Category Archives: Auctions

Auctions

The “Fast & Furious” Stunt SUVs Up for Auction

Owning a car that’s starred in a blockbuster is a temptation few petrolheads can resist. But while most of us settle for posters and die-cast models, a trio of Range Rovers from Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw is giving adrenaline junkies the chance to park a piece of Hollywood chaos in their own driveway.

Set to cross the auction block at Mecum in Dallas/Fort Worth on October 30, these three SUVs are the real deal… if your idea of “real” involves smashed windshields, fake machine guns, and a slight existential crisis for any car purist.

All three were built for the 2019 spin-off as stunt vehicles, and you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to see it. Matte gray wraps, aftermarket bumpers, LED light bars, and Wilwood brakes with a dual-pedal system straight out of a tractor manual scream “stunt car,” not “luxury SUV.”

Under the hood, however, the Range Rover DNA remains intact: a 4.4-liter V8 engine, automatic gearbox, and all-wheel drive ensure that despite their cinematic scars, these SUVs can still hustle. The Wilwood braking system, designed to let stunt drivers lock individual wheels for dramatic skids, is a brilliant nod to the chaos these vehicles were built to survive.

And chaos is exactly what they’ve endured. One SUV flaunts a broken A-pillar and windshield, the others brandish rooftop “machine guns” with the subtlety of a Michael Bay set. Step inside, and the interior tells an even bleaker story: grimy upholstery, missing panels, and bits of mechanical ephemera strewn across the cabin. The second brake pedal, while functional, is a far cry from Range Rover’s usual high standards.

So what lies ahead for these cinematic bruisers? Beyond a place in a niche movie-car museum—or a collector’s garage for someone with more money than sense—the future is murky. They are reminders that Hollywood glamour is often built on grit, grease, and a dash of controlled chaos.

In short: these Range Rovers are not for the faint of heart. But for those willing to embrace a bit of stuntman spirit, it’s the closest you’ll get to living in the Fast & Furious universe without defying the laws of physics.

Source: Mecum

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