The design of the Macchi C.201 started back in 1938 when the Regia Aeronautica issued a requirement for a replacement of the Macchi C.200. Macchi's proposal was the C.201 which featured a revised fuselage, an enclosed cockpit and it was going to be powered by the Isotta-Fraschini Astro A.140RC which was an Italian copy of the French Gnome-et-Rhône GR.14 Krs Mistral Masjor that could deliver 870hp of power but later it was decided to fit the Fiat A.76 RC40 that delivered 1000hp of power.
Two prototypes were projected the first of which flying on 10th August 1940 albeit with the less powerful Fiat A.74. Macchi expected it to achieve top speeds of 550km/h (340mph) but, given the troublesome results of the A.76 engine, Fiat abandoned that engine and the C.201 was definitaly cancelled.
The Macchi C.200bis was a modification made by Breda in order to fit a Piaggio P.XIX RC45 engine in the fuselage of an earlier version of the Macchi C.200. That engine could deliver 1180hp of power and made its maiden flight on 11th April 1942 at the airfield of Milan-Bresso and was flown by Luigi Acerbi. It was fitted with a larger propeller and a new engine cowling as the frontal machine-guns needed to be re-fitted. It achieved a top speed of 535km/h (332mph) but it didn't enter into production as the much better and advanced Macchi C.202 was already in production.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macchi_C.200
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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