An expensive car is more than a means to go to your work from home. It is a status symbol. It is the embodiment of your success riding on four wheels. And it has been so ever since Karl Benz rolled out his ‘Motorwagen’ for the first time in 1885. A lot has changed since then. Today cars run on electricity, hydrogen, and even compressed natural gas.
It is common for computers to have more authority over the controls of the car than the driver sitting in the driver’s seat. The only thing that hasn’t changed, is perhaps the social aspect of owning a car. Owning the newest, meanest, and most powerful car on the block can reward you with enough social capital to last a lifetime.
You might find yourself wondering, ‘What is the most expensive car in the world? And who are the ones who drive them?’. We might not be able to answer the latter, but we sure can list the 10 most expensive cars in the world. These are the most expensive production cars. These are the cars that have been mass-produced identical cars which is available to the public. These cars must also be street-legal so that they can be driven on public roads.
10 Most Expensive Cars In The World
The realm of the most expensive production cars is the hypercars. Hypercars, are the most expensive and exclusive set of cars made by an automotive manufacturer. Often limited to very few production units. These, often, cannot be bought without an invitation from the automotive manufacturer. Here is the list of the top 10 most expensive hypercars:
1. Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport:
Limited to only 60 models. The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport is based on the standard Bugatti Chiron. It is about 50 pounds lighter than the regular Chiron and is powered by the massive quad turbo W16 engines. The Pur Sport, as the name suggests, is sportier, agile, and accelerates quicker.
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport – This car is designed for performance, with a focus on handling and agility. It features an 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1500 horsepower, a lightweight titanium exhaust system, and a top speed of 218 mph.
Price: $3.6 million.
2. W Motors Lykan Hypersport:
Remember the scene from Fast and Furious 7, where they jump from one penthouse to another? Yes, it’s the same car. The Lykan Hypersport is an Emirati manufactured by W motors, an Emirati manufacturer. These are yet to be delivered to customers. However, the Fast and Furious franchise did use 7 production units for the shooting of the film.
W Motors Lykan Hypersport – This is a high-performance luxury car, with a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine that produces 780 horsepower. It also features diamond-encrusted LED headlights, a holographic display system, and a top speed of 240 mph.
Price: $3.4 million.
3. Lamborghini Sian:
Lamborghini’s entry into the hybrid cars vertical. Based on the Aventador platform and powered by the same Lamborghini V12. This combines it with an electric supercharger for fast release and recovery of energy. The first hypercar to do so. Limited to very few units. This finds its place among the limited series Lamborghinis. Which includes the likes of Lamborghini Veneno and the infamous Sesto Elemonto.
Lamborghini Sian – This is a hybrid supercar, with a 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 785 horsepower, paired with a 48-volt electric motor that provides an additional 34 horsepower. It also features a unique design inspired by the Countach, with hexagonal shapes throughout the exterior and interior.
Price: $3.4 million
4. Bugatti Divo:
Bugatti’s first coach-built hypercar of the 21st century. It is powered by the same Bugatti quad turbo W16. Limited to just 40 units. You can only buy one if you are invited to do so. Needless to say, only the most exclusive of Bugattis clientele can get their hand on this. Rumor has it you should have, both the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron to be invited to buy this car.
Bugatti Divo – This car is designed for handling and cornering, with a focus on agility and speed. It features an 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1500 horsepower, a lightweight carbon fiber body, and a top speed of 236 mph.
Price: $5.8 million.
5. Pagani Huyara Codalunga:
Inspired by the golden age of sports car racing. The Codalunga takes inspiration from the timeless curves of the Italian coach-building heritage. Limited to just five units. This car is one of the rarest of the rare.
Pagani Huayra Roadster – This is an ultra-luxury supercar, with a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 764 horsepower. It also features a lightweight carbon fiber body, active aerodynamics, and a top speed of 238 mph.
Price: $7.8 million
6. Bugatti Centodieci:
Italian for 110. The Centodeici was unveiled in 2019 to celebrate the Italian car manufacturer’s hundred and tenth anniversary. Inspired by the EB110, the car features many similar features. Including the small Bugatti horseshoe and bubbles behind the windows. With only 10 units ever produced, it is one of the least produced, limited series of cars from Bugatti.
Bugatti Centodieci – This car is a tribute to the Bugatti EB110, with a unique design that pays homage to the classic supercar. It features a 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1600 horsepower, a lightweight carbon fiber body, and a top speed of 236 mph.
Price: $8 million
7. Rolls Royce Sweep Tail:
Long before Rolls Royce had a production line and made jet engines. They were coachbuilders. They carry their legacy forward with the one-off bespoke coach-built unit. Only one was ever produced and is housed somewhere in some private collection.
Rolls Royce Sweptail – This is a one-of-a-kind luxury car, commissioned by a private client and designed to their specifications. It features a unique, handcrafted body with a distinctive swept-tail design, as well as a 6.75-liter V12 engine that produces 453 horsepower.
Price: $12.8 million
8. Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta:
An example of the craftsmanship of Pagani’s Uno-di-Uno Division. Only one example has ever been produced. After being commissioned by a private buyer. The car is an absolute masterpiece in terms of design, paired with Pagani’s undisputed performance.
Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta – This is a limited-edition supercar, with only three units produced. It features a 7.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that produces 789 horsepower, a lightweight carbon fiber body, and a top speed of over 200 mph.
Price: $15 million
9. Bugatti La Voiture Noire:
Bugatti’s only one-off masterpiece was commissioned by a private buyer. It is the modern reinterpretation of Bugatti’s Atlantic Type 57. Which is Bugattis one of the most iconic cars and mostly lost to time. Dressed in all black and tinted window. The La Voiture Noire is truly the most mesmerizing piece of art ever produced in the name of Ettore Bugatti.
Bugatti La Voiture Noire – This is a one-of-a-kind luxury car, commissioned by a private client and designed to celebrate Bugatti’s history and legacy. It features an 8.0-liter W16 engine that produces 1500 horsepower, a handcrafted carbon fiber body, and a top speed of 261 mph.
Price: $18.68 million
10. Rolls Royce Boat Tail:
Which Is The Most Expensive Car In The World? Rolls Royce Boat Tail, Commissioned by a private owner, this magnificent automobile has wooden rails, mimicking that of an expensive yacht. It comes with its line of champagne and a small umbrella to sit under as you sip it.
Who has the most expensive car in the world? Rumor has it, that the owner of this one-off Rolls Royce is none other than Jay Z and Beyonce themselves. Rolls-Royce plans to produce only three units of the highly luxurious Boat Tail, with one already sold to American A-Listers Beyonce and Jay-Z, and has owned the only one-unit car in the world.
Rolls Royce Boat Tail – Another one-of-a-kind luxury car, commissioned by a private client and designed to their specifications. It features a unique, handcrafted body with a distinctive boat-tail design, as well as a 6.75-liter V12 engine that produces 563 horsepower.
Price: $20 million
Why Are Hypercars So Expensive?
There are many reasons why hypercars are so expensive. Often manufacturers bank on these to make sure that their cars are exclusive, rare, and sometimes mythic. However, most of them do deserve their price tags, as they stand on the cutting edge of technology. Here are some of the reasons why hypercars are so expensive.
- Limited numbers: These are often built in very limited numbers. Hence most of the technology used in the car is bespoke. Econonics of scale do not apply here and drive their price up.
- Exotic materials: Space-grade ceramic plates, reinforced titanium, and high-tensile carbon fibers are some of the many exotic materials used in these cars. Now, don’t come cheap but is essential to pull every ounce of efficiency out of the cars.
- Advanced electronics: Advance electronics, often derivative of aerospace electronics(avionics), are used to tame these beasts. Modern hypercars have drive y wire systems to assist the drivers. These systems are by no means simple or cheap.
- Insane RnD cost: Legend has it, the Volkswagen group lost around $6 million per Bugatti Veyrone produced. These high costs were a result of billions of dollars that were invested in the research and development of the systems.
- Heritage: If your bonnet is adorned by a Lamborghini badge, Ferrari badge, or the Spirit of Ecstacy. It automatically drives up the price of the car. A price you need to pay if you are willing to purchase the car.
Conclusion:
One can often wonder what is the point of having cars which costs a fortune one cannot hope to amass in a lifetime. Indeed a valid question. However, you must remember, the love for cars, at its core, is just that.
The love for cars and motorsports. Inaccessibility cannot justify the lack of affection and admiration. Admiring heritage cars is like admiring history. One cannot go back and relive historical events. One can only see it from a distance and wonder how it might have felt like.
As an Applied Physics major, the world of science and technology, to me, is a realm full of things to learn, things to discover, things to teach, and information to be passed on. Technology in all its glory always intrigues me. From the latest iPhone to the latest development in Microfluidics, nothing falls out of my scope of writing.
