This is a 1984 BMW M635 CSi Koenig Special widebody, it’s powered by the M88 straight-six, a version of the 282 bhp 3.5 liter engine used in the BMW M1 supercar.
Power is sent back through a 5-speed manual transmission, the enthusiasts’ choice. This car is finished in Diamond Black Metallic over a black interior, it has seating space for four people and plenty of trunk space – making it quite a bit more practical than the M1.
Fast Facts: A Koenig Special 1984 BMW M635 CSi
- This 1984 BMW M635 CSi is powered by BMW’s M88 3.5 liter straight-six, producing 282 bhp, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Its Koenig Special widebody conversion gives the car a far more aggressive look, while four seats and generous luggage space make it considerably more practical than the BMW M1 with which it shares its engine.
- German racing driver Willy König founded Koenig Specials GmbH in 1977, building on tuning work begun in 1974. The company became famous for dramatic widebody kits, suspension upgrades, and high-performance engine conversions for European sports cars. Its creations included twin-turbo Ferraris producing over 1,000 bhp and extensively modified Porsche 911 Turbos.
- This particular M635 CSi was first registered in 1984 and previously resided in Germany before being registered in the Netherlands. Finished in Diamond Black Metallic with a black interior, it carries a rare Koenig Specials widebody kit with official certification. Its odometer reads 149,943 kilometers (93,170 miles), believed genuine by the seller.
- The car has received a complete repaint commissioned by a previous owner, although some age-related wear remains. Equipment includes an electric sliding sunroof, air conditioning, and a BMW Professional RDS radio. It is offered through Collecting Cars with service documentation, two keys, Koenig Specials certification, and a valuation report assessing it at €77,500.
History Speedrun: Willy König And His “Koenig Specials”
Koenig Specials GmbH was founded by eccentric millionaire and successful racing driver Willy König (sometimes spelled “Willy Koenig”) in 1977 to formally sell kits and parts that Koenig had been developing and selling since 1974.
Here we see Willy König (right) with his son, in front of three of his creations. Image courtesy of Koenig Specials GmbH.
The cars built by Willy and his team were extreme to say the least, so extreme that former friend Enzo Ferrari demanded that any Ferrari modified by Koenig have its badges removed or face legal action – as the company no longer considered it to be a Ferrari.
Love them or hate them, Willy and the team at Koenig had a significant influence on the global car tuning and modification scene. The company sold wide body kits, suspension systems, performance engine parts and they offered fully-built cars.
One of the company’s most famous creations was an extensively modified Ferrari Testarossa with an avant garde body kit and a significantly modified twin-turbo engine capable of 1,000+ bhp. They also built a Porsche 911 Turbo with up to 550 bhp and a top speed not far off 200 mph.
A slew of wild cars rolled out of the Koenig facilities during the 1970s and 1980s, today they’re considered quite collectible but only to a specific kind of collector – one who cares more for the cars’ unusual nature than their lost originality.
Interestingly, Koenig Specials GmbH is still in operation to this day selling body kits for cars from its glory days, though they no longer build custom cars in-house.
The Koenig Special 1984 BMW M635 CSi Shown Here
This is a 1984 BMW M635 CSi that’s fitted with a rare Koenig Specials body kit, developed by the German tuning company known for its wildly-modified European performance cars during the 1980s. This BMW is finished in Diamond Black Metallic over a black interior, and its Koenig modifications are accompanied by official certification.
Power comes from a 3.5 liter inline-six engine, driving the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. This car was first registered in 1984, it was previously based in Germany and it’s now registered in the Netherlands. The odometer currently shows 149,943 kilometers (93,170 miles), which the seller believes to be genuine.
This is a 1984 BMW M635 CSi Koenig Special widebody, it’s powered by the M88 straight-six, a version of the 282 bhp 3.5 liter engine used in the BMW M1 supercar.
The previous owner commissioned a complete repaint, although the seller notes that the car still shows some signs of use consistent with its age. Factory equipment includes an electric sliding sunroof, air conditioning, and a BMW Professional RDS radio.
It’s now being offered for sale with service documentation, two keys, Koenig Specials certification, and a valuation report assessing it at €77,500. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Collecting Cars.
Images courtesy of Collecting Cars
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
