Obscenely Expensive Cars

Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang

Price: About $3.8 million

Why it’s so expensive: With a price tag like this, one can only expect the best from every millimeter of the interior, exterior and especially under the hood. It can reach a top speed of about 250 miles per hour, but it also boasts safety features like its electronic stability program, which acts on each wheel even at high speeds.

Only five Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang cars were ever built, which is why it can fetch such a high price tag, notes Luxist.

At nearly half the price, however, you can get a convertible 2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 GrandSport, notes Car and Driver magazine.

Photo Credit: bugatti.com

Enzo Ferrari

Price: About $1.2 million

Why it’s so expensive: Only 399 were ever made, and now they’re out of production. Depending on the resale market, pricing can actually vary from $643,330 to $1.2 million, according to Motor Trend. If you want to lease it, that’ll be $7,595 a month.

In 2003, an Enzo owner wrecked his car, and Ferrari estimated that it would cost him $250,000 to $300,000 to repair, according to WreckedExotics.com.

Photo Credit: xploitme

Koenigsegg CCX

Price: About $600,910

Why it’s so expensive: It can top out at 245 plus mph, yet it still “complies with the toughest emission regulations worldwide,” Koenigsegg says. But only 25 are made per year and only 10 make it into the U.S. There’s even a green version, the CCXR, which can run on E85 and E100 Biofuel.

It’s interior is simple, however. “There are no gadgets or unnecessary features on the car, only what is absolutely vital in the name of efficiency and purity,” Koenigsegg says.

Photo Credit: Koenigsegg

Pagani Zonda

Price: About $667,321

Why it’s so expensive: Only about 10 are made every year, according to Discovery Car Guide. “From any angle, this Zonda R is a work of art,” said Motor Trend of the 2010 model. “The detail in construction is unheard of, with every piece fitting perfectly with full functionality and attractive aesthetics infused into their DNA.”

Photo Credit: Trubble

Porsche Carrera GT

Price: About $484,000

Why it’s so expensive: Die-hard Porsche lovers may love the brand’s big-eyed bug-like body type, but even those who aren’t particular fans of that style might go weak at the knees over this sleek and powerful Carrera GT.

In 2003, Car and Driver summed up this marvel born out of Le Mans: “…everything else amounts to toothbrushes and coffee machines.”

Photo Credit: J.Smith831

2010/2011 Mercedes SLR McLaren

Price: About $495,000

Why it’s so expensive: they’ve had limited production, with numbers on the road only in the hundreds, according to Edmunds.com. And it’s full of techie amenities like a Bose Premium sound system, a navigation system and an integrated radio and CD player, unlike a surprising number of the pricier cars. Still, Motor Trend calls it “expensive. pointless.”

Photo Credit: Gaspa

Maybach 62

Price: About $385,250

Why it’s so expensive: Despite their clunky appearance, Maybachs are some of the most solid luxury cars out there. The company pushed its way into the luxury car market, and “production in the Maybach Manufaktur assures a level of quality that sets new standards within the ultra-luxury segment,” the company promises. And it’s packed with features like rich leather and exotic woods interiors, Parktronic parking assistance and a solar sensor that automatically adjusts the temperature inside the car, Maybach says.

Photo Credit: Maybach USA

Rolls-Royce Phantom

Price: About $450,000 for the convertible

Why it’s so expensive: Even though it’s been taken over by BMW, Rolls Royce is a classic brand known for quality craftsmanship. And the Phantom offers a touch of the classic Rolls Royce design, including coach doors, which might be called suicide doors anywhere else. While other models on this list surpass the Rolls Royce Phantom in speed and in price, this brand still has a treasured history.

Photo Credit: Rolls Royce

Lamborghini Murcielago

Price: About $450,000

Why it’s so expensive: Lamborghinis are inevitably “bling machines,” according to HowStuffWorks.com. The 2012 Murcielago is slated for just 350 copies at around $450,000 a pop, the site says.

If you can’t afford that, a one-day rental in New York is $1,450. Although it might be more worth it if you take it to some open roads.

Photo Credit: Lamborghini

2010 Lamborghini Reventon

Price: $1.6 million

Why it’s so expensive: The Reventon is the most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built, according to SuperCars. But rich car collectors can’t take them for granted. Only 20 are expected to be produced, says Car and Driver.

Photo Credit: dawvon

Bentley Brooklands

Price: About $340,990

Why it’s so expensive: With luxurious and roomy hand-crafted interiors, high-class details and generous use of leather hides, Bentley considers its vehicles haute couture. And yet the company calls it “a driver’s car through and through,” with a top speed of 184 mph despite its solid construction and roomy cabin.

Photo Credit: bentleymotors.com

Aston Martin Vanquish

Price: About $255,000

Why they’re so expensive: Automotive authority Edmunds.com calls Aston Martins “achingly beautiful” cars, but beyond that, it helps that this is the car of choice for a certain secret agent that many men envy and women swoon over. James Bond drove a now-out-of-production Aston Martin Vanquish in Die Another Day, which may have been more drool-inspiring than Halle Berry in the film.

Photo Credit: astonmartin.com

Aston Martin DBS

Price: About $262,000

Why it’s so expensive: In a newer Bond film, Casino Royale, Daniel Craig drove an Aston Martin DBS. Choosing between the DBS and the Vanquish might depend on where your Bond loyalties lie, but both are fast and powerful, to be sure. Vanquish S has a top speed of 200 mph and goes from zero to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, according to Edmunds. The newer DBS makes it there in 4.3 seconds, Aston Martin says.

Photo Credit: astonmartin.com

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Price: Between $90,000 and $202,000

Why it’s so expensive: “The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is as synonymous with state-of-the-art luxury and safety features as it is with country club prestige. As Mercedes' largest sedan, the S-Class offers the most room for rear-seat passengers, making it a favorite of wealthy dads and heads of state alike,” says Edmunds.com.

The cheapest version is a hybrid, which clearly requires a less powerful and fuel-consuming engine, while the most pricey is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class S65 AMG Sedan, according to Motor Trend.

Photo Credit: mercedes-amg.com

2005 Spyker C8 Laviolette

Price: About $220,000

Why it’s so expensive: This Dutch car has a modest interior, so it’s a better fit for those who love to drive, not just be seen, notes Ridelust.

“The company has tried to preserve the cars' aircraft-influenced designs. For example, the Spyker C8 Laviolette resembles a modern jet fighter,” according to the Automotive Recyclers Association.

And as the company’s motto states, “Nulla tenaci invia est via” – for the tenacious no road is impassable, notes Road and Track.

Photo Credit: rocketvox

The 1930 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe

Price: $10 million

Why it’s so expensive: This car is a piece of history. Only four of these cars were ever sold, and this one was “bricked up behind a false wall during World War II,” notes Forbes.com. Royale engines were more commonly used in French locomotives than in cars, the magazine adds.

Photo Credit: supercars.net

1997 McLaren F1

Price: About $4 million

Why it’s so expensive: “The McLaren F1 was to the 1990s what the Bugatti Veyron is to today - a super-expensive limited volume hypercar that at one time was the world's fastest production car,” according to MotorAuthority.com. While its estimated initial price in the 90s was about $1 million, it was sold for about $4 million at an auction in London. When that 1997 model was first sold, it was one of 100 manufactured that year.

Photo Credit: supercarsite.net

2010 Shelby SuperCars Ultimate Aero

Price: About $740,000

Why it’s so expensive: “The new model accelerates from zero to 62 in 2.78 seconds, tops out at a blistering 260 miles per hour,” according to Jalopnik. That makes it one of the fastest street-legal cars in the U.S., substantially cheaper than the Bugatti Veyron.

Photo Credit: shelbysupercars.com

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

Price: About $585,000

Why it’s so expensive: It hasn’t won races at Le Mans, but “it can make even a Porsche feel sluggish,” said Car and Driver in 2006. “Terrific grip, fabulous performance, and race-honed control feel make the S7 Twin Turbo one of the most exhilarating rides on the planet. That should be enough street cred for anyone,” the magazine gushed.

Photo Credit: TGIGreeny

Leblanc Mirabeau

Price: About $861,798

Why it’s so expensive: This Swiss speedster is street legal but ready for the racetrack. It’s made of carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium, but the interior is sparse, says Forbes. “If there are some special wishes of leather interior and optional extras feel free to contact our engineers team,” the company says.

Photo Credit: Leblanc

Tesla Roadster

Price: $129,000 for the 2010 Roadster Sport

Among the more expensive cars, we can’t leave out the electric Tesla Roadster. And being an electric car doesn’t mean it lags behind other high-end sporty cars. CNET’s car tech blog conducted extensive tests to make for a glowing review. After all, it jets from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and can go 244 miles on a full charge.

Photo Credit: Tesla