Automobile prototypes have long held a certain fascination among both enthusiasts and the general public. In a development trail that often proceeds from sketch to mathematically precise blueprint to clay scale-model, the prototype is that final step, embodying the penultimate version of the genuine article, and the closest approximation yet of the design team’s vision. Because these cars often feature accessories or systems that do not make it into the final production version, or vice versa, and because many of them were trotted out at auto shows for display or demonstration purposes, prototypes have assumed a certain rarity and possess an undeniable intrigue that, for dedicated collectors, often exceeds the actual production examples.

In the practice of modern automotive manufacture, however, prototypes are rarely confined to a single car. Instead, prototypes today usually consist of a short spectrum of development chassis, potentially ranging from static display shells to fully equipped and drive-capable cars; the latter are sometimes virtually indistinguishable from the production examples. In the case of the Ferrari LaFerrari, quite simply one of the most sophisticated speed machines ever devised, the development prototypes are reported to have been built in three distinct phases, through the course of no fewer than a half dozen cars.

The earliest phase-one prototypes of the codenamed F150 project were built on Ferrari 458 Italia chassis, and were essentially test mules to develop the LaFerrari’s V-12 hybrid drivetrain. Phase-two cars featured dedicated chassis and new bodywork closely resembling the final product, but were not equipped with full-hybrid drivetrains or active aero elements in some cases.

The final phase of LaFerrari development embodied at least one car, the featured chassis number 197860. Coded as the F150 Prototipo Preserie PS1, this LaFerrari prototype is nearly identical to the finished car that debuted at the Geneva Salon in 2013. It is understood to have a pre-production hybrid system, including the HY-KERS-boosted 6.3-liter V-12, with prototype ancillaries and components. Built around a genuine carbon fiber tub, as in the production versions, the PS1 also features active aero systems, unlike some of the earlier prototypes.

Completed in 2013, this chassis is particularly distinctive for its two-tone exterior finish in Rosso Corsa over matte satin Nero on the roof, bumper, and rear section. The coachwork takes on a competition-themed character with large white roundels on the doors, and Pirelli decals across the top of the windscreen and astride the engine lid. While five-spoke wheels are equipped all around, the front wheels are finished in silver, and the rear wheels are in Nero.

The interior features a livery of Nero leather upholstery and lacquered exposed carbon fiber offset by Rosso leather seats with complementary Nero trim and red Prancing Horses stitched into the headrests. Although the interior amenities and related switchgear are largely identical to the production LaFerrari, one noticeable difference is evident at the bottom of the steering wheel, where the standard “LaFerrari” plaque is replaced with one reading “F150,” a reference to the project code.

Given that the LaFerrari prototypes are not intended for actual legal road use, it is fair to speculate if many of the 10,207 miles recorded on this car’s odometer were accrued during official testing, demonstrations, or customer drives.

Featuring an unusually sporty exterior livery for a LaFerrari, and claiming significance as one of the final and most developed pre-series prototypes, this remarkable Ferrari would make a fantastic acquisition for the marque collector focused on rare and unusual examples. It affords us an unmistakable glimpse of the production car that was shortly to follow, which is undeniably one of Maranello’s most sensational flagships, and the scion of an illustrious lineage of top-tier supercars. Such a highly developed and handsomely presented prototype would make a nuanced addition to any sporting collection.