The  F50 Ferrari is based on a Formula 1 race car with the exception of a fibre glass body surrounding it. This car is a ballistic missile in drag and street legal. And when supercar cutomizers and tuners ' Koenig ' got hold of one they made it even faster.

" What's So Special ? "

Well to start with the F50 was built to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari automotivety...

..and at 231 mph this is one of the fastest custom tuned Ferrari's in the world. The Ferrari Koenig  F50 Biturbo is a Ferrari on steroids. 

Manufactured in 1999 this car already has an impressive specification. Then Koening improved it. The V12 twin turbo engine is a 4.7 litre with double overhead cam 5 valves per cylinder (60) and delivers a shocking 828 yes thats right 828 brake horse power at 7500 rpm. With a 6 speed manual gear box to rip through down your local high street.

The standard 1996 Ferrari F50 only had a mere 520 bhp.

0-60 mph is bang on 3 seconds I have to repeat this...3 seconds !! almost in the same league as a Kawasaki Ninja GPZ 1100 motorbike.

These customized F50's sell for around $500,000, probably more as a Ferrari is normally bid on rather than sold in a straight sale.

You may select either 600, 700 or 800 BHP via a switch above the gear stick. " Leave it on 800 "

The facia is typical of Ferrari and the traditional look is not lost.

" Ok, Cool ! I'm impressed, but what is so special ? "

Only 349 F50's were made in Ferrari's factory near Modeno in northern Italy. Ferrari says half already had been sold before it was even completed. And the F50 Koenig is a customization and this makes it even rarer.

"Our studies showed a market for 350 cars like this," says spokesman Antonio Ghini. "But Ferraris are something cultural, a monument. They must be hard to find, so we will produce one less car than the market."

Fifty F50's each were sold in the United States, Germany and Italy, Ferrari's biggest markets. Most of the others were sold in Asia and elsewhere in Europe.

"We have in 50 years of racing won every kind of victory: Formula One, Le Mans, Dayton, Sebring," President Luca di Montezemolo said in an interview. "In this car we put 50 years of know-how."

But he said the F50  is the first and last car Ferrari will build  based on a Formula One engine because of tougher emission standards going into effect in the next few years particularly in the United States. 

"It will be impossible to do it again," he sadly concluded.

The End Of The Road

Disappointingly this could be the end of the true pedigree Ferrari as more and more legislation over fuel emissions, safety regulations, noise pollution along with  the rest of European red tape  stop manufacturers such as Ferrari from building the cars that enthusiast's dreams are made of. In the end I suppose, we will all be going along on skate-boards !

Ferrari build cars to look good, sound good, drive good and go fast. 

Enzo Ferrari. Car lover's worldwide salute you.

 "Vaya con Dios !"