Test mules are the unsung heroes of the automotive world. Almost never seen by the public, these black-clad, brutally utilitarian machines are used to refine the engineering underneath the next generation of performance icons before the gorgeous carbon fibre skin is applied. A few years ago, we reported on the sale of the Ferrari LaFerrari test mule M6, and now another of these unobtanium prototypes is hitting the market at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Monterey auction on August 16th.
This matte black beautiful monstrosity was known internally as ‘F150 Muletto M4’ and was used as a first-phase development and test mule for the iconic LaFerrari. While it may look like Ferrari’s design department weren’t given enough polygons to play with, this angular machine is primarily based on a Ferrari 458. However, you won’t find a naturally aspirated V8 mounted behind the cockpit, instead, its aluminium chassis was modified to accommodate an early iteration of the LaFerrari’s hybrid F140 V12, which in production form would produce a whopping 949 horsepower.
Inside the cabin not too much has changed from this mule’s 458 origins, with the biggest giveaway of this car’s experimental hybrid internals being the high voltage sticker over the Ferrari badge on the steering wheel and the spare battery in the passenger footwell.
The exterior is an entirely different story, with only the headlights, taillights, mirrors, and Scuderia shields escaping unscathed from the Ferrari engineers’ modifications. It’s a fascinating peek into the development of one of Ferrari’s most iconic models, and our personal highlights have to be that gaping front grille, huge roof scoop, and those gargantuan exhaust tips, which extend about a foot from the mule’s rear. While it may not have the poster car appeal of the production hypercar it eventually spawned, this M4 mule is arguably just as alluring and much, much rarer. If you’ve got a collection of Maranello’s finest machines, then this M4 mule would be the matte black cherry on top.
Monterey, 16 Aug
