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Ferrari Conciso: a One-Off You Probably Didn't Know About

Coachbuilt Ferrari two-seat speedster - you're probably thinking of the 810 horsepower Monza SP2 right now. However, we want to talk about something older, largely forgotten and completely insane.
Ferrari Conciso: a One-Off You Probably Didn't Know About 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot/Jay Leno
Ferrari Conciso: a One-Off You Probably Didn't Know AboutFerrari Conciso: a One-Off You Probably Didn't Know About
It's called the Ferrari Conciso, and it's also supposed to be inspired by the Lotus Elan, which is amazing considering these two companies were enemies on the track.

The Conciso was built for the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, those plastic fenders just scream "90s design." It perhaps reminds us of the Renault Spider or Opel Speedster, but definitely not a Ferrari.

Underneath that Jar Jar Binks face is the chassis of the 328 GTS, which also donated its 3.2-liter V8 with about 270 horsepower. Now, that doesn't sound like much, but about 800 lbs were shaved in the transformation process. They covered the chassis in an aluminum alloy bodyshell, featuring no doors, no roof, a low-cut windshield, and a minimalist interior.

With the Ferrari now being lighter than a modern Miata, the diving experience should be pretty interesting, and we'll learn more about that from Jay Leno.

Built for Bernd Michalak’s Design Studio of Mainz, the Conciso is a one-off monument to their mantra of "athletic with not an extra ounce." After exchanging owners several times and receiving a full service, it sold in 2018 for just €110,000.

Collector Franco Valobra says the concept cost a lot less than he was willing to pay for it too. “Nobody bid on it. Nobody knew the story; nobody knew what the car was," he says.

"It’s very comfortable. The only thing is getting in and getting out, which is part of the show. Wherever you arrive there’s a little crowd around, so you’d better be agile enough not to fall on your face," Valobra tells Leno, to which the former talk show host suggests it might be bad for women wearing a skirt.

You have to give the new owner props for showing it off and driving a one-off. It may be one of the ugliest Ferraris we've ever seen, but there's no shame in that.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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