Photo: RM Sotheby's
Apart from being very passionate about their products, there’s very little Ferrari and Lotus have in common. The Italian supercars would look with a raised eyebrow at the spartan British sports cars and their ultimate lack of refinement, muffling any response with the thundering sound of their V12 engines.
However, thanks to a man called Bernd Rudiger Michalak, there is one vehicle that bridges the seemingly endless gap between these two iconic carmakers, and it’s going to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s this May.
The name of this unique car is Conciso and, underneath the custom-built bodywork, you can find the innards of a Ferrari 328 GTS. This bit of information makes the thought of a Prancing Horse getting slaughtered all the more bearable: after all, the 328 GTS isn't one of Maranello's finest efforts.
On the outside, though, the Conciso has virtually nothing in common with its donor. Paint it any other color than red, and you can remove "virtually" from the sentence above. That's all due to Michalak's vision of what a sports car should be like: lightweight and nimble, hence the Lotus comparison.
The Conciso seems to fulfill both requirements, looking like a slightly posher Ariel Atom with a full body. Well, we say "full" but there's an obvious part of it missing, and that's the roof. Go fast in this car without a helmet at your own risk.
It's a two-seater, obviously, but don't be fooled by those gaps in its body where the doors should be. The driver and their passenger literally climb in and out of the tight cockpit over the metal parts, so being a short person is both an advantage and a disadvantage when it comes to the Conciso.
The one-off vehicle was built for the 1993 Frankfurt Show, which explains the obvious '90s vibe about it - particularly the stickers. It kept the 3.2-liter V8 engine of the original with its 270 hp and five-speed manual transmission, but the performance should be significantly improved thanks to the 800 lbs savings (362 kg). Given the Ferrari wasn't exactly heavy to begin with at 1,263 kg, that makes the Conciso a pretty interesting car to drive.
Given its unique looks, the Conciso won't be to everyone's taste, but it's still a one-of-a-kind coach-built vehicle based on a classic Ferrari that's being auctioned with no reserve. The car exchanged hands in a Bonhams' auction last year for roughly $141,000, which makes it a bargain. On the other hand, the fact it's being sold again so quickly does raise a few questions.
The name of this unique car is Conciso and, underneath the custom-built bodywork, you can find the innards of a Ferrari 328 GTS. This bit of information makes the thought of a Prancing Horse getting slaughtered all the more bearable: after all, the 328 GTS isn't one of Maranello's finest efforts.
On the outside, though, the Conciso has virtually nothing in common with its donor. Paint it any other color than red, and you can remove "virtually" from the sentence above. That's all due to Michalak's vision of what a sports car should be like: lightweight and nimble, hence the Lotus comparison.
The Conciso seems to fulfill both requirements, looking like a slightly posher Ariel Atom with a full body. Well, we say "full" but there's an obvious part of it missing, and that's the roof. Go fast in this car without a helmet at your own risk.
It's a two-seater, obviously, but don't be fooled by those gaps in its body where the doors should be. The driver and their passenger literally climb in and out of the tight cockpit over the metal parts, so being a short person is both an advantage and a disadvantage when it comes to the Conciso.
The one-off vehicle was built for the 1993 Frankfurt Show, which explains the obvious '90s vibe about it - particularly the stickers. It kept the 3.2-liter V8 engine of the original with its 270 hp and five-speed manual transmission, but the performance should be significantly improved thanks to the 800 lbs savings (362 kg). Given the Ferrari wasn't exactly heavy to begin with at 1,263 kg, that makes the Conciso a pretty interesting car to drive.
Given its unique looks, the Conciso won't be to everyone's taste, but it's still a one-of-a-kind coach-built vehicle based on a classic Ferrari that's being auctioned with no reserve. The car exchanged hands in a Bonhams' auction last year for roughly $141,000, which makes it a bargain. On the other hand, the fact it's being sold again so quickly does raise a few questions.
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