Koenig Specials 500 SEC, a German tuner car legend, stashed away in the basement. The basement! Why is this thing in the basement? Someone kick the Chevrolet Malibu off of one of the main floors and get this white-painted, widebodied dose of nosetalgia up front ASAP. Now, we at The Autopian usually don’t like running simple “look at this car” posts, but this is a freakin’ Koenig Special. Forget the Pagani in the lobby, this thing matters.
Koenig Specials isn’t the craziest company to ever have its way with Merc’s big ’80s coupe (SGS Gullwing, anyone?), but its craziness has been spread over everything from Porsches to Ferraris. We’re talking about 1,000-horsepower Testarossas, and a road-legal variant of the Porsche 962. Needless to say, Willy König had wild visions, and a strong ’80s economy from stockbroking to the, um, import/export industry left people flush with cash and craving bonkers tuner specials.
For those seeking full-size Mercedes comfort, Koenig indulged in the insanity of putting Testarossa strakes on a C126. Imagine if someone grafted Ford GT-style flying buttresses onto a BMW 8 Series. Actually, I don’t want to see that, but the strakes on this Sonderklasse coupe just work. This whole car’s just the right kind of mad, an artifact from an era vilified, glamorized, idolized, and above all else, powdered.
The crazy part? You can still buy most of the stuff to make your own C126 Koenig Special today. The company still exists, and if you have €8,950 burning a hole in your pocket, you can order a brand new body kit. Oh, and although there’s no absurd twin-turbo setup, you can totally get a supercharger kit that boosts output to 400 horsepower.
Sadly, these wicked five-spoke multipiece wheels with blingtacular gold hardware aren’t available anymore, and that’s a damn shame. Gold hardware and tasteful step lips always go hard, and tasteful five-spoke faces are absolute classics. Plus, just look at the dish these things have. Who doesn’t like a bit of dish on an ’80s car?
Affirmation that these wild big body Benzes are out here warms my heart because custom big coupes are money, have always been money, and should always be money. I don’t care what SUV you’re driving, be it a Cullinan or a Purosangue or what have you, it just doesn’t hit like a Brooklands Coupe, or an 812 Superfast, or a Koenig Specials 500 SEC. This one doesn’t look to be for sale, but by all means, build your own. The world will be a better place once you do.
(Photo credits: Thomas Hundal)
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“I’ve got a thing for the big-body Benzes, it dulls my senses”
JAY-Z, Allure
Sorry I couldn’t respond sooner. I did a weekend stint in rehab after gazing upon the photos of that Merc.
Holy Miami Vice, Batman!
This is almost as exciting as the fact that the “delete all” comment notification just started working! In the nick of time, too, as that German lighting site is evaporating in front of our eyes.
https://images.app.goo.gl/KnzyXaAVfxJUPK3z9
Like cocaine, if you threw me the keys, I would probably drive it, and enjoy the hell out of it… and regret in the next morning.
On a more serious note, every time I see a 500/560 SEC, I wish BMW would have made an E38 coupe. I know that the 8-series was supposed to be that, and the SWB approaches it, but, but a proper E38 coupe would have been nice.
Tell me more about that wicked 911 next to the Merc.
Browsing their website;
I like the BBS wheels with racing slicks for the 3×8 series under special deals.
Just horrible how the rear numberplate is placed piercing through the horizontal heckblende.
Secondary point: Some people have crazy stuff in their basement.
+100 for the homage to that beautiful car, but I must object.
> Sadly, these wicked five-spoke multipiece wheels with blingtacular gold hardware aren’t available anymore, and that’s a damn shame. Gold hardware and tasteful step lips always go hard
Those were tacky and ugly then, and they haven’t aged well at all. Gold anything does not belong on a MB.
Agreed. It’s the one thing that lets the car down
That widebody to dumpster ass looks not so good, but man that looks like a fun thing to toss around.
Are we talking about cars?
Yeah, you know why it’s in the basement?
So a passing drug dog working security doesn’t get a hit on the residual 80’s-ness of it, if you know what I mean, and I think you do!
I remember seeing one of these when they were new at one of those “It’s a parade AND a car show” events that used to be popular before Cars & Coffee came along. It was wild to see, but at the same time didn’t look great compared to the cars the body kit was aping the design from. The width looked freaking crazy from behind, though.
Ahh the 80’s. I love how each era has it’s vehicles of excess, and they all differ.
Ngl, I would flip if this pulled up to the shop, but my Mercedes tech was mildly nauseated by it and he’s used to every 80s Merc under the sun
Wait, GM is exhibiting a Malibu??
What’s the point of showing that off, I mean now?
Edit: did GM get the rights to Toyota’s “it’s a car!” tagline, wants to use it while it can?
There WERE cool Malibus back in the 60’s. They weren’t all 90’s and 00’s dorkmobilea.
True, but wouldn’t bringing an old SS make things even worse, reminding people they’re not doing that ever again.
I just wonder why Chevy would bother with a car on I think its final year (I’m still shocked that it’s still being made as it is).
If you’re fascinated with these and other Euro “Tuner” luxury cars from the era, you will waste hours on this site. You’re welcome.
https://www.1000sel.com/
Damn you all to heck!
I mean thanks. (-;
*Damn you all to heckblende
Please help me unsee this atrocity
https://www.1000sel.com/index.php/chameleon-car-co/typhoon-mercedes-500sec
Holy….
I mean, we joke about cocaine-fueled builds, but you can absolutely see it in this one! Under the presumably heavy influence, they just couldn’t stop adding crap: the wide ass wasn’t enough—had to slap a wing on. But, no; still not enough…tack on a wing up top too. Still not weird enough; make the front protrude oddly….
Jesus. The seat inserts are red to disguise the noise bleeds I assume?
The emblem on the trunk lid is crooked.