The Week Exotic Gets Real: 10,200 RPM and Two Live Auction Windows
To my fellow car lovers,
10,200. 27R. 98T. Three codes that mean three very different kinds of obsession: an old-school V-12 rev limit that should not exist in 2026, a longtail race car that somehow became road-usable, and a Senna-era F1 machine you can actually bid on right now.
This week is De Tomaso going full analog with a 900-hp, 10,200-rpm V-12, plus two sealed-bid opportunities that turn legend into a calendar event, not just a poster.
Feature Story
INSIDE THE COCKPIT
There are faster ways to make power in 2026. De Tomaso chose the louder, purer one.
Car and Driver shared final specs on the ItalTecnica-developed V-12 that will power the track-only De Tomaso P900: naturally aspirated, 7.0 liters, 900 horsepower, and a 10,200-rpm redline. It is the kind of engine that feels like a protest letter against turbos, hybrids, and “good enough.”
YOUR SUPERCAR SHORTLIST
🏁 Senna’s Lotus 98T is open for bidding (and it is real, real)
It is not a tribute. It is not a show car. It is a piece of the 1986 season with Senna’s fingerprints all over it, offered via sealed online auction.
This is the real deal: a 1986 Lotus 98T (chassis 98T-3) driven by Ayrton Senna, offered via RM Sotheby’s sealed auction. It is the kind of car that usually lives behind ropes or in private collections, but this week it is a live lot you can actually chase.
Key Takeaways:
Bidding opens March 4 and closes March 11, 2026, so readers can still participate and track it in real time.
Sealed format means no public live bidding drama, just serious offers and a clear window.
This is peak turbo-era Formula 1 history, with the kind of provenance that never gets “recreated.”
Even if you never bid, watching the docs, photos, and details is a masterclass in what “real” looks like.
This is the kind of listing that becomes a reference point for years.
🟡 A McLaren F1 GTR Longtail is up for sealed bids next, and it’s one of the serious ones
The “Longtail” mystique is not internet hype. It is built into the record, and 27R has one of the best stories in the room.
This one is the collector equivalent of hearing a rare song played live. Chassis 027R is one of just 10 Longtail GTRs, and RM Sotheby’s has it in a sealed sale window about to go live. If you have ever wondered why the F1 GTR sits in its own tier, this listing explains it.
Key Takeaways:
This is one of the ten Longtail GTRs ever built, which is basically “unrepeatable” territory.
RM Sotheby’s sealed auction for 027R runs March 5–12, 2026, so it is still an upcoming, attendable window.
This is not just an F1 story; it is an endurance-and-provenance story, the kind collectors actually chase.
The appeal is not only speed. It is a fact that the F1 platform still feels mythical today.
If you want one auction to follow like a sport, this is it.
EXOTIC CARS OF THE WEEK
De Tomaso P900 V-12
A 10,200-rpm love letter to the old ways.
🔗 Official model page
Senna’s Lotus 98T
F1 history with a live bid window right now
🔗 Official model page
McLaren F1 GTR 027R
A Longtail moment with dates you can actually plan around.
🔗 Official model page
QUICK POLL
If you could pick one “unreal but real” moment this week, what are you choosing?
NOTES FROM THE GRID
Here is the thread: the best exotic stories are not about “new.” They are about “alive.”
An engine that revs like it is mad at modernity. A Senna Lotus you can bid on today. A Longtail that still carries its legend without needing explanation. This is the stuff that cuts through the noise because it is not content. It is a consequence.
Until next time,
P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email, and I’ll send packages!