Motoring has had its fair share of golden ages, it’s a term us automotive journalists love to throw into tales of mid-century car design or triumphant wins at Le Mans, often being used to portray a bygone era that seems lightyears away from the motoring we enjoy today. However, we’d argue there’s been a far more recent golden age and, in fact, it’s one we’re currently experiencing right now. Specifically, we’re talking of the many, many outrageous hypercars that have entered the world in the last 25 years. From the year 2000, the automotive world has witnessed a true golden age of engineering defiance, where limits weren’t pushed, but rather obliterated, with some of the world’s finest car makers choosing to not merely chase top speeds or lap times, instead crafting rolling statements of technological prowess, artistic indulgence, and exclusivity beyond your wildest dreams. That is surely worth celebrating, and these four jewels heading to Broad Arrow Auctions’ upcoming sale in Monterey on August 13 are the ideal icons to showcase our love of these unhinged machines.
2005 Maserati MC12 Stradale
We begin our journey into hypercar madness a whole 20 years ago, inside a secret meeting taking place between executives at Maserati. The plan to bring their iconic name back to top-level motorsport is creeping ever closer, with FIA GT1 racing on the agenda. In order to meet the guidelines for race entry, a homologated version would need to be created, making way for the MC12 Stradale, a car that effortlessly blends unrestrained track-focused handling and blistering speed with serenely beautiful body lines.
It was no secret that the MC12 Stradale borrowed some of Maranello’s goodies, including the Ferrari Enzo’s monocoque chassis, its soul-stirring six-litre V12 engine and six-speed automated manual gearbox, but the car’s design was a far cry from the Enzo’s, sporting a larger and more aerodynamically aggressive carbon-fibre shell conceived by Giorgetto Giugiaro and honed by Frank Stephenson. In fact, the only aesthetic feature it carried over from the Enzo was the windscreen. After a string of wins in the FIA GT1 championship, Maserati had the sweet taste of motorsport glory and champagne on their lips once more, and the 50 road-going examples were just as successful, being immediately snapped up by eager clients. One of those 50 is presented here in the stunning combination of Bianco Fuji pearlescent white with signature blue accents over a Blu leather and BrighTex fabric interior, showing a mere 11,500 kilometres since rolling off the assembly line in 2005. As inductions into hypercar heaven go, it doesn’t get much better than the MC12 Stradale, a true icon of the noughties.
2008 Koenigsegg CCXR
Before the Jesko, Regera, and Agera, there was the Koenigsegg CCXR, a car that stood for more than just outright speed and bonkers styling, instead redefining what an independent automaker could achieve. It has everything needed to spark joy in car lovers – a menacing exhaust note, mind-boggling dihedral synchro-helix doors, an eye-watering price tag, and, perhaps most impressive of all back in 2008, the ability to be driven on renewable E85 and E100 biofuels. Its engine, developed entirely in-house at Ängelholm, was the car’s party piece, a twin-supercharged 4.8-litre V8 that could rocket it to 250mph with ease, making the CCXR one of the fastest production cars in the world at the time.
This 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR, finished in Storm Black, is the 41st Koenigsegg ever produced, being one of a mere 11 CCXRs in existence. Adding to its exclusivity, it is believed to be one of only three examples in the United States and is one of eight CCXRs equipped with the CIMA six-speed manual transmission—an increasingly rare feature in the hypercar realm. Embodying the Scandinavian ethos of functional design paired with unhinged ambition, the CCXR is a certified classic of the future. It’s light, raw, and wildly analogue, ensuring every drive is a visceral reminder that sometimes the underdog writes the best chapters in automotive history.
2018 Bugatti Chiron
Of course, no article about exclusive hypercars is complete without a Bugatti showing its menacing grille. When Bugatti unleashed the Chiron in 2016, it needed to live up to the Veyron’s legacy; a car that could swallow entire motorway networks in a matter of minutes, all while retaining truly unrivalled interior design and exclusivity. Thankfully, the team at Molsheim knows a thing or two about following up greatness with greatness, just like they did with the Type 35 into the Type 51. The Chiron took it all in its stride, and its 8.0-litre quad-turbocharged W16 producing an unholy 1,479 horsepower became the stuff of supercar nightmares, yet all this mechanical insanity was wrapped in bodystyling that oozed elegance and road presence.
Whilst being the most mass-produced hypercar within this lineup, it is by far the most unique in its specification. It was commissioned with a full black exposed carbon fibre exterior, an extra available for the princely sum of 315,000 dollars, which is contrasted by the light blue sport finish accents along the underside of the rear wing and the brake callipers. Not finished with the options list just yet, the client then ordered the Chiron’s iconic "horseshoe" grille surround and taillights to be finished in Nocturne black, as were the striking Caractere wheels which cost a staggering 62,000 dollars alone. No other car maker does opulence quite like Bugatti, and the Chiron proved itself a worthy successor to the Veyron, setting an almost unreachable standard for hypercars going into the 2020s and beyond.
2022 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12
We’ve done it – we’ve reached pure insanity. If the Chiron represents opulence, the Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 is sheer, unfiltered chaos. Designed exclusively for the track, its aggressively chiselled bodywork hides a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12, delivering 830 horsepower, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine Lamborghini has ever produced.
Sure, it may be the newest of our quartet, but don’t let that fool you into thinking this Lambo has AI or hybrid technology on its side. The Essenza is truly void of extra help, instead, it’s a purist’s track machine, complete with a carbon fibre monocoque and aerodynamic innovations taken straight from Lamborghini’s racing program. One of only 40 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12s built, and one of just seven delivered new to the United States, this example has never seen an apex and remains with delivery miles. Adding to the rarity, this is the only example of its type to feature tinted exposed carbon fibre across the side mirrors, engine cover, and rear wing in a crimson hue. In an era when even hypercars are tamed by electronics, the Essenza SCV12 roars to enthusiasts who believe the V12’s song is that of an endangered species!
Monterey, 13 Aug
