We’ve been very good this year, honest. We deserve a 745bhp track car with bright orange paint

Here’s a rather strong argument for buying cars in interesting colours. This is just a plain old Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa which wouldn’t usually get a second look when scrolling through the classifieds. And yet, a lick of orange paint and suddenly we’re interested.

Okay, maybe we were just a little bit interested before the paint. Heck, this is basically a derestricted version of the hugely successful MC12 GT1 racer, and it’s one of only 12 examples that Maserati built and sold to its most valued customers. For one million euro a pop.

That was clearly a decent investment though, because this 2007 example is heading up for auction at the RM Sotheby’s Paris sale in January, with the estimate currently between £2.4m and £3m. Yikes.

You do get plenty of car for the money of course. The engine is a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V12 – yes, the same as the one in the Ferrari Enzo – that’s producing 745bhp. That’s mated to a six-speed sequential Cambiocorsa gearbox and there are carbon ceramic brakes, OZ Racing wheels and slick tyres. Best not to drive it in those conditions that it has been photographed in, then.

And despite being on the large side, the carbon fibre monocoque and carbon body panels mean this thing weighs less than 1,150kg. Yeah, we’ll take this as our Christmas present this year.