Category Archives: Auctions

Auctions

A $290,000 Corvette ZR1 Just Sold with No Warranty

The 1,064-hp Chevrolet C8 Corvette ZR1 isn’t just another chapter in America’s supercar coming-of-age story—it’s the plot twist. With four-digit power and track manners that nip at the carbon heels of Europe’s priciest exotics, the ZR1 has officially entered the chat with the big dogs from Maranello and Zuffenhausen. And judging by the latest Bring a Trailer sale, the hype is more radioactive than ever.

GM has been trying—politely, then not so politely—to keep early-build ZR1s from becoming instant flip machines. Their solution? A simple mandate: resell within 12 months and your warranty goes poof. Despite that deterrent, someone just paid $290,000 for a car with five miles on the odo and exactly zero factory warranty. In other words, they bought a bomb ready to detonate all 1,064 horses with no safety net.

The Spec: Full Send

As 2026 ZR1s go, this one is about as close to the poster build as it gets. Starting with a base MSRP of $191,400, the first owner stacked on the $27,350 ZTK Performance Track Package—a greatest hits compilation of go-fast hardware: carbon-ceramic brakes, a stiffer performance suspension, and a wind-tunnel’s worth of aero including canards, a front splitter, and a skyscraper of a rear wing.

The Jet Black paint keeps things low-key, but the Edge Blue racing stripes and matching 20-/21-inch forged wheels ensure the car doesn’t blend into anyone’s parking lot. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R rubber, engineered specifically for the ZR1, promises the kind of cornering grip that leaves passengers regretting lunch.

Inside: Still a Corvette, But Cleaned Up

GM didn’t waste the interior budget. GT2 bucket seats wrapped in Jet Black Nappa leather feature Santorini Blue stitching and matching belts—a subtle nod to the exterior accents. The cabin gets its fair share of Alcantara, plus a 14-speaker Bose system strong enough to drown out the ZR1’s industrial-grade exhaust note.

The 2026 model year also brings a welcome ergonomic evolution: a new 6.6-inch display sits to the left of the main 14-inch cluster, and the controversial “wall of buttons” from earlier C8s has been banished. The cockpit now feels more modern jet fighter and less 737 overhead panel.

Sticker Shock, Meet Market Shock

This car left the factory with a $220,745 window sticker. Warranty now voided, it should’ve been a slightly risky buy for any sane person. Instead, bidders locked arms and fired off paddles until the hammer fell at $290,000—roughly a $70,000 payday for the original owner, GM’s anti-flipper policy be damned.

That number stings even harder when you consider the more powerful, all-wheel-drive hybrid ZR1X starts at just $205,400—assuming you can catch one at MSRP before the market scalpers do their thing.

The Takeaway

If the goal of GM’s warranty-void warning was to rein in speculation, it’s not working. If anything, it has become a badge of honor—or at least a calculated risk—for buyers desperate to be first. And with a car as outrageous as the 1,064-hp ZR1, maybe the real surprise isn’t that someone paid $290,000 for a no-warranty example.

It’s that we’re not sure they overpaid.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

Hollywood on Wheels: Bonhams’ “Movie Cars Collection from Paris” Brings Film Icons to the Auction Block

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a piece of movie history—and not just a signed poster or replica prop, but the actual metal that burned rubber on-screen—Bonhams has your kind of blockbuster. Between November 21 and 28, the auction house is hosting The Movie Cars Collection from Paris, a once-in-a-lifetime sale of some of the most recognizable vehicles ever to appear on film.

The collection features around 50 cars and 19 cinematic artifacts, most of them with no reserve. These aren’t promotional replicas built for mall tours—they’re genuine, camera-ready machines that have shared scenes with stars like Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Keanu Reeves, and even Will Smith. Bonhams has done its homework, clearly labeling which vehicles were used on set and which were later stunt or show cars. The result? A lineup that reads like a Hollywood car hall of fame.

The Headliners: Fast, Furious, and Unforgettable

Leading the charge is a 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII, the very same silver-and-blue hero car driven by Paul Walker’s Brian O’Connor in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Bonhams expects this piece of tuner royalty to fetch between €250,000 and €500,000. It’s reportedly the only genuine Evo used in the film, complete with a 335-horsepower heart and all the street-racer attitude that defined early-2000s car culture.

Not far behind in fan appeal is a 1970 Dodge Charger from Fast & Furious 7. While it’s not the original car from the 2001 film, it was used during the rooftop garage sequence and remains a true on-screen veteran. Purists may flinch at the modern Chevy LS3 V8 swap under the hood, but there’s no denying it still looks—and sounds—like pure Dom Toretto thunder. Expected hammer price: €150,000–€250,000.

And because one Charger is never enough, the auction also includes the “Off-Road” version from the same film, lifted and ready to rumble through cinematic chaos. Think of it as a muscle car that took one too many protein shakes.

The Continental Shift: John Wick’s Mustang and More

Action fans with a taste for something American yet more refined will appreciate the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 from John Wick: Chapter 2. It’s one of five cars built for the production, and the fourth used in filming—specifically during the brutal opening chase sequence. With its battered elegance and movie-proven stamina, Bonhams pegs it at €100,000–€200,000.

There’s also a 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu from Drive, the stoic, sun-bleached machine that Ryan Gosling’s silent antihero used to cruise the neon-lit streets of Los Angeles. Estimate: €60,000–€80,000—not bad for something that doubled as both a getaway car and a character study in minimalism.

Sci-Fi Icons and Cult Classics

Bonhams didn’t stop at tire smoke and stunt scars. The sale also honors sci-fi and satire, with rarities like Gene Winfield’s 1982 “Everyman’s Car” from Blade Runner, expected to fetch €20,000–€30,000, and the Police Cruiser from Back to the Future Part II in the same price range.

Fans of dystopian humor can even bid on the absurd SUX 6000 from RoboCop—a fiberglass parody of Detroit excess, valued between €30,000 and €50,000. For those who prefer alien chases over corporate dystopias, there’s the 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria from Men in Black, the very government-issued ride that chauffeured Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones through encounters of the extraterrestrial kind. Estimated at €20,000–€40,000, it’s probably the only car here with a known history of “neuralyzing” its passengers.

European Flavor: Peugeot, BMW, and a Touch of Nostalgia

France takes a proud bow with two icons of Gallic cinema: the 1999 Peugeot 406 V6 from Taxi 2—valued at €70,000–€120,000—and the Peugeot 407 from Taxi 5, a relative bargain at €3,000–€6,000. The 406, in particular, is a national treasure—equal parts taxi and time capsule of late-’90s French car culture.

Rounding out the European offerings is a 1995 BMW 750i, a lovingly crafted homage to the gadget-laden 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies. Though not a screen-used Bond car, it’s a convincing tribute to Pierce Brosnan’s Q-enhanced ride, with a very approachable estimate of €15,000–€20,000.

The Batmobile and the General Lee: Legends Reimagined

No cinematic car collection would be complete without Gotham’s most famous ride. Bonhams delivers with a 1992 Warner Batmobile “1989”, styled after Tim Burton’s gothic masterpiece and used in the Batman Stunt Show at Six Flags Great Adventure. It’s a full-size, fan-service machine with an expected price tag between €70,000 and €100,000.

And, in a blaze of orange nostalgia, the auction also features the 1968 Dodge Charger “General Lee” from The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). This genuine film-used car wears its signature hue proudly and is predicted to bring €120,000–€160,000.

Popcorn, Petrol, and Provenance

Bonhams’ Movie Cars Collection from Paris isn’t just an auction—it’s a time capsule of cinematic horsepower. Whether your dream garage includes a JDM legend, a Hollywood muscle car, or a sci-fi relic, this event is a rare opportunity to own a tangible piece of movie magic.

And in a world where so many movie “props” are CGI pixels, these cars are the real deal—steel, gasoline, and a dash of Hollywood stardust.

If you’ve got the means, this might be your moment to bring a bit of the silver screen home. Just be ready for your driveway to turn into a film set.

Source: Bonhams

Auctions

Gordon Murray S1 LM V12: A $20 Million Love Letter to Speed and Survival

One of only five examples of the Gordon Murray Automotive S1 LM V12, a road-legal love letter to the golden age of endurance racing, is heading to auction — and the price tag could easily top $20 million.

RM Sotheby’s will handle the sale later this month, and in a fitting twist, proceeds will go to charity. But this is no ordinary millionaire’s toy. As Shelby Myers, global head of private sales at RM Sotheby’s, puts it:

“S1 LM Chassis #1 offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with the original creator and help write the next chapter in automotive history.”

That creator, of course, is Gordon Murray, the legendary mind behind the McLaren F1, Brabham BT46B, and Mercedes SLR McLaren. The S1 LM is his latest opus — and perhaps his most personal.

A Modern Echo of Le Mans Glory

The S1 LM was conceived as a modern homage to the Le Mans–winning McLaren F1 GTR, blending the purity of old-school engineering with cutting-edge precision. The car retains the F1’s three-seat layout, with the driver perfectly centered, and a six-speed manual gearbox — a deliberate nod to the analog era that built Murray’s reputation.

But it’s the engine that steals the show. The Cosworth-built 4.0-liter V12 has been reimagined, stretched to 4.3 liters, and fine-tuned to deliver more than 700 horsepower while revving beyond 12,000 rpm. That’s motorcycle-level ferocity wrapped in carbon fiber elegance — and it all happens in a car that weighs less than one ton.

The proportions are spot-on: a long, low nose, a tightly sculpted tail, and a functional rear wing that whispers Le Mans pedigree without shouting it. Inside, the cabin is minimalist but exquisite — every surface purposeful, every control machined with Murray’s trademark precision.

A Car Born from Resilience

For all its engineering brilliance, the S1 LM’s greatest story might be human. Murray developed the car while undergoing treatment and recovery from cancer — a journey that gave the project an emotional depth beyond horsepower and lap times.

“The amount of effort and focus you have to put into a brand-new car is so great that you don’t have time to think about anything else,” Murray shared recently. “Designing this vehicle helped me get through it all. The S1 LM is special for all those reasons.”

The S1 LM, then, isn’t just a supercar. It’s a statement — of survival, of design purity, and of the kind of mechanical passion that doesn’t fade with time.

The Next Chapter

As RM Sotheby’s prepares to bring Chassis #1 under the hammer, the sale feels less like a transaction and more like a passing of the torch. Whoever wins the bid won’t just own a car; they’ll own a slice of living automotive history — one forged by a man who turned recovery into creation, and once again reminded the world what true performance looks like.

If ever there were a machine worth $20 million, this might just be it.

Source: RM Sotheby’s