- Ferrari modified a 458 Italia to test some of the LaFerrari’s important systems.
- The company sold the car to a private buyer in 2016, and now it’s up for auction.
- While the development prototype can’t be road registered, it’s fully functional.
Just a couple of months after a 458 Italia-based LaFerrari prototype was sold for $1.215 million at a US auction, yet another is about to cross the auction block. This particular car is known as the M6 and was among the first phase of LaFerrari prototypes that were built in Maranello.
Listed for sale through RM Sotheby’s Sealed platform, the Fezza does not have the fancy carbon fiber monocoque of the LaFerrari, and instead, it uses the same aluminum chassis as a regular 458 Italia. However, whereas that car had a 4.5-liter naturally aspirated V8, the M6 was equipped with the V12 that would go on to power the brand’s first-ever hybrid hypercar.
Read: This Strange Ferrari Prototype Could Be Worth More Than Your House
Ferrari’s engineers assembled the car between February and April 2012, and from May 2012 to May 2013 used it to develop the LaFerrari’s braking systems at the Fiorano circuit. It also helped develop the suspension, steering, and tires for the hypercar, and was the first prototype equipped with its advanced electronic stability program.
Federico Vecchio/RM Sotheby’s
Visually, much of original car’s bodywork has been retained, although it was often tested with temporary bumpers and a shooting brake-like rear decklid and engine cover, all of which will be supplied in the auction. The interior is mostly standard 458, although there are lots of warning stickers, a red kill switch, and plenty of exposed wires.
The listing notes that Ferrari first sold this prototype to a collector in July 2016. While it cannot be legally driven on the road, it remains fully functional, so whoever wins the auction can enjoy it on a private road or track. Before it is handed over to its next owner, it will undergo a service in Maranello, ensuring it runs as well as it did when the company’s test drivers got behind its wheel.
RM Sotheby’s expects the car to sell for between $1.05 million and $1.3 million. If you’re a Ferrari collector looking to acquire something truly unique, be sure to place a bid before October 23.
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