Ferrari FXX

It's not every day that a car like the Ferrari FXX Evoluzione goes up for auction. Or a Maserati MC12. Or a Ferrari F40, F50 or 333 SP, for that matter. But these and more are set to cross the auction block in a star-studded line-up presented by Gooding & Company.

The collection of the late Benny Caiola includes the aforementioned FXX (estimated at $2.2-2.5 million), MC12 ($1.1-1.4 million), 333 SP ($800,000-1 million), F40 ($475,000-550,000) and F50 ($750,000-850,000), along with an F430 Challenge race car ($125,000 - $150,000) and 430 Scuderia ($215,000-240,000), 599 HGTE ($275,000-315,000) and 1973 Ferrari Dino ($160,000-180,000) plus a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster ($240,000-325,000) and Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 ($175,000-225,000) for good measure.

The most notable (and valuable) of the collection, the FXX and MC12 are both based on the iconic Ferrari Enzo supercar, but optimized for performance on the race track, while the 333 SP was the last Le Mans Prototype ever built by Ferrari. It's a rare collection to be sure, one that promises to bring in upwards of $7 million in sales when the auction kicks off on January 21 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

An incredible array of Ferrari race cars just converged on Germany's famed Nurburgring circuit for three days of test-driving under the legendary Italian marque's Corse Clienti department. 15 Ferrari 599XX and 4 Enzo-based Ferrari FXXs were joined on the track by 10 rare Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 cars, among the world's most desirable vehicles. Amongst them was the F190 raced by Nigel Mansell in the 1990 Formula 1 Championship; the 412 T1 with which Gerhard Berger won the 1994 German Grand Prix; the F300, which was the 45th car built by Scuderia Ferrari for the 1998 season, driven to six wins by Michael Schumacher; and the F2001, with which the German champion won nine races. Also present was the more recent F2007, which took both World titles for the Scuderia team. The beautiful thoroughbred racers are almost as much fun to look at as to drive.

Back in February we reported on the mysterious filthy rich individual who purchased 10 Aston Martin One-77 supercars, limited to just 77 examples, for $1.7 million apiece or $23 million in total including fees. Now educated insiders are speculating that the Sultan of Brunei bought the cars to add to his multi-billion-dollar, 7,000-strong car collection, the world's most expensive auto hoard. According to Guinness World Records the Sultan's collection includes over 600 Rolls-Royces, more than 450 Ferraris, 570 Mercedes-Benzes, 380 Bentleys, 170 Porsches, dozens of Koenigseggs, and 20 Lamborghinis to name a few. He owns several rare custom, one-off and concept cars, some worth tens of millions apiece, including a Ferrari Mythos, a Jaguar XJ220 by Pininfarina, a Bentley Java, a Bentley Dominator SUV, bespoke Rolls-Royce and Ferrari station wagons, a Porsche Carma and a Koenigsegg Agera. Known for buying multiple models of supercars in order to have one in every color, he owns several McLaren F1s, six Ferrari FXXs, four Ferrari F40s and three Ferrari F50s. The Sultan, who's worth an estimated $20 billion, stores the collection in five heavily-guarded airplane hangars and employs a team of mechanics and specialists to keep the cars in perfect working condition.

The awesome sight of 600 Ferraris congregating in the shadow of the famous Mt. Fuji greeted spectators at the recent Ferrari Festival of Japan. Organized by the Japanese branch of the Italian auto marque in conjunction with Ferrari's Corse Clienti department, the eye candy included rare racers like the famed F399 Formula One car from 1999, four 599XXs and six FXXs (above) circling the track. The event also featured a heated competition between Challenge versions of the 348, 355, 360 and F430 for the Ferrari Trophy of Japan as well as the Japanese debut of the 599 GTO and the 458 Italia. Decidedly a showcase for modern rather than classic Ferraris, there were also a striking number of F40s, F50s and other supercar stars.