This Ferrari LaFerrari test mule can’t be road registered but still sold for $1.2 million
Published on Aug 20, 2025 at 1:23 AM (UTC+4)
by Callum Tokody
Last updated on Aug 19, 2025 at 2:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A Ferrari LaFerrari prototype test mule has sold for $1.2 million at a recent auction.
The car began as a Ferrari 458 Italia before engineers modified it with a V12 engine and experimental equipment.
It cannot be registered for road use and carries the rough, unfinished details expected from a development car.
The result shows how collectors place value on Ferrari prototypes for their history as much as for performance.
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Ferrari LaFerrari test mule sparks bidding war
Ferrari designated this test car as the ‘F150 Muletto M4‘ during the LaFerrari program.
It was one of several Ferrari prototypes used to refine the hybrid hypercar, with mismatched bodywork, exposed wiring, and experimental components.
As a test mule, it was never intended for customers or road use, but instead functioned purely as a tool for engineers.
Auction house RM Sotheby’s confirmed in its listing that the Ferrari prototype could not be legally registered.
Despite this, bidding reached $1.215 million with fees included.
Ferrari prototypes are rarely offered publicly, since most are dismantled once their work is complete.
That scarcity, combined with the connection to the Ferrari LaFerrari, explains why collectors competed for the car.
The production Ferrari LaFerrari launched in 2013 with a 6.3-liter V12 engine paired with a hybrid system producing 950hp.
Only 499 were built, all sold out immediately, and values have remained strong ever since.
The auctioned test mule offers a unique bridge between the early development stage and the finished Ferrari LaFerrari road car.
For its new owner, it represents a rare physical record of the model’s engineering.
Why Ferrari prototypes keep climbing in value
Other Ferrari prototypes have achieved similar attention at auction.
Test mules for the Ferrari Enzo and Ferrari F50 have surfaced, also drawing strong bidding.
Buyers see them as historical artifacts that carry details of the design and testing process.
Each prototype documents how Ferrari progressed from concept to finished model.
Events like Monterey Car Week have made RM Sotheby’s a focal point for such sales.
This Ferrari LaFerrari prototype test mule now joins that list of headline results.
The market increasingly rewards rarity and provenance over usability, and Ferrari prototypes fit both categories.
Even if they cannot be driven on public roads, they remain key pieces of Ferrari’s history.
As the brand moves further into hybrid and electric development, early test mules like this one may rise further in significance.
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Callum Tokody is a content writer at Supercar Blondie, where he covers the latest in the automotive world with a focus on design and performance. Callum has a background in automotive journalism and has contributed to a range of publications in Australia and the UK. Outside of work, he’s a design enthusiast with a soft spot for anything with a V8 and a good story.
