Feature
Three of the Five Talos XXT Now Sold
Following his drive in this insane restomod, Jonty catches up with the people behind it to find out how development and sales are going.
December 9, 2025
From limited-run driver’s cars to one-offs and genuine Formula 1 hardware, these were the standout lots that stopped collectors in their tracks.
The spotlights of this year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix were of course on Lando Norris' resilient performance to clinch his first world title, but in the shadows, the weekend has quietly become one of the most serious hunting grounds in the collector car world, and RM Sotheby’s latest sale proved exactly why.
While the F1 cars battled it out on track, an equally fierce contest was playing out behind closed doors, with some of the rarest modern supercars, hypercars and motorsport icons changing hands for extraordinary sums.
From limited-run driver’s cars to one-offs and genuine Formula 1 hardware, these were the standout lots that stopped collectors in their tracks — and, in some cases, rewrote the rulebook on values. Sorted by price, low to high!
$275,000 USD
With just 100 examples built worldwide, the V12-powered GT12 sits right at the sharp end of the modern Vantage lineage. Stripped back (100kg lighter than the standard V12), widened and filled with carbon fibre, it was Aston Martin’s road-legal track weapon before the Vantage moved to turbocharging.
Sold here for $275,000, it represents strong value in a world where limited-run, naturally aspirated V12 cars are only becoming scarcer. GT12 values have largely stabilised over recent years after a steady climb, suggesting this is now a relatively safe place to park money for buyers who want something genuinely special, but still usable. In my eyes, the lack of a manual gearbox option is the only thing holding the GT12 back from soaring.
$511,250 USD
The 458 Speciale is widely regarded as one of Ferrari’s greatest modern driver’s cars — and a landmark as the last naturally aspirated mid-engined V8 Ferrari. Whilst numbers were relatively small numbers compared to regular 458s, the Speciale is no unicorn with around 3,000 globally across coupe and Aperta.
After initial overs and then a steady dip, over the past five years, Speciale values have risen calmly but consistently, fuelled by the shift towards turbocharged and hybrid Ferraris. For many collectors, this is already viewed as a future classic firmly in the making, and this 2,000km example selling for over half a million dollars shows just how strong demand for good examples is.
$612,500 USD
A modern tribute to the Le Mans-winning GT40, the first-generation Ford GT blended supercharged V8 drama with genuine everyday usability (not that anyone used one every day). 4,038 cars were produced worldwide, but in Europe and Asia at least, they seem rarer than the numbers suggest, and values have increased significantly in recent years.
Selling for over $600,000 (more than four times its original value), this example reflects the car’s steady upward trajectory over the last decade, driven by nostalgia, analogue charm and the increasing difficulty of finding good original examples. It remains one of the most usable and iconic modern classics you can buy at this level.
$651,875 USD
The Murciélago’s resurgence continues. The Murci represents a key moment in Lamborghini history as the first all-new flagship under Audi ownership, but Audi didn’t apply their full influence to its character. Many consider it the last truly old-school, brutal Lamborghinis, and it was the last V12 to leave Sant'Agata Bolognese with a manual gearbox.
Roadsters were significantly rarer than coupes, with around 899 Roadsters produced, including the later LP640 and LP650-4 variants. Around half of those were the original 6.2, and only around 69 of those are estimated to be highly sought-after manuals.
Selling for $651,875, this sits firmly in a market that has been confidently appreciating as collectors look back fondly on the ‘proper’ Lamborghinis now that the open-top, open-gate V12 experience is no longer on offer.
$876,875 USD
The cars so far have been rare, but this one is so rare you might never have heard of it. With just 12 examples produced worldwide, the Bacalar is one of the rarest modern Bentleys ever built. Based on the Continental GT but entirely reimagined by Bentley’s Mulliner division, it blends coachbuilt craftsmanship with modern performance.
At $876,875, this example shows how much collectors are willing to pay to have something no one else has, but with a new price of around $1.9 million and just 12 examples produced, perhaps a coachbuilt Continental isn’t enough to support that value.
£905,000 USD
Naming a car after one of the most legendary names in motorsport history is a bold move, but this is a bold car and has pulled it off. The Senna is the most extreme road-legal McLaren ever produced, and just 500 were made, yet values don’t reflect the car’s rarity or insanity.
This 385km example achieved $905,000 (somewhere in the region of its original price), which reflects a market that has cooled slightly from early speculative highs but remains strong for properly specified cars. Unlike softer “hyper GTs”, the Senna has always been unapologetically focused on lap times and driver engagement — something that increasingly elevates it as modern cars become more digitised. Perhaps the Senna’s day is still to come.
$1,073,750 USD
Singer’s reimagined 911s are as much work of arts as they are re-engineered cars: classic air-cooled Porsche DNA, rebuilt to obsessive standards. This Abu Dhabi commission is finished in Delicate Blue over Saddle Sand interior, but it’s not all show and no go. It has the upgraded 4.0-litre flat six with 390hp as well as Öhlins adjustable sports suspension, a limited-slip diff and big Brembo brakes to keep things under control, and a six-speed manual to complete driving nirvana.
All 450 Classic Study cars (of which this is one), are sold out, and at just over $1 million, this result reflects how Singer cars have moved from niche curiosities into blue-chip collector territory. Their values have risen steadily over the last decade, driven by rarity, craftsmanship and cult-like brand loyalty.
$2,536,250 USD
Part of Ferrari’s “Icona” series, the Monza SP2 was built in limited numbers, with only 499 cars produced. Roofless, windscreen-less and unapologetically impractical, it exists purely for theatre and rarity — exactly what collectors value.
Selling for over two-and-a-half million dollars, this 812km example sits firmly above its original list price, underlining how instantly collectable these cars have become. Values have remained strong since launch, supported by the obvious brand strength and the SP2’s unmistakable visual drama.
$5,630,000 USD
One of the cars that received the most hype prior to the auction, the T.50 is limited to just 100 road cars worldwide. Gordon Murray’s three-seat creation is the spiritual successor to the McLaren F1 — light, manual and obsessively engineered with a bespoke Cosworth V12 which revs to 12,100rpm. If you’ve been to Secret Meet and heard one of these, you probably want one, but there’s quite the financial obstacle for all but a small few.
This example selling for $5.63 million shows how coveted the car already is, despite being effectively brand new. While time will tell how values evolve long-term, ultra-low production numbers, a totally unique, driver-focused philosophy and Gordon Murray’s reputation give it all the ingredients of a future legend rather than just another modern hypercar.
$10,130,000 USD
This isn’t just a Zonda (yes, I just said that) — it’s a one-off. The Riviera is a true one-of-one, starting life as a 2006 Zonda F, it was extensively rebuilt under Pagani’s UNICO programme with bespoke bodywork, including a huge 760-inspired rear wing as well as exquisite detailing and overhauled mechanicals, with the original manual gearbox gone in favour of a seven-speed sequential.
Selling for over 10 million dollars, it represents a huge leap from earlier sales of Zonda variants only a few years ago. As standard Zondas become increasingly locked away in collections, ultra-rare bespoke cars like this are rapidly becoming the crown jewels of modern hypercar collecting.
$11,480,000 USD
Not a road car, not even a car that exists yet in fact, but this is a genuine Formula 1 car that will be aiming to retain the Formula 1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships next year, offered directly from the McLaren Formula 1 Team.
The winning bidder will receive either Lando Norris’ or Oscar Piastri’s chassis, to be delivered at the end of the first quarter of 2028, with a 2025 show car available on lease prior to arrival. The sale also includes an invite to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, hospitality experiences at two Grands Prix, plus 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500 access.
With nothing comparable, it’s a tough one to put a price on, but bidders did just that, sending the auction to nearly 11 and a half million dollars. The winning bidder will presumably be spending most of their time next year praying McLaren repeats this year’s success!
Also up for grabs from McLaren were the 2026 Arrow McLaren IndyCar ($848,750 USD) and the McLaren United AS WEC Hypercar ($7,598,750 USD) which will mark McLaren's long-awaited return to Le Mans in 2027 30 years after the retirement of the legendary F1 GTR.
$25,317,500 USD
The holy grail of any collection doesn’t need much introduction, but this is a particularly interesting F1. The 14th of just 64 road cars ever built and delivered new to the Brunei Royal Family the McLaren F1 remains the holy grail of modern supercars.
If you’re thinking this looks more like an LM than a road car, that’s because it was rebuilt by McLaren in Woking in 2007 with the High-Downforce Kit, LM wheels and LM-spec interior. It’d be understandable to question if that would strengthen or weaken its value, but this example achieving over $25 million represents a record-level sale. Over the last decade, values have more than doubled, and, for many collectors, the F1 sits comfortably alongside the most famous Ferraris and classic race cars as one of the most important automotive creations of all time.
