In what might be the most predictable outcome since someone discovered water is wet, the Zonda that had us all drooling at yesterday's preview has just sold for $11 million at RM Sotheby's Dubai auction. And yes, that's the same one I nearly backed into while trying to photograph the McLaren Senna LM - a moment that probably took several years off the security guard's life. Related: Inside RM Sotheby's Dubai 1st December Auction: The Most Expensive Lawn Party Ever. From Zonda LMs to Valkyries: A morning at RM Sotheby's Dubai auction reveals the most valuable collection of supercars ever assembled in the Middle East. You see, this wasn't just another special edition in Pagani's seemingly endless roster of "final" Zondas. This 760 LM Roadster is what happens when someone looks at a regular Zonda - itself about as subtle as a firecracker in a library - and thinks "not quite extreme enough." One of only two 760 LMs ever built, and the only roadster version, it managed to make the rest of yesterday's rather spectacular lineup look positively mundane. The lawn at Sotheby's was already hosting what looked like a Greatest Hits album of automotive excellence. There were Ferraris everywhere - a whole herd of 308s that seemed to be breeding in one corner, and even a Ferrari 16M from 2009. There was even a 'Monospecchio' Testarossa that had me checking my bedroom wall to see if the poster was still there, and even an 812 Competizione that made the regular 812 look like something you'd use for grocery shopping. Then, we had an SLS black series, looking somehow more menacing on grass than it does on the road. And right next to the SLS was this. A 1 of 20 Centenario, that was stealing everyones hearts. Related: Why Someone Just Paid $2 Million for a White Lamborghini (And Still Got a Bargain) At Dubai's latest high-stakes auction, a pristine Lamborghini Centenario Roadster - one of just 20 ever made - sold for $2.03 million. And next to THAT was THIS: An SLR McLaren nicknamed “desire”, which is what I was feeling after looking at her. But this Zonda... this was something else entirely. Related: Ultra-Rare Pagani Zonda 760 LM Roadster Heads to Dubai Auction. This one-off Zonda has more wings than an F1 grid and the last great NA V12. Now it just needs $12M and a brave driver. The details are absolutely mind-bending. The nose looks like it was designed by someone who thought Le Mans cars were too subtle, with aero flicks that could probably slice bread. The rear wing is supported by two pillars and has end plates large enough to serve dinner on - though I suspect the previous owner never tried that particular experiment. During yesterday's preview, I spent an embarrassingly long time just staring at the carbon fiber weave. Each panel is aligned so perfectly you'd think the atoms were arranged by hand. The Huayra wing mirrors looked somehow more special on this car, though that might have been because they were watching me nervously as I got too close with my camera. But the really clever bit is what's under that sculpted carbon fiber body. The 7.3-liter AMG V12 has been tuned to produce around 800 horsepower - in a car that weighs about as much as a heavy sneeze. When they fired it up during the preview, it set off three car alarms and made a Valkyrie owner look jealous. That's quite an achievement, considering the Valkyrie sounds like a battalion of angry angels having an argument. The most shocking part? Unlike most hypercars that spend their lives in climate-controlled bubbles being polished by men wearing white gloves, this one's actually been driven. The odometer shows 17,700 miles, which in the world of million-dollar cars is like finding out your Picasso has been used as a placemat. Standing next to it yesterday, you could actually see tiny stone chips in the front splitter - battle scars that probably add value at this point. Even the titanium bolts - yes, every single fastener on this car is titanium - have signs of being actually used. Horacio Pagani apparently personally obsessed over each one, which probably explains why my bank manager laughed so hard when I called him this morning about a loan. The auction itself was quite something. Sitting between a Lamborghini Centenario Roadster and that utterly mad Mercedes G650 Landaulet we saw (imagine a G-Wagon that's been stretched like chewing gum and had its roof chopped off), the Zonda still managed to draw the biggest crowd. Even the Aston Martin Valkyrie owner seemed more interested in it than his own car, which is saying something given the Valkyrie looks like it was designed by aliens with a speed addiction. When the bidding started, the room went quieter than a Prius at a traffic light. By the time it hit $10 million, I'm pretty sure I saw a Ferrari collector fanning himself with what looked suspiciously like the title deed to his house. The final price of $11 million seems almost reasonable when you consider that's roughly what you'd pay for 22 brand new Porsche 911 Turbos - though I suspect the new owner isn't too worried about value comparisons. And on that bombshell, I'm off to explain to my accountant why I've just sold my house, my kidneys, and my soul - and I'm still about $10.5 million short. Though after seeing it in the metal yesterday and hearing that V12 sing, I'm beginning to think that might actually be a bargain. To whoever just bought it - I was the one who left nose prints on the driver's window yesterday. Sorry about that. But in my defense, have you seen the interior?
