Strange, radical and barely recognizable even to seasoned Cavallino fans: the Ferrari Conciso by Michalak truly looks like anything but a car from Maranello. And it isn't.
A car with no doors, no roof and no compromises – albeit with a design that would have suited the Smart Roadster very well (which only came on the market ten years later). The Conciso’s history begins in the early 1990s, when the Mainz-based Michalak Design company, led by Bernd Michalak, wanted to develop a concept car that would embody their own design motto: “athletic with not an extra ounce”.
The basis is a 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS, which has been completely dismantled, so that essentially only the mechanical parts remain, including the powertrain. Everything else has been redesigned – with the aim of drastically reducing weight and creating a more extreme shape. The body is made entirely of aluminum alloy and has no unnecessary elements. It also does not even have the Ferrari logo. Anyone who knows the sharp-witted Cavallino Rampante lawyers and their passion for warning will know why.
There are no doors, no weather protection, and the windshield is extremely flat – acting more like a wind deflector than real glass. The result: around 30 percent less weight than the production 328. This means the Conciso weighs around 900 kilograms, which has a significant impact on driving characteristics.
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is claimed to take 5 seconds, while the production 328 GTS takes 6,4 seconds. Top speed is 278 km/h, which is about 15 km/h more than the production car. Ferrari's 3,2-liter naturally aspirated V8 has the same power as the GTS, at 270 hp.
The interior also follows a consistent minimalist philosophy. The cockpit is reduced to the bare essentials – with two sports seats, simplified instrumentation and deliberately visible surfaces. The concept was officially presented at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in 1993, where its radical approach attracted a lot of attention; in 1994 it won second prize at the Eurosign Design Awards.
Despite its awards, the Ferrari Conciso remains a unique example. After its launch, it was sold to a prominent North American collection, and in 1998 it was acquired by a Belgian collector, who displayed it as an objet d'art in his living room. In 2018, the car was sold at RM Sotheby's for €109.250.
