This unique Ferrari 512 BB with a twin-turbocharged V12 is for sale at an unprecedented price.

There are Ferrari and then there's this one. A 1978 Ferrari 512 BB, transformed by the legendary German tuner Willy Koenig, which develops a whopping 653 hp thanks to a twin turbo. A truly unique piece, now offered for sale in Belgium for €249,900, almost €100,000 more than it fetched at auction... just a year ago.

From BB to Koenig Special

The 512 BB, officially Berlinetta Boxer, but which some claim actually stood for Berlinetta Bialbero (two camshafts), was already an icon in its own right. Its 4.9-liter 12-cylinder engine boasted 340 hp on release, an impressive figure for the late 1970s. But that wasn't enough for a daring owner who, in 1979, entrusted his car to Koenig Specials in Hanover.

Willy Koenig, former driver and visionary tuner, was at the height of his fame. His radical transformations gave Ferraris a new lease on life: wider, more aggressive, more powerful. This 512 BB received a widebody kit, reworked suspension, Campagnolo rims and an engine tuned to 450 hp.

When Koenig adds turbos

A few years later, in 1986, the car returned to the Koenig workshops for an even more extreme treatment. The engine was completely reinforced, carburetors were replaced by modern fuel injection, and two Rajay turbos blew into the bowels of the 12-cylinder flat. The result: 653 hp, far more than any Ferrari of the time.

To put things in perspective, the Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole was then capped at 455 hp, and the Ferrari Testarossa at 390 hp. Even the 2002 Ferrari Enzo only caught up with this mechanical madness with 660 hp... sixteen years later!

An eventful history

Behind this supercharged machine lies a life of European wandering. First delivered to a German industrialist, it rolled along the roads of Germany, Spain and then Switzerland, before passing into the hands of a British collector who invested in a meticulous five-year restoration, entrusted to the specialists at Hoyle Fox. Today, the car is perfectly roadworthy.

The exterior boasts the classic Rosso Corsa color, enhanced by the widened fenders typical of Koenigs. Inside, there's a leather and alcantara interior that's comfortable and refined, a far cry from a stripped-down race car. Veglia meters, an extinguishing system and even elegantly integrated turbo pressure gauges remind us, however, that we're behind the wheel of a monster.

A price that explodes!

This is where the story gets even more fascinating. In September 2024, this same example was auctioned at Bring a Trailier. It fetched €158,000 $, but did not exceed the seller's reserve price. A year later, it is listed for €249,900 at Rock N Roll Classics. In other words, its value has jumped by almost €100,000 in twelve months.

So, is it simply a fad surrounding Koenig preparations, long shunned by purists, or a sign that the market is finally beginning to recognize their place in automotive history?