1984 Koenig 512 BBi

Willy König founded Koenig Specials GmbH in Munich in 1977, with the purpose of creating bespoke automobile creations, most notably for their extensive modifications to Ferrari vehicles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Willy was an avid motorsports competitor, beginning with Formula Juniors during the 1960s, followed by a Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta and a variety of vehicles such as the Lola T70, Fiat Abarths, a Ford GT40, and Borgward Isabella TS, among others.

The Koenig Special company was formed soon after Mr. Konig acquired one of the first Ferrari 365 GT4 BBs in West Germany. Dissatisfied with its performance, he set about improving upon the aesthetics and mechanical aspects, gaining in notoriety and commissions by other owners to perform similar work to their vehicles. The hobby quickly grew into a business, and soon a reputation for exotic styling and the equally impressive performance had been forged. They offered twin-turbo conversions, a heavy-duty fiberglass wide bodykit, suspension and brake upgrades, and various accessories such as wheels and spoilers.

Along with Ferrari's, Koenig would tune any manner of vehicles from Porsche or Mercedes-Benz, offering both styling and performance upgrades.

Ferrari Ferrari 512 BB was one of the most exotic, expensive, and potent vehicles on the market when Willy Konig decided to add his personal touch, making it even wider, founder, and much more expensive. Visual updates included flared wheel arches, wide tires, and a large wing.

Vittorio Strosek was the stylist who penned many of the designs for Konig. His talented and modern designs made the exclusive Ferrari (and other marques) vehicles and more unique. Extra scoops (for Turbo cars) were added to the 512 BB(i) to improve air-flow to the turbocharged engine. The integrated rear spoiler and usually a large wing on top of that added to the flamboyant design while adding downforce if the owner so-desired to get their vehicle up to speed. The wider wheel arches and Pirelli tires sized 345/35 VR15 (the front sizes were 225/50 VR 15) applied the generous amount of power produced by the engine to the road. New front and rear bumpers completed the aesthetics.

It was performance and handling that had initially prompted Konig to improve upon his Ferrari, and these traits were applied to all of his builds. Depending on the configuration and setup, the 512 BBi Turbo was tuned to deliver upwards of 650 horsepower, and its top speed of 330 km/h made it one of the fastest cars of its era. Large brakes and suspension upgrades were designed to make full use of the engine's power, with all aspects of the vehicle benefitting from Mr. Konig's extensive motorsport background.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2021