Koenig-Specials C62

Do you play car quartet or did you play this kind of card game in the past? On the school yard or in the spare time one could get to know new and interesting automobiles since the first corresponding game was introduced in Germany in the 1950s. In addition, you could compete against each other without violence and conquer the opponent’s card with the trump values of the respective vehicle. And yes, there were and are of course corresponding quartet games with trains, ships, airplanes, helicopters, tanks and various other means of transportation. But this is about one particular card that was in a car quartet in Germany at the end of 1991. It featured a street-legal supercar the likes of which the world had never seen. With the Koenig-Specials C62 on hand, it was virtually impossible to lose.

Group C car for everyday use

As a seven-year-old kid, the author of these lines could of course not yet do much with the Koenig-Specials brand or the background of the C62. I was simply proud if I could win the quartet game by means of this card. But with the years came more knowledge and especially a growing interest in rare cars. Soon it was clear that Koenig-Specials near Munich was one of the spearheads in tuning at that time. And the C62 was actually a racing car on the road. However, the motorsport category from which this car originally came was already a thing of the past by the time this realization reached me. From the mid-1980s onward, the extreme downforce Group C prototypes were causing a sensation in the World Sports Car Championship, IMSA and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Porsche was in the thick of it and out in front with the 956 and 962 C.

Some 962s ended up in public traffic

From the early 1990s, rule changes meant that the Porsche 962 C could no longer be used competitively. But where to put the more than 125 units that Porsche and various private teams had used in racing up to that point? While some were shunted into depots, there were various drivers and race team owners who dreamed of road-legalization for these cars. Besides Jochen Dauer and Vern Schuppan, Koenig-Specials was one of them. All three companies (and a few others) finally, with some effort, really managed to get the 962 on public roads. This put new exclamation points above established projects like the Ferrari F40 or Porsche 959. Koenig-Specials even went as far as to completely rework the car to better suit daily traffic use. After these modifications, in fact, no original Porsche body part fit to it anymore.

Koenig-Specials C62 with 550 hp

At first glance, the silhouette continues to resemble the Porsche 962 C. To comply with German registration regulations, the headlights moved up and the fenders were given more clearance for suspension. In addition, Koenig-Specials raised the C62 a good bit in order to reduce bumps on manhole covers due to the increased ground clearance. A Plexiglas cover is integrated above the engine for minor maintenance work. As with the race car, the entire rear section can also be removed. Instead of the racing engine, Koenig-Specials installed a 3.4-liter six-cylinder boxer engine with turbocharging, the basis of which came from the Porsche 911 (964) Turbo. At one bar of boost pressure, around 550 hp was available. For 1991, this was a more than respectable figure. Combined with a five-speed manual transmission and the 962 brake system, the car was equipped for the best driving maneuvers.

Most expensive new car in Germany in 1991

Under the independent shell of Koenig-Specials, the C62 was based on a chassis from the Thompson company. They created independent 962 chassis with improved crash safety and stiffness, similar to Kremer-Racing in Germany. However, after the end of Group C, these cars were “left over” just like all other Porsche 962s. Koenig-Specials originally planned a small series of 30 units at a base price of DM 1,800,000. Such a high price for a new car was a front-page sensation at the time – but also ensured that the number of units could never be realized. In fact, exactly three C62s were built in total, one in black, one in yellow (the car on my playing card at the time) and one in red. The latter went to its first owner in Japan in August 1991. After a change of ownership within Japan, a new owner exported the sports car to California/USA in 2019.

For sale at Issimi

In fact, less than 7,000 kilometers of mileage have been accumulated to date. Of that, over 1,000 came with the last owner alone. Nevertheless, the car shows various signs of wear on both the body and the blue interior with red accents. It is also somewhat incomprehensible that the mileage shown on the tacho is at just under 2,500 kilometers. As with the racing car, the driver sits on the right. Next to him or her, a nice place for a co-driver has been set up, who, however, goes on a cuddly course with the driver. Currently this Koenig-Specials C62 is for sale at the classic car dealer Issimi in the USA. The asking price for this unique opportunity to acquire a former Group C race car with road registration is US$ 995,000.

Images: Issimi