The rare 1986 Monospecchio, one of the most coveted versions of the ’80s poster car, was a gift from rapper Loe Shimmy.
A quarter-million-dollar Prancing Horse present helped Drake celebrate his 40th birthday with a “Shabang.” According to Hypebeast, rapper Loe Shimmy gifted a Ferrari Testarossa from the Toronto superstar’s 1986 birth year outside of NYC nightclub Casa Cipriani. The moment was immortalized in video clips showing Drake driving his new ride through Midtown Manhattan.
Best known as the preeminent 1980s poster car, the Testarossa was unveiled at the 1984 Paris Motor Show and marketed as the world’s most powerful and luxurious Gran Turismo. A 4.9-liter flat-12 sent 390 horsepower to the rear wheels through a five-speed stick, and the engine’s longitudinal mounting behind the cabin kept the center of gravity low for genuine cornering ability. But it was also conceived as a highly usable, comfortable GT—boasting a wider cabin, more luggage space, and creature comforts absent from its predecessor, the 512 BBi.
We can see from the clips that Loe Shimmy did particularly well by getting Drake one of the highly sought-after “Monospecchio” versions built in 1985 and 1986. The spec, which translates to “single mirror,” aptly refers to the solo sideview mirror mounted high on the driver’s A-pillar. The quirk arose from a misreading of Italian rearward-visibility regulations, which Ferrari’s engineers interpreted as demanding a completely unobstructed view.
The three most expensive 1986 Ferrari Testarossas sold at auction all feature the Monospecchio idiosyncrasy but are dressed in rarer colors, including black. Rosso Corsa red cars featuring the flying winged mirror are led by an extremely low-mileage lot that RM Sotheby’s sold for $307,500 in 2023.
But in just the past few months, two examples—both of which appear to share the beige interior as Drake’s birthday car—drove the value upwards with $273,500 and $251,000 sales on Bring a Trailer. For context, the model seen here sold for $218,500 at RM Sotheby’s Dubai event in 2024. In the last year, the 1986 Testarossa has enjoyed a climb in value from 15% to 20% across all conditions, according to Hagerty.
But amid Drake’s collection, which also includes a Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir, a blacked-out Rolls-Royce Wraith, a Mansory-modified Rolls-Royce Phantom, a 900-horsepower Brabus dune buggy, and a recently added Safari-style G-Wagen built by S-Klub LA, the Testarossa is an understated crown jewel.
