This is a rare 1985 Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II. It’s a Testarossa that was given a series of modifications by German tuning company Koenig Specials in the 1980s, the most important part of which was a twin turbo system that boosted power to 1,000+ bhp.
The conversion work done by Koenig Specials was not dissimilar to the work being done by companies like AMG, Brabus, Ruf, and AC Schnitzer. Koenig’s cars were perhaps a little more controversial, and Ferrari legally banned them from leaving any Ferrari badges on the cars they had modified.
Fast Facts: The Koenig Competition Evolution II
- The Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II is a heavily modified version of the Ferrari Testarossa, created by German tuning company Koenig Specials in the 1980s. Founded by eccentric millionaire Willy König, the company gained notoriety for its extreme modifications, leading Ferrari to demand removal of their badges from Koenig-modified Ferraris. The Competition Evolution II features a comprehensive body kit, including revised fascias, vented fenders, new side air intakes, a plexiglass engine cover, and fixed headlights.
- The most significant upgrade is the engine modification, transforming the original 385 bhp 4.9 liter Ferrari F113A flat-12 into a 1,000+ bhp powerhouse. This was achieved through the Koenig Specials KCE 1000 Turbotronic kit, which includes twin KKK turbochargers, intercoolers, oil coolers, external wastegates, and a MoTeC engine management system. This immense power output made it one of the fastest road-legal supercars of its time, a feat rarely seen even in today’s supercar saturated world.
- To handle the increased power, the car received substantial upgrades to its brakes and suspension. AP Racing calipers with two-piece slotted rotors were installed on all corners, along with 17″ multi-piece wheels and high-performance tires. The suspension was upgraded with Koni shock absorbers and H&R springs. The interior features power-adjustable bucket seats with red leather trim and Koenig-branded Schroth four-point harnesses, alongside various comfort and entertainment amenities.
- The 1985 Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II shown in this article is now being offered for sale out of California with 11,000 miles on the odometer.
Willy König And His “Koenig Specials”
Koenig Specials GmbH was founded by eccentric millionaire and successful racing driver Willy König (sometimes spelt “Willy Koenig”) 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 Kong Specials.
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 his 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.
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 cars more for the car’s 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 Specials Competition Evolution II
The car you see here is the rather lengthily-named Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II, though if Ferrari had their way it wouldn’t have their name associated with it at all, despite the fact that they obviously built the car it’s based on.
The Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II version of the Ferrari Testarossa is capable of 1,000 bhp thanks to its twin turbochargers.
After the Ferrari Testarossa had been revealed to the world at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, Koenig Specials developed a series of upgrade packages for the car – the Competition, Competition Cabrio, Competition Evolution, and finally, the Competition Evolution II.
The most extreme of these was the Competition Evolution II. It consisted of a comprehensive package of upgrades including revised fascias, vented fenders, new side air intakes (without the “strakes”), a plexiglass engine cover, a raised rear wing, and fixed headlights behind covers, rather than the original pop-ups.
The bodykit is only a small part of the story however, as the car also received a series of major technical upgrades, resulting in it becoming one of the fastest road-legal supercars on earth at the time of its release.
The 4.9 liter Ferrari F113A flat-12 was fitted with a Koenig Specials KCE 1000 Turbotronic kit, which included twin KKK turbochargers, twin intercoolers, a pair of oil coolers, dual Turbosmart external wastegates, a MoTeC electronic engine management system, and a center-exit exhaust.
The interior has been upgraded with two power-adjustable bucket seats trimmed in red leather and fitted with Koenig-branded Schroth four-point harnesses, and a number of other new features.
Power was rated at 1,000+ bhp, up from the original 385 bhp, and performance was (reportedly) borderline obscene. 1,000 bhp supercars are rare even today, back in the mid-1980s they were unheard of, and so the Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II Testarossa became a bedroom wall poster car for an entire generation.
Fortunately, the mechanical upgrades in the engine bay weren’t the extent of the work, more power means the car needs similarly upgraded brakes and suspension.
As a result, the car was given new AP Racing calipers over two-piece slotted rotors on all four corners, tucked in behind 17″ multi-piece wheels and 235/45 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires in front, with 335/35 Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico in the rear. The suspension has been upgraded with Koni shock absorbers and H&R springs front and back.
Inside you’ll find two power-adjustable bucket seats trimmed in red leather and fitted with Koenig-branded Schroth four-point harnesses, it also comes with retractable three-point seatbelts. The car also has a Sony AM/FM cassette stereo, Quart speakers, and a digital clock, a defroster, and power windows on each side.
The car is fitted with a Koenig Specials body kit including revised fascias, vented fenders, new side air intakes (without the “strakes”), a plexiglass engine cover, a raised rear wing, and fixed headlights behind covers, rather than the original pop-ups.
The car shown in this article is a 1985 Ferrari Testarossa Koenig Specials Competition Evolution II, one of very few that were built, and it’s now being offered for sale with approximately 11,000+ miles on the odometer.
If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here on Bring a Trailer. It’s being offered for sale out of Thousand Oaks, California on dealer consignment with a clean Montana title.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben 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.
