Each year, high-end retailer Nieman Marcus publishes a list of fantasy gifts, aimed exclusively at one-percenters who embrace extravagance or convenience over value. The “Fantasy Gift” list generally includes a car, marked up to near-absurd levels and distinguished by custom paint and a few unique accessories. On the plus side, buying through Nieman Marcus generally gives the ultra-wealthy a chance to be the very first on their block with a new-and-otherwise-unattainable set of wheels.
This year is no different, as Nieman Marcus is offering shoppers the chance to buy a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, sprayed in Volcano Red and equipped with a set of McLaren fitted luggage. Buyers also get a business-class trip to the U.K., a tour of the McLaren Technology Center and a private dinner with McLaren’s chairman, Ron Dennis. The price for all this holiday cheer? A mere $354,000, which sounds like around $100,000 more than the cost of an equivalent MP4-12C Spider, delivered later in the production cycle.
To be clear, it’s not all about profit for Nieman Marcus. For each McLaren sold, the retailer will donate $3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and you’re not likely to get a meeting with Ron Dennis just by putting money down on a 12C Spider. For those with a large enough bank account, this could represent the holiday gift of a lifetime.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
