Forget Los Angeles, forget Monaco, if there’s one city that has become synonymous with the hypercar, it’s the skyscraper-lined streets of Dubai. It should come as no surprise, then, that RM Sotheby’s upcoming Dubai auction on March 9th isn’t short on jaw-dropping halo models from all the big names. Koenigsegg? Naturally. Lamborghini? Of course. Ferrari? You bet your Loro Piana cashmere socks! Below we’ve hand picked five of the most tantalising hypercars set to cross the auction block - and potentially enter your collection!
2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione
You know you’re in for a blockbuster auction when the cheapest car on the list is a 819 horsepower Ferrari with no rear window. That’s right, if you can’t quite part with the cash to add a Ferrari Daytona SP3 to your collection, this 812 Competizione is powered by the same naturally aspirated V12 for roughly a third of the price.
We always slightly preferred the looks of the Pininfarina-designed F12 over the newer 812 Superfast, but the Competizione has to be one of the best looking and most aggressive supercars to come out of Maranello in years. Only 999 of these untamed Prancing Horses were ever produced, and this Rosso Corsa and Giallo Fly-striped example has to be one of the most eye catching examples out there. And if you ask us, the estimate of between 1,100,000 and 1,300,000 dollars seems like a great deal for the ultimate V12 Berlinette Ferrari.
2017 Lamborghini Centenario
100 years is perhaps the greatest milestone any of us could hope to celebrate, and when it came to Ferrucio Lamborghini’s centenary, the Sant’Agata-based firm gave the world a very special birthday present in the form of 20 closed-top editions of this exposed carbon-fibre UFO: the Centenario.
Powered by a 6.5-litre, 759 horsepower V12, the Centenario can dispatch the 0-60mph sprint in just 2.8 seconds and will top out at 217 mph, placing it among the most rapid raging bulls of all-time. This stunning example has been specced to perfection, with red highlights breaking up the otherwise-stealthy all-carbon bodywork. Currently showing just 112 kilometres on the odometer, this Centenario has been living a life of luxury since it rolled off the assembly line in 2017, and would surely occupy a top-slot in any collection it enters. If you think your garage has a Centenario-shaped hole it in, this example is estimated to fetch between 2,000,000 and 2,500,000 dollars on March 9th.
2016 Koenigsegg Agera RSR
Steadily racking up that sticker price, our next carbon-fibre missile is expected to achieve between 2,800,000 and 3,400,000 dollars at auction. This 2016 Agera RSR is one of three examples built exclusively for the Japanese market and represents and even more extreme and exclusive take on the Agera RS, which was once the world’s fastest car.
That eye-watering estimate should secure you some equally jaw-dropping specs, with the Agera RSR’s 5.0-litre V8 pushing out a staggering 1,160 horsepower through a seven-speed dual-clutch. The RSR gains a revised roof-mounted air intake, and a higher-mounted borrowed from the One:1 that produces even more downforce. With Koenigsegg continuing to produce hit after hit in the hypercar space, now could be a great opportunity to add one of their greatest rides from the 2010s to your driveway.
2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie
Any hypercar is a feat of engineering, but arguably only the McLaren F1, the Bugatti Veyron, and now this, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, possess the same ability to leave both teenagers and engineers absolutely speechless. Red Bull F1’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey bestowed just 150 of these venturi-obsessed spaceships to humanity, and this example is in practically brand new condition having covered a mere 123 kilometres.
Finished in Scintilla Silver with Speed Red accents, this 2023 Valkyrie is comfortably one of the most insane cars to ever carry a number plate and its auction estimate of between 2,900,000 and 3,300,000 dollars certainly backs that up. Its 1,140 horsepower electrically-assisted, but otherwise naturally aspirated V12, and a top speed of 249 mph serve are just a couple of the countless technical highlights, but to truly understand this car you’ll have to strap in and hold on for dear life!
2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
Don’t be fooled, this SLR might be the oldest and least powerful car on the list, with “just” 641 horsepower, but nothing comes even close to this windshield-less V12-speedster in terms of road presence. Just 75 of these cars were built as a tribute to Sir Stirling Moss’ 1955 Mille Miglia win at the wheel of a 300 SLR, making the rarest iteration of the SLR McLaren ever made.
This immaculate example features a perfect, if reserved specification of Crystal Antimony Grey over a Black and Anthracite leather interior, and has covered a mere 9,233 kilometres since being delivered new to Luxembourg.That means its 5.4-litre supercharged AMG V8 — borrowed from the SLR 722 Edition — should have plenty of thrilling miles left. We would just suggest wearing a helmet, unless you fancy taste-testing the UAE’s insect life at 220 mph. The estimate for this unlimated-course fast food menu? 3,000,000 to 3,500,000 dollars, good sir!
Dubai, 9 Mar
