Occasionally, carmakers treat us with ultra-rare versions of their current products or sometimes build only a select few examples of a model to accentuate its exclusivity – even old-school pony cars. There’s an incredibly rare collection of muscle cars found abandoned not too long ago. But we digress.
So, to highlight some of the rarest cars in the world, we’ve set out to create this list. Do keep in mind, although these supercars are excruciatingly scarce, they might not be the rarest cars in the world. If we were to cover such a topic, this list would just feature one-off Paganis, absurd classic cars, and the entire Sultan of Brunei’s car collection.
Nonetheless, here are some cars that are even scarcer than a hen’s teeth—even the most influential individuals aren’t allowed to just go ahead and buy.
10/10 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé
Stunning, isn’t it? The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé got its name from the creator and chief engineer behind its existence, Rudolf Uhlenhaut. Uhlenhaut was an automotive genius and fitted the 300 SLR Coupé with a Formula 1-inspired 3.0-liter inline-eight that put out 306 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque.
Only two real-world prototypes ever saw the light of day, and to this day, it remains one of the most highly-praised sports cars created. After all, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé is currently the most expensive car ever sold at auction since it fetched 135 million Euros at RM Sotheby’s in 2022.
9/10 McLaren F1LM
The McLaren F1 is one of the world’s all-time greats. This British supercar redefined what a road car is capable of, and its track-focused version, the McLaren F1 LM is even madder. LM is short for LeMans, and it transformed the F1’s entire aerodynamic structure.
On top of that, the LM’s BMW-built 6.1-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine’s power output got bumped up to 671 hp. Only five McLaren F1 LMs were ever conceived, as well as one prototype.
8/10 Bugatti Type 41 La Royale
Bugatti is no stranger to building rare, high-performance supercars, but back in the day, they were more focused on luxury and opulence. Therefore, they made this, the Bugatti Type 41 La Royale.
The La Royale drew its first breath all the way back in 1926, and many people still regard it as the most over-the-top automobile in existence. This is due to its 14.1-foot wheelbase, near-20-foot length, and massive aircraft engine. Under the elongated hood lived a 12.8-liter straight-eight that churned out about 300 hp. Only six Bugatti Type 41 La Royale models were ever made, and there will never be anything like it again.
7/10 Lamborghini Veneno
The Lamborghini Veneno is the epitome of what an Italian hypercar should be. Its styling snaps necks, its powertrain is potent, its price tag expensive, and it thrashes almost anything around a track. Although some people criticize Lamborghini on the Veneno’s looks, there is little to nothing wrong with everything else.
Only nine roadsters and four coupes of these carbon-fiber-infused bulls were ever built. Also, every single one of them accompanied a mid-mounted 6.5-liter naturally-aspirated V12 engine good for 740 hp and 507 lb-ft of torque.
6/10 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita
Much like Bugatti, Koenigsegg is also no stranger to crafting ludicrously over-engineered vehicles. The one that takes the cake however is the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita. At first glance, the Trevita looks nearly identical to other CCX models, however, there is much that only the trained eye notices.Take for instance its paint, it’s like nothing else. See, its shiny paint features a diamond weave carbon fiber finish. It’s not only the looks that make the CCXR unique, its power plant is incredible too. Behind the driver nests a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V8 that puts out 1,065 hp and 797 lb-ft of torque. Unfortunately, only two Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita models ever made it to production.
5/10 W Motors Lykan Hyper Sport
The W Motors Lykan HyperSport garnered its fame due to it starring in the seventh installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, Furious 7. Ironically, seven W Motors Lykan HyperSport examples only exist. After all, its entire body gets handcrafted out of carbon fiber, its dihedral doors open up the wrong way, and it has 440 diamonds embezzled in its headlights.On top of that, its twin-turbocharged flat-six develops 740 hp and 708 lb -ft of torque. In the real world, that means this ultra-rare hypercar can reach 60 mph from a standstill in under 3 seconds.
4/10 Ferrari F40LM
Just as with the McLaren F1 LM, the Ferrari F40 LM was a suped-up Ferrari F40 destined for the Le Mans race. The nineteen F40 LM models built all shared the same engine as the normal F40, albeit a tad more impactful.The mid-mounted twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 generated 720 hp, and since it got mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, it was a true bare-boned driver’s car… That is if you can overlook its near-$5 million price tag.
3/10 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
They say just being beautiful doesn’t pay, but the Alfa Rome 33 Stradale sure is an exception to that rule. Although it was manically fast for the time with a 24-seconds standing kilometer – the fastest at the time – its beauty was what solidified it in automotive history.
Just eighteen Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale models exist, and they all inhabited a 2.0-liter V8 engine that spewed out 227 hp and 152 lb-ft of torque. Despite it being rather timid on paper, the Alfa’s 1,543-lb curb weight made up for it.
2/10 Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta
The only Pagani car we’re speaking about today is the Zonda HP Barchetta. Initially, three of these got manufactured, but hence a crash last year, only two remain with us now. It’s really such a shame that this exclusive (and expensive) car had to suffer such a tragic demise. Still, we can’t help but lust after the harmonious song of the naturally-aspirated 789-hp 7.3-liter V12.
1/10 Ferrari Testarossa Spider
Yes, the rumors are true. Back in 1986, Ferrari built a one-off convertible version of the Ferrari Testarossa. This wasn’t meant for some wacky billionaire who lived on a remote island. No, Ferrari built the Testarossa Spider for Fiat’s chairman, Gianni Agnelli.
Although there are replicas that exist nowadays, the original Testarossa Spider is truly one of a kind and remains impossible to replace.
Sources: Mercedes-Benz, Motor1, Bugatti, Lamborghini, W Motors, Aston Martin, Hagerty UK, Top Gear, Ferrari Lake Forest
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