Mecum 2016 Monterey Auction Highlight: 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari

Estimate
$3,900,000 - $4,500,000

Highlights

• 1 of 3 LaFerraris finished in Nero DS Opaco paint
• 211 original miles
• 6.3 liter hybrid drive V-12 engine
• F1-inspired HY-KERS Kinetic Energy Recovery System
• Factory-rated for 949 horsepower
• Factory-rated top speed of 217 MPH

The small metal label at the base of the steering wheel reads "CAVALLO INFERNALE."

Translation: "infernal horse" or "horse from hell", both suggesting the nature of Ferrari's awe-inspiring hybrid supercar, the gracefully named LaFerrari. No matter how you describe it, this is one hell of a Prancing Horse, the ultimate road-going Ferrari of all time, a gigantic leap forward from the Enzo it replaces in that rarefied air at the top of the Scuderia's hierarchy. And it all happened through the family ties between necessity and invention.

Like every other facet of human endeavor in this computer age, modern Grand Prix science has advanced by interminable leaps, most recently in composite and hybrid automotive technology, the essential elements of the LaFerrari's crazy magic. The LaFerrari uses that technology to deliver the highest performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car, and remember: that's from the company that brought you the 288 GTO, the F40, the F50 and the Enzo.

It begins with the hand laid carbon fiber main structure containing the passenger compartment, composed of four different types of cloth and cured in Maranello's F1 construction facility. Suspension is trademark Ferrari: double wishbone front and multi-link rear, modulated by magnetorheological damping and incorporating stability control, F1 electronic traction control, Brembo carbon ceramic disc brakes and Pirelli P-Zero tires on lightweight 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels.

The LaFerrari is the first production car from Maranello with a hybrid drivetrain that combines a 6.3L/788 HP V-12 engine—the most powerful V-12 in the world—and a 161 HP electric motor for a sum of 949 total horsepower. The LaFerrari's HY-KERS is more highly evolved than that of the F1 system from which it was developed, integrating the two power sources seamlessly and with maximum efficiency. The electric motor's strong low-speed torque allowed engineers to free the V-12 for greater peak power—it redlines at a shrieking 9,250 RPM—creating an unrelenting surge of power and peak torque surpassing 663 lb-ft.

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