longer considered them to be Ferraris. Magazines, too, tried to avoid any visual reference to the Italian marque when publishing an article on a Koenig, so as not to be blacklisted. For example, Top Gear magazine had to hide the badge of an F50 (Koenig developed a twin-turbo 850 hp variant) to avoid legal action, and a car tested by Road & Track bore an alternative rectangular KS badge on a yellow background in place of the prancing horse badge at the front.
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