MV Agusta F4CC | World's Most Expensive Sportbike

Everything is completely over the top. Exotic materials have been used wherever possible. The specs sheet is staggering: 200 horsepower, 411 pounds with an empty gas tank, 195-mph top speed. But most breathtaking of all is the price: 100,000 euros (about $128,000 at current exchange rates), or roughly twice the price of a Ducati Desmosedici RR. Of course, if you're one of the lucky 100 buyers, you get a watch and a leather jacket, too.

MV Agusta left nothing untouched to create this racing superbike for the road, which along with the new Ducati 1098 Superbike (Motorcyclist, January) stole the show at EICMA 2006 in Milan, Italy, this past November.

Called the F4CC in honor of Cagiva founder Claudio Castiglioni, the 1078cc machine is the ultimate evolution of the F4 750 that debuted nearly a decade ago.

"I wanted to make a bike for myself," explained Castiglioni, who attended the show to present custom Brutale 910Rs to each of the members of the winning Italian Word Cup soccer team. "The F4 was already so beautiful, and we thought hard about what more could be done. The F4CC is that dream come true.

"Motorcycles make us dream," Castiglioni continued. "They have different colors. They have different sounds. They have shapes that sometimes show what inspired their designers. Sometimes these creations are real works of art that turn the designer into an artist." As is Massimo Tamburini, who along with Castiglioni created the MV F4 and the Ducati 916, two of the world's most iconic motorcycles.

The F4CC wasn't the only updated motorcycle on the MV stand at Milan. In fact, the company has improved all its models for '07. Top of the regular range is the F4 1000 R and, yes, we are talking mostly color changes. But those new colors have been researched and combined with Michelangelo's touch-that's why the F4-R looks so fresh in white and black.

The '06 engine had already received a host of updates to make it cleaner-burning, and the '07 engine stays the same, producing a claimed 174 bhp and 82 pound-feet of torque. Modifications to meet Euro 3 standards involved adjusting the Magneti Marelli fueling system and adding a lambda sensor directly in front of the exhaust catalyzer to make it a closed-loop system. To achieve this, the F4-R now features a one-piece exhaust system with no joints, which smoothes the flow of spent gasses. The F4 is not restricted to any particular top speed and can allegedly surpass 186 mph, hence the need for the radial Brembo Monobloc brakes.

The '07 Brutale 910 S has received many of the same upgrades as the F4-R. The most important one is a new ECU, same as that used on the F4. This has allowed both Euro 3 compliance and improved power and torque. New pistons and valves set at a revised angle generate another 2 bhp on top and improve delivery throughout the rev range. The modifications have also allowed the fitment of a larger airbox, as the ECU has been moved behind the cylinders. The Brutale 910 now produces a claimed 139 bhp and 71 lb.-ft. of torque. A new color is orange.

Though steeped in racing history, MV has only begun to race again. The F4 1000 R captured the '06 Italian Superstock Championship and, beginning next year, will compete in England, Germany and America. Legendary tuner Eraldo Ferracci and riders Luca Scassa and Matt Lynn broke the lap record while testing a Superstock-spec F4 1000 R at Florida's Jennings GP track last November. Look for them in the '07 AMA Superbike Championship.