Category Archives: Auctions

Auctions

Ferrari M6 Prototype: The Godfather of LaFerrari Hits the Auction Block

Just when you think Maranello has no more secrets to spill, another one of its crimson skeletons emerges from the factory vaults. A few months after a LaFerrari development mule built around a 458 Italia sold for a cool $1.215 million, another Frankenstein from Ferrari’s experimental lab has surfaced — and this one might be even juicier.

Meet the M6. Not the BMW kind. This is Ferrari’s own early hybrid test mule, a vital stepping stone in the creation of the LaFerrari — the brand’s first electrified hypercar and, arguably, the last true Maranello monster before the electrification era went full steam ahead.

Back to the Beginning: Early Hybrid Origins

The M6 started life as a humble 458 Italia, but it didn’t stay humble for long. Built between February and April 2012, it was one of the first prototypes to bridge Ferrari’s traditional ICE heritage with its then-radical hybrid ambitions.

Forget carbon fiber tubs and sci-fi aerodynamics — those came later. This prototype sits on an aluminum chassis straight out of the 458 parts bin. But under the bonnet lurks something far more exotic: the V12 that would go on to power the mighty LaFerrari. It’s like finding a test track mule wearing the wrong clothes but hiding the right heart.

Between May 2012 and May 2013, Ferrari’s engineers used this machine to thrash out the hypercar’s braking systems around Fiorano. It was also tasked with dialing in suspension geometry, steering feedback, and even tire behavior. Most notably, it was the first mule fitted with Ferrari’s cutting-edge electronic stability system — a system designed to handle the combined forces of a screaming V12 and electric torque.

A Rolling Laboratory in Disguise

Visually, the M6 looks like a slightly tweaked 458, though Ferrari’s engineers were anything but gentle with it. During its testing days, it wore temporary bumpers and a shooting brake-style rear decklid — not for beauty, but for airflow data and cooling tests. All of those quirky prototype parts are included in the sale, giving collectors a glimpse into Maranello’s mad-scientist phase.

The cabin tells the same story. It’s standard 458 Italia in layout, but dotted with warning stickers, exposed wiring, and a rather dramatic red kill switch — all screaming “do not touch unless you have a PhD in Ferrari development.”

From Test Mule to Collectible Unicorn

Ferrari sold the prototype to a collector in 2016, after its tour of duty at Fiorano was complete. Now, it’s coming up for auction through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform, with bidding open until October 23.

It’s not road-legal, but it’s fully functional — meaning its next custodian can fire it up and feel the pulse of the LaFerrari’s DNA coursing through an aluminum skeleton. Before the handover, it will even undergo a full service back in Maranello, as if being knighted one last time by its makers.

RM Sotheby’s expects it to fetch between $1.05 million and $1.3 million, which is a small price to pay for a piece of Ferrari’s hybrid genesis. Because while the LaFerrari may have been the headline act, the M6 was the crucial sound check — the rough, raw prototype that helped redefine what a Ferrari could be.

For collectors, the M6 is more than a car — it’s a slice of Ferrari development history, preserved in aluminum and passion. It’s the missing link between the analog screamers of the past and the electrified beasts of the present.

In a world of sanitized supercars and digital filters, this mule remains gloriously imperfect. And that’s precisely what makes it so Ferrari.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

Auctions

RM Sotheby’s to Sell One of the World’s Most Complete BMW M Collections

BMW’s M division has always been about more than just horsepower and lap times. For the right kind of enthusiast, it’s a culture, a lineage, and a family tree of some of the most compelling driver’s cars ever built. Later this month in Munich, RM Sotheby’s is giving collectors a rare chance to buy into that heritage—quite literally.

Dubbed the “Best of M Collection,” the auction house will present a curated lineup of classic and modern M cars, spanning everything from homologation specials to low-mileage icons. The sale reads like a love letter to BMW’s Motorsport division, and judging by the lineup, the original collector was particularly smitten with the M3.

At the dawn of the collection sits the legendary 2002 Turbo, the car that laid the groundwork for BMW’s turbocharged future. Not far behind it is the BMW M1 from 1980—the first car to officially wear the M badge. The M1’s mid-engine layout and Giugiaro-designed wedge body made it one of the most exotic Bavarians ever produced.

From there, the spotlight shifts heavily toward the M3. The 1990 M3 Sport Evolution and 1992 E30 M3 Cabrio headline the early ’90s, while the collector clearly couldn’t resist the second-gen cars either: a 1995 E36 M3 Cabrio in Dakar Yellow and an E36 M3 GT in British Racing Green, the latter showing just over 70,000 kilometers—high mileage in this lineup, but still modest for a 30-year-old performance car.

The turn of the millennium brought more gems, including a 2000 Z3 M Roadster in Dakar Yellow, originally delivered to Japan and barely broken in with just over 3,000 kilometers. With an upper estimate nearing €80,000, RM Sotheby’s seems confident that rarity and condition will do much of the talking. Collectors will also have the chance to bid on a 2002 Z3 M Coupe (“Clownshoe”), an E46 M3 Cabrio, and a 2003 M3 CSL, arguably one of the greatest driver’s cars BMW ever built. Rounding out that year is an Alpina Roadster V8, a Z8-based rarity expected to fetch around €380,000.

The modern era of M isn’t neglected either. The E92 M3 GTS (2010) stands out as one of fewer than 150 ever built, and this one has barely stretched its legs with just 176 kilometers. Even more jaw-dropping is the 2011 M3 CRT, with only 168 kilometers on the odometer. Pair those with a 2012 1M Coupe and a 2016 M2, and you’ve got a generational bridge that most enthusiasts only dream about.

Later highlights include the 2016 M4 GTS, a 2017 M3 30 Jahre Edition, and two present-day halo cars: the 2023 M4 CSL and the M4 Edition 50 Jahre BMW M, celebrating half a century of Motorsport magic.

Taken as a whole, the “Best of M Collection” isn’t just an auction—it’s a time capsule. With everything from homologation heroes to modern-day limited editions, the lineup underscores the enduring appeal of BMW’s M cars. And with estimates soaring into the millions, it’s safe to say bidders in Munich will need deep pockets—and maybe a pit crew of accountants—to bring any of these icons home.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

Auctions

A Time Capsule on Wheels: 2005 Acura NSX-T Heads to Auction

Original Acura NSXs aren’t unicorns—you can still find them in decent numbers if you look hard enough—but every so often, one pops up that feels like it’s been trapped in amber. Case in point: this 2005 NSX-T now up for auction on Bring a Trailer, a car so well-preserved it might as well have rolled straight out of Honda’s Tochigi plant yesterday.

With just 4,300 miles on the odometer, this Long Beach Blue Pearl NSX has lived its entire life under the care of a single owner, who also happened to run Smithtown Acura of Saint James in New York. If you’re picturing a pampered existence filled with climate-controlled storage and meticulous service stamps, you’re exactly right. Maintained by Advantage Acura and Acura Honda, the car has been religiously kept up to factory spec, right down to a fresh timing belt, water pump, and valve adjustment.

And here’s the kicker: it’s still sitting on its original 2005 rubber. Yes, those tires. While any sane buyer intending to actually drive the car will swap them immediately, they’re proof of just how untouched this NSX really is. No aftermarket spoilers, no questionable exhaust swaps—just a pure, unfiltered late-model NSX exactly as Acura intended.

The visuals are classic NSX theater. The removable roof panel is painted to match the vivid Long Beach Blue Pearl body, offset by 17-inch forged silver wheels and gold-painted brake calipers that peek through with just the right amount of flash. Step inside, and the time-warp continues: Onyx leather seats show virtually no wear, the Bose audio system and six-disc CD changer remain intact, and even the original branded floor mats are in place.

Of course, what makes the NSX so revered isn’t just its styling or rarity—it’s the way it drives. Under the rear hatch sits the 3.2-liter naturally aspirated V-6, delivering 290 horsepower to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. In the early 2000s, that meant Ferrari-like thrills without Ferrari-like maintenance bills. Today, it means an increasingly rare recipe: high-revving NA engine, stick shift, and a chassis engineered with Ayrton Senna’s fingerprints still in its DNA.

Bring a Trailer bidders clearly know what’s at stake. With nearly a week left on the clock, the price has already surged past $190,000. For collectors, this isn’t just another clean NSX—it’s as close as you can get to a showroom-fresh example, with provenance to match.

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a factory-perfect slice of Japan’s supercar heyday, this might be the one. Just don’t expect to steal it—rarity, condition, and nostalgia are a potent (and pricey) mix.

Source: Bring a Trailer