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McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Khris Bharath – August 16, 2026

RM Sotheby's | The Monterey Auction 2026: Top 10 Results & Highlights

RM Sotheby’s returned to the Portola Hotel and Monterey Conference Center for its 29th year at Monterey Car Week 2026, generating a record $380 million in total sales at a 90 percent sell-through rate. 199 lots were presented across August 13 and 15, with the docket spanning everything from pre-war icons and historic competition cars to modern hypercars. Bidders from 39 countries participated, with 69 lots exceeding $1 million, 14 surpassing $5 million, six crossing $10 million and two exceeding $30 million. The sale produced 38 record-setting results, including six firmly in the eight-figure range, with the top 10 lots alone accounting for more than $170 million in total sales. The result marked the highest-grossing Monterey auction in RM Sotheby’s history. These results will define the 2026 auction season, anchored by one of the most unusual outcomes Monterey’s auction circuit has ever produced. Ferrari dominated the upper end of the market, taking seven positions in the top 10 and accounting for more than 60 percent ($107 million), including all six of the marque’s modern halo cars often referred to as the “Big Six.” Several consignments were among the 10 cars we spotlighted ahead of Monterey Car Week 2026 Auctions. The weekend’s overall headline result came from Carroll Shelby’s Former Cobra Daytona Coupe Sets $42.9 Million Record to Become America’s Most Valuable Auction Car at Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach Auctions. RM Sotheby’s, however, delivered its own landmark moments, led by the all-electric 2026 Ferrari Luce ‘Tailor Made’, chassis 0, which produced the auction’s highest result. The gavel fell at $40,000,000, becoming RM Sotheby’s top result of the event. Notably, the car carried a stated estimate of in excess of $1,100,000, derived from a base list price of approximately $640,000. The result exceeded that estimate by more than 35 times. Buyer Herbert Wertheim was the same billionaire collector who paid $26,000,000 for that 600th Daytona SP3 last year, and this $40,000,000 sale exceeded that figure to establish a new record for the most expensive new car ever sold. The Buyer’s Premium was waived on this lot, as this was a charity auction, with Ferrari donating all proceeds to The Ferrari Foundation, a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization supporting the M-TECH Alfredo Ferrari technical education campus in Maranello. The charitable element and waived premium mean the transaction cannot be directly compared with conventional collector car sales. What it does confirm is the strength of Ferrari’s client ecosystem and the ability of the marque’s most exclusive offerings to command extraordinary levels of attention. The 1996 McLaren F1 GTR, chassis 10R, formerly owned by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason for 25 years and known as the "Pop-Art F1," sold for $34,655,000. The car is the first F1 GTR built to the highly developed 1996 specification and one of only two Short-Tail factory XP prototypes, alongside chassis 01R, the car that won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans outright. Factory-retained by McLaren and subsequently converted for road use, chassis 10R is the only F1 GTR to wear a factory-created pop art livery in Blood Red and yellow. Against a stated estimate in excess of $35,000,000, the McLaren F1 GTR fell just short of that threshold, selling for $34,655,000, or approximately $345,000 below the published estimate. It also became the most expensive British car sold at auction. The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport sold for $18,705,000, the most expensive Corvette sold at auction, delivering a landmark result for Zora Arkus-Duntov’s most significant creation and one of the most important American racing cars of the 1960s. Only five Grand Sports were built before Chevrolet’s competition program was cancelled, making each example one of the rarest and most historically significant Corvettes ever produced. Having exceeded the pre-auction estimate by $7.7 million, this result for the Grand Sport, along with the aforementioned Shelby Daytona Coupe’s $42.9 million record, demonstrates how America’s most significant competition cars are increasingly commanding the same attention and valuations traditionally associated with Europe’s most celebrated racing machines. The 2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3, one of 600 examples produced and offered from The Driver’s Philosophy Collection, achieved $17,825,000 on Friday. Mike Tyson’s former 1995 Ferrari F50 reached $12,105,000, while another 1995 Ferrari F50 finished in Giallo Modena achieved $14,475,000 at Mecum Monterey, highlighting the premium commanded by exceptional specifications and provenance. A 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO achieved $11,555,000, and a 2003 Ferrari Enzo crossed the block at $9,410,000. A 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari realized $8,695,000, while a 1991 Ferrari F40 achieved $8,365,000. The 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe at $9,080,000 rounds out the top 10 and was the outlier in this streak of some of Maranello’s all-time greats. The Enzo result was also one of several important data points for Ferrari’s modern halo cars over the weekend at Monterey. Broad Arrow’s Nero DS 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $10,675,000, whereas a Rosso Corsa example sold for $12,100,000 at Mecum. While both exceeded RM Sotheby’s $9,410,000 result, they reinforce the Enzo’s continued transition into the eight-figure segment, a trend we highlighted in our Ferrari Enzo market spotlight, examining the model’s evolution into a blue-chip collectible. Beyond the headline results, RM Sotheby’s auction also saw strong performances from other significant consignments. A 2025 Bugatti Mistral, also from The Driver’s Philosophy Collection, sold for $8,310,000, consistent with the $8,805,000 achieved at Broad Arrow. A 2024 Pagani Huayra Roadster “Executor” reached $8,035,000, setting a new auction record, while a 1989 Porsche 959 Sport crossed the block at $7,045,000. The 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato came close to breaking into the top 10, attracting a high bid of $11,750,000 but ultimately failing to find a buyer. Its absence from the sold results allowed the 1991 Ferrari F40’s $8,365,000 transaction to secure the final position in the ranking. Ultimately, RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction was defined by more than headline figures. Ferrari’s dominance confirmed the marque’s unmatched position among modern collector cars. As Monterey continues to set the tone for the global collector market, these results demonstrate that rarity, provenance, and competition pedigree remain the foundations of long-term value. View All RM Sotheby's Inventory *** Results reflect RM Sotheby’s officially reported post-sale figures and include buyer’s premium where applicable. 10. 1991 Ferrari F40 (Lot 317) $8,365,000 (New Record) 9. 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari (Lot 348) $8,695,000 (New Record) 8. 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe by Rollston and Bohman & Schwartz (Lot 122) $9,080,000 (New Record) 7. 2003 Ferrari Enzo (Lot 269) $9,410,000 6. 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO (Lot 340) $11,555,000 (New Record) 5. 1995 Ferrari F50 (Lot 349) $12,105,000 4. 2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3 (Lot 223) $17,825,000 3. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport (Lot 341) $18,705,000 (New Record) 2. 1996 McLaren F1 GTR (Lot 328) $34,655,000 (New Record) 1. 2026 Ferrari Luce 'Tailor Made' (Lot 345) $40,000,000 (New Record) Images: RM Sotheby's

By Khris Bharath – July 29, 2026

Unicorn Murciélago: 1-of-5 Factory-Gated Manual LP670-4 SV in One-Off Marrone Eklipsis Heads to Auction

Two days ago we featured a 696-mile, 1-of-4 Nero Aldebaran Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, a genuinely rare car in its own right. This one exists on another level. Chassis 4015, a 2010 Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce finished in one-off Ad Personam Marrone Eklipsis, is heading to RM Sotheby's dedicated Sealed sale in August, offered without reserve. It is widely believed to be the last manual V12 Lamborghini ever to leave Sant'Agata Bolognese, a distinction that places it among the most historically significant modern Lamborghinis ever built. Its interior plaque reads 344 of a planned 350-car run, a number that sits near the very end of production. The LP670-4 SuperVeloce was the final evolution of the Murciélago, only the third Lamborghini to wear the SV badge after the Miura SV and Diablo SV. It also marked the end of the original Giotto Bizzarrini-designed V12 architecture that had powered every flagship Lamborghini since the Miura. While the Aventador continued with a naturally aspirated V12, it introduced an entirely new engine family. What makes this car extraordinary is everything layered on top of that already exclusive foundation. Start with the transmission. Only five Murciélago LP670-4 SVs are firmly documented with Lamborghini's six-speed gated manual, though VIN records point to as many as seven, with the final two believed to exist but currently unaccounted for. Every other example used the E-Gear automated manual. That exposed metal gate has become the defining symbol of the analog Lamborghini experience, and the feature that has transformed factory-gated manual Murciélagos into seven-figure collector cars. It is the same thread running through the 1-of-26 gated-manual LP640 and the fewer-than-10 manual LP640 Roadsters we've previously covered. RM Sotheby's believes this was the final manual SV to leave the production line, making it the last manual V12 Lamborghini the company ever built. <- Gallery -> The specification only becomes more remarkable from there. Marrone Eklipsis is a deep metallic brown inspired by the limited-run Diablo VT 6.0 SE, where 11 examples were finished in the shade to symbolize the sunset. This remains the only Murciélago SV finished in the color. It is also believed to be one of three SVs equipped with the Low Drag Wing, a rare factory option that reduces drag while increasing top speed from 209 to 212 mph. Inside, the original carbon-fiber race buckets give way to the more comfortable LP640 seats, trimmed in Ad Personam Avorio Lilium leather with Grigio Phoenix stitching over Marrone Janus Alcantara. The car rides on gold multi-spoke wheels, with the odometer showing just 4,912 miles. The car's recent history has played out partly in public. Back in 2024, it was acquired by collector and YouTuber Supercar Ron, with Miami-based WeAreCurated, led by John Temerian, involved in the acquisition. Ron, who then claimed that this was a future $10,000,000 car, documented the sale and the months-long US import effort in his own video, while Ed Bolian's walkaround at the Curated showroom offers more insights into the car and its specification. RM Sotheby's describes this car as "the most important and iconic modern Lamborghini ever built." A one-off factory color, a near-unique aerodynamic package, a bespoke Ad Personam interior, and what is believed to be the final manual V12 Lamborghini ever produced all come together on a single chassis. Cars with this combination of provenance, rarity, and specification rarely reach the open market. One important caveat remains for collectors in the United States. RM Sotheby's also states that this is a European-specification Murciélago and it does not currently comply with FMVSS or EPA regulations and cannot be legally imported into or registered in the U.S. for another decade. It is currently located in Blenheim, Ontario, under a temporary import arrangement, leaving the successful bidder responsible for either exporting the car from Canada or arranging permanent Canadian registration, along with all associated costs and duties. Bidding runs from August 24 through 26 as part of RM Sotheby's Sealed auction, and unlike many blue-chip collector cars of this caliber, this one will be offered without reserve. View Listing Images: RM Sotheby's

RM Sotheby’s Offers The First Czinger 21C Hypercar To Appear At Public Auction

By Tyler Rampersaud – July 27, 2026

RM Sotheby’s Offers First Czinger 21C At Public Auction

The Czinger 21C is a unique approach to high performance, bringing forth uncompromising engineering solutions for the sake of speed, like its two-seat layout that puts the passenger behind the driver, its use of 3D printing technology, and its hybrid powertrain that musters 1,250 horsepower. Last year, the Czinger 21C broke several lap records, capturing a 1,000-mile journey across California, breaking five of those records in just five days in a documentary called California Gold Rush. Now, a new milestone has been reached for the futuristic hypercar. With only 80 units of the Czinger 21C set for production, the high-performance machine is one of the most exclusive and desirable vehicles in the automotive industry today. However, one is being offered at a public auction for the first time during this year’s Monterey Car Week. Offering the Czinger 21C for auction is legendary auction house RM Sotheby’s, and it will cross the block during the 2026 Monterey Auction. A 2025 example, the vehicle is estimated at $2,300,000–$2,500,000, featuring a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 engine, along with a hybrid system that gives it a total system output of 1,250 horsepower. <- Gallery -> It’s finished in Artemis Yellow, with several exposed carbon fiber details, and it’s equipped with Czinger’s High Downforce, or HDF configuration. Its six figures worth of options include carbon fiber side sills, premium wheels, and custom brake calipers, and it only has 523 miles on its odometer. An American hypercar that takes a boldly innovative approach to its performance, this Czinger 21C being offered for auction by RM Sotheby’s at the upcoming 2026 Monterey Auction is a milestone in hypercar history. View All RM Sotheby's Inventory Image Source: RM Sotheby's

By Khris Bharath – July 21, 2026

227-Mile Ferrari Daytona SP3 Heads to Monterey With a $12 Million Estimate

We're less than a month away from this year's Monterey Car Week, and the roster of automobiles coming to market continues to heat up. Yesterday, we featured Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's McLaren F1 GTR, chassis 10R, heading to the same sale at RM Sotheby's with an estimate north of $35 million. Today another headline lot from the same house: a 2023 Ferrari Daytona SP3 from The Driver’s Philosophy Collection. Finished in a striking Giallo Triplo Strato with Nero racing stripes and just 227 miles on the odometer, this stunning example carries an estimate of $10 million to $12 million. The Daytona SP3 is the third model in Ferrari’s Icona series, following the Monza SP1 and SP2, and the one that reaches furthest into the company’s racing history. Its name commemorates the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona, where Ferrari’s factory-entered 330 P3/4 and 330 P4 led the NART-entered 412P across the finish line three abreast. The Daytona SP3’s styling draws from that glorious era of motorsport, and at its launch, Ferrari described it as the most aerodynamically efficient road car it had developed without active aero. While Ferrari’s Tailor Made program allowed buyers to pursue near-limitless personalization for the Daytona SP3, the example seen here takes a more traditional route. Giallo Triplo Strato, which translates to ‘Triple layer’, is among the most expensive special finishes in Ferrari’s catalog. Its triple-layer composition creates a luminous effect, shifting from yellow toward shades of orange as the light changes. Configured through Ferrari’s Atelier program and completed in July 2023, the car pairs its striking exterior and Italian-flag motif with a Nero interior with yellow accents. Cavallino Rampante emblems are stitched into the headrests, while Giallo seatbelts continue the exterior color inside. Options include a carbon-fiber hardtop, lower bodywork, and mirrors; matte-black wheels with gloss-black brake calipers; airbrushed Scuderia Ferrari shields; and a suspension-lift system. Color can matter far more in the collector-car market than a specification sheet might suggest, as we saw with the one-off Rosso Dino Ferrari Enzo that went under the hammer recently on duPont REGISTRY Live, setting the all-time online auction record at $13 million. <- Gallery -> Coming back to the SP3, Ferrari only built 599 customer examples (~150-180 delivered to the US), followed by a single one-off, and that fixed production run is becoming increasingly meaningful as the company moves deeper into hybrid and electric powertrains. At last year’s Monterey Car Week, that one-off Tailor Made Daytona SP3, the final car of the run, also prominently featured yellow and crossed the auction block for $26 million at RM Sotheby’s. We later identified its buyer as a reclusive billionaire collector. That result came from a charity sale and reflected a unique specification, final-car status, and a compelling closing-chapter narrative. This example is one of the 599 customer cars, making its $10 million to $12 million estimate the more useful market signal. The SP3 may sit outside Ferrari’s ‘Big Six’, but it carries the defining qualities of Maranello’s halo cars: theatrical bodywork, a naturally aspirated V12, and an evocative soundtrack that does much of the emotional work on its own. Nearly five years after its debut, it still commands attention in a way few of its contemporaries can. View Listing Images: RM Sotheby's

By Khris Bharath – April 25, 2026

RM Sotheby's Monaco Auction 2026: Top 10 Results and Highlights

As Monaco’s historic racing weekend unfolded, RM Sotheby's returned to the principality with a tightly curated sale that matched the scale and significance of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique. Held at the Grimaldi Forum earlier today, the 2026 edition brought together 77 lots, including 58 motor cars, spanning competition icons, modern hypercars, and blue-chip classics. The catalog leaned heavily into quality and provenance, drawing global participation across in-room, telephone, and digital bidding. The headline result reset the market. The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti achieved €16,655,000 ($19,529,784), a new world record outperforming comparable sales at Retromobile Paris ($16,727,110) and Amelia Island ($16,505,000) earlier this year. The car's current duPont REGISTRY Index (dRi) value is ($16,800,000), and it marks the second example offered by RM Sotheby’s in 2026. Out of the 56 produced between 1960 and 1963, only 39 were originally configured with covered headlamps. This particular car was notably the show vehicle at the 1961 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. Carrying a Ferrari Classiche certification and having undergone a meticulous three-year refurbishment, this sale, accompanied by a rare silver hardtop, reinforces this model as one of the most valuable open-top Ferraris ever produced. Other highlights followed a clear structure across categories. Automobilia offered from the family of Juan Manuel Fangio added depth, while two Ferrari F40 examples featured in the docket, including one that set a new world record for the standard F40 at €4,336,250 ($5,084,720). We spotlighted several cars in the docket throughout April, leading up to this auction. They included a 1-of-9 Argento Nürburgring 2004 Ferrari Enzo at €6,530,000 ($7,657,129), a 1-of-1 Signal Green 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari at €5,067,500 ($5,942,190), previously owned by lead man of Jamiroquai, Jay Kay, Jack McAfee’s 1957 Porsche 550A SpyderA offered at €3,750,000 ($4,390,000), and a 1-of-3 1999 Bugatti EB112 V12 manual sedan that achieved €1,692,500 ($1,970,000). There was no shortage of track-only cars, from vintage competition machinery to modern hypercars such as the 2024 Bugatti Bolide at €4,336,250 ($5,084,720), the 2018 Ferrari FXX-K Evo at €5,180,000 ($6,074,108), the 2020 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, and the 2022 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 at €1,242,500 ($1,450,000). Another highlight was the car that gave Ayrton Senna his break in Formula 1 with the 1984 Toleman TG183B, offered at €2,950,000 ($3,450,000). In total, five Grand Prix racing cars featured within the catalog, reinforcing the sale’s strong motorsport foundation. The top-selling Porsche of the evening was a 2005 Carrera GT at €2,255,000 ($2,644,230). Additional highlights included highly collectible automobilia offered by the family of famed Argentinian Grand Prix ace of the 1950s, Juan Manuel Fangio, that fetched €763,560 ($894,622.14) while seven low-mile cars from the Untouched collection further emphasized originality as a defining theme throughout the sale. Overall, the RM Sotheby's Monaco sale delivered €87,967,385 million ($102,929,470) in total sales, setting a new benchmark as the highest-grossing multi-car auction in Europe. View All RM Sotheby's Inventory 10. 1955 Aston Martin DB3S (Lot #158) €3,380,000 ($3,963,414) 9. 1957 Porsche 550A Spyder by Wendler (Lot #165) €3,750,000 ($4,397,279) 8. 1991 Ferrari 642 (Lot #142) €3,830,000 ($4,491,088) 7. 1989 Ferrari F40 (Lot #1989) €4,336,250 ($5,084,720) 6. 1978 Ferrari 312 T3 (Lot #143) €4,336,250 ($5,084,720) 5. 2024 Bugatti Bolide (Lot #170) €4,336,250 ($5,084,720) 4. 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari (Lot #145) €5,067,500 ($5,942,190) 3. 2018 Ferrari FXX-K Evo (Lot #154) €5,180,000 ($6,074,108) 2. 2004 Ferrari Enzo (Lot #141) €6,530,000 ($7,657,129) 1. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti (Lot #164) €16,655,000 ($19,529,784) Images: RM Sotheby's

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