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This $7-million Ferrari LaFerrari is the most expensive modern car ever sold at auction

The Ferrari LaFerrari is already one of the most extreme, high-performance, road-going cars ever built. And now, it's also the most expensive modern car ever sold at auction. Ferrari, along with RM Sotheby's and the National Italian American Foundation's Earthquake Relief Fund, officially sold the car as part of a charity auction benefiting the reconstruction efforts in central Italy. Total price? A whopping $7 million. Ferrari claims its extra LaFerrari – the company originally built this 500th example for its own collection – is the most expensive car from the 21st century ever sold at auction. As we mentioned in our original story from last week, all proceeds from the LaFerrari auction will benefit earthquake-ravaged central Italy. While the LaFerrari's lucky new owner can rest easy knowing their money went to a seriously good cause, they'll also get to enjoy a unique example of the final production LaFerrari. It's a simple tweak, but its Rosso Corsa paint body gets a white "dream line" on its hood and rear windshield, and the Italian tricolor on the nose. We like it, and we're guessing the citizens of central Italy will appreciate the money this special hypercar made for them. Related Video:

Ex-Ferrari chairman sounds off on IPO

Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo preferred to put exclusivity over profits when he ran the company, and the lower volume still meant huge amounts of cash for the business. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has since taken over Ferrari, but that hasn't stopped di Montezemolo from voicing his opinions. "I hope that the clients will remain more important than the analyst or the investor or the financial markets," di Montezemolo said prior to his induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reported. The former chairman argued that once on the stock exchange, a company would need to maximize profits quarter after quarter to keep investors happy. Conversely, di Montezemolo said Ferrari's years of success came from an "exclusivity in terms of number of cars, exclusivity in terms of how you deal with the clients." When di Montezemolo left Ferrari last year, he and Marchionne were scuffling about the future of the brand, including the health of the Formula 1 program. With the change in leadership, the company has reversed course in some ways. Where volume was previously kept around 7,000 units annually, the carmaker has set a new goal of closer to 10,000. The paperwork was filed for the IPO, and Marchionne thinks the company could be worth over $11 billion. The actual shares are rumored to go on sale in October. Related Video:

Top Gear teases Porsche 918 vs McLaren P1 vs LaFerrari showdown

It's the comparison test we've been waiting over a year to come together: the hybrid hypercar showdown of the century between the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari LaFerrari. They've each got hybrid powertrains pairing eight or more cylinders with an electric motor to drive around 900 horsepower through seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions. They come from exotic automakers with rich racing pedigrees, and each costs around a million bucks. Leave it to the guys from Top Gear, then, to finally put it together. The story adorns the cover of this month's issue of Top Gear magazine, which arranged the showdown – not the television program that started it all. Fortunately, they didn't miss the opportunity to capture the action on video, which will be available to iPad subscribers – but whether you've got access or not, you can catch a short clip of the seven-figure hybrid hypercars right here. News Source: Top Gear via YouTube Ferrari McLaren Porsche Hybrid Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 ferrari laferrari