Released within the same six-month window as the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari’s LaFerrari was a game-changing flagship supercar model, as well as the Prancing Horse’s first-ever hybrid supercar offering. Priced at over $1.4M, the LaFerrari was limited to only 499 units worldwide, making it one of the rarest and most desirable supercars since the turn of the millennium. And while all LaFerrari examples are undeniably extremely special, a particularly noteworthy specimen has just surfaced for resale as the original prototype LaFerrari is now headed to auction.
Codenamed “F150” during its R&D period, the LaFerrari was developed using several prototypes, the first of which was known as “M6” — the specimen that’s now for sale. Also borrowing elements from Ferrari’s FXX development prototype, this first-phase test mule prototype played a pivotal role in the development of the hybrid supercar, though as the very first test car, lacks much of the fit and finish of the production model. This means a semi-finished cabin adorned in a host of testing stickers and early development switchgear.
And, unlike the production model that utilizes a carbon monocoque — which was made by the same shop that produces frames for Ferrari’s F1 team — M6 is constructed around an aluminum chassis, further separating it from the final production model. As an early R&D specimen, this prototype example also comes with a complete set of detachable test-mule body panels. This one-of-a-kind, rolling piece of Prancing Horse history has also been certified by Ferrari Classiche and is sold with an accompanying “Yellow Book.”
This 2012 Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype is slated to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Monaco sale in Monte Carlo on May 14th. And though the auction house has yet to reveal an estimated price, we anticipate this proto-Prancing Horse to fetch well over a million dollars.
