Feature
Our Picks from RM Sotheby's Paris Auction 2025
Seven of the most rare and expensive cars sold at RM Sotheby's recent auction in Paris.
February 17, 2025
Three examples of the most incredible special-edition Ferrari V12s on the market today.
A Ferrari V12 has mystique and specialness almost nothing else can match, and for so many, it's something of a lifelong aspiration to own one. Only on a few occasions though, has Ferrari taken their front-engined V12 grand tourer and turned it up to 11 with a hardcore, lightweight model. These three cars represent the occasions when Ferrari did just that, all in slightly different shades of Rosso, and all equally worthy of that lifelong aspiration!
Released in 2011, this was only the second time Ferrari ever used the GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato) moniker. The name was a little controversial as it wasn't a homologation special of a proper racing car at all, but it is a road-going version of the track-only 599 XX from Ferrari's XX Programme, so it wasn't at all lacking in specialness or hardcore character.
The 599 GTB's V12 had its power upped to 671bhp, more than it produced in the Enzo, and thanks to a 'six into one' exhaust manifold, its tone was completely transformed into that high-pitch scream we're used to from Ferrari V12s today, rather than the more gruff bark they had up to that point. 100kg was shaved from the 599's weight, so despite the GTOs size — these things are big when you see them in person — kerb weight was 1,605kg — not light, but less than something like a BMW M3 with an engine half the size.
The single-clutch gearbox is shared with the 430 Scuderia and combines those instant, thump in the back shifts akin to a racing sequential with a screaming V12. Does it get any better than that? Oh, and just one more Enzo comparison; the 599 GTO lapped Ferrari's Fiorano test track faster than the hypercar named after the company's legendary founder, the mic was dropped, and with just 599 produced, the GTO has become a legend with values rising ever since.
This is a right-hand-drive car with just 523 miles from new, so sadly that V12 may never have been heard in anger, but it's a pristine example which looks incredible in metallic Rosso Fuoco. Given a lottery win, it would be mine and the mileage would change very quickly!
The TDF had big shoes to fill, but boy did it deliver. The TDF turned the already lairy F12 up to about 15 and was immediately known for its fiersome reputation, and remains to this day the only car I've been given a stern verbal warning about before driving, pleading me to be careful or it will bite. I lived to tell the tale and the TDF is one of the most intoxicating cars I've ever been behind the wheel of, capable of eviscerating its rear tyres on demand or sending you into the nearest hedge if you don't show it respect, even on dry tarmac in the middle of summer.
That said, it's actually a very sharp, confidence inspiring machine if your inputs are smooth, and performance trumped the GTO big time with 769bhp from its 6.3-litre V12. It saved 110kg from the F12 Berlinetta which was already around the weight of a 599 GTO, resulting in the TDF tipping the scales at just 1,520kg. More tech including a DCT gearbox, rear steering and clever active aero made the TDF a completely different animal to the GTO when it comes down to outright performance, lapping Fiorano a full three seconds quicker, only falling short of the full on hybrid hypercar LaFerrari by 1.3 seconds.
799 TDFs were produced, and values instantly soared, since which they have fluctuated but remain strong. This example, in the more traditional Rosso Corsa, has just 1,790 miles and is for sale at £795,000. A lot? Yes. A lot less than some cars which have changed hands at around a million Pounds? Also yes!
Going on looks alone, the 812 Comp looks a whole other level of crazy even compared to the TDF. The Comp is littered in vanes, slashes, flicks, cutouts, and most obviously doesn't even have a rear window. Building on the 812 Superfast's monumental performance, the same ethos as the other two of these cars was applied and the comp produces 819bhp — 30 more than the Superfast — weight was reduced by slightly less than the others, but still saves 38kg, and there's 30% more downforce on offer than the standard car too.
Technology like the DCT gearbox, suspension and rear steering have been advanced even beyond the TDF, 0-60mph is dealt with in 2.8 seconds so performance is even more fierce, something confirmed by those who have driven one, and the Competizione is every bit as angry as it looks. That said, whilst I haven't had the good fortune of getting behind the wheel of one yet, it is supposed to be more approachable than the TDF which some found too spiky, and its usability has been improved with a more comfortable ride.
That hasn't been tested with this particular example — one of 999 worldwide — which has just 373 miles on the clock, but it looks incredible in Rosso Monza with a beautiful Atelier specification, and it's no surprise it has been snapped up before I had the chance to finish writing this.
