Bugatti Veyron – c£840,000
The Bugatti Veyron has stunned the world several times over. The early announcement of the power and performance aims, the very public failures, delays and redesigns, and then finally the car itself – surely one of the most impressive engineering achievements of the early 21st century. After all that excitement the price shouldn’t be a shock. But at around £840,000 it costs well over one million Euros, and parent group Volkswagen is still suspected of losing money on every one. Nothing else on the road is anywhere near as savagely fast and yet so remarkably driveable. And when you’re closing in on the 252mph maximum we bet it feels just like a bargain.
Maserati MC12 – c£515,000
Couldn’t get on the list for a Ferrari Enzo? Yeah, we had the exact same problem. Ruined our day. Fortunately, Maserati has spotted the gap in the market for extreme Italian exotica and plugged it with the MC12. £515,000 sounds like lots to pay for the next best thing, but as the MC12 basically is an Enzo under all those ducts and spoilers the deal starts to seem a little bit sweeter. If only it had all 650 of the Ferrari’s prancing horses – we’d have signed up like a shot. A mere 621bhp just doesn’t seem enough for such an epic amount of cash. Especially when the Ferrari 599 GTB has the exact same engine, a technological masterclass of a chassis, and costs only £172,000…
Pagani Zonda F Roadster CS – c£450,000
The really great thing about any Pagani Zonda is there’s no mistaking exactly where the money’s gone. Even the ‘entry-level’, £350,000 C12S, is finished with the kind of exquisite detailing and exotic materials that make average luxury items look like the efforts of a three-year-old with a paintbrush and the downstairs curtains. But this doesn’t mean dropping another £100k on the range topping F Roadster and a CS engine upgrade is a chunk of change wasted – it equals 640bhp (up from 555), stunning roofless looks and no dynamic compromise. Just remember to budget 25% as much again for the bare carbon fibre bodywork finish.
Koenigsegg CCX – c£370,000
Would you pay £370,000 for the car that can’t quite match the Veyron? Well, given a saving of nearly half a million quid and some jaw-dropping detailing the Koenigsegg CCX is actually pretty tempting. In fact, £370,000 is almost worth it for the doors alone – no-one, not even Lamborghini, does entry and exit cooler – although you’ll be despatching a few more piggy banks should the options list start to tempt you. Carbon-fibre wheels? Obviously a must. And when the car is capable of 245mph, ceramic brakes make so much sense. Shame they’re not standard, either. Oh, and nor is the Stig-indorsed rear wing… High-speed stability or a few saved pennies – apparently your choice.
Bristol Fighter T – c£352,000
When Bristol introduced the Fighter in 2003 we thought it was having a laugh. A motoring anachronism building an ultra aerodynamic V10-powered supercar – surely not? But in three years the Fighter has gone from 525 naturally aspirated bhp - good for 210mph - through the 628-660bhp Fighter S variant (yours for just £296,000) to the new for 2006 Fighter T, with twin turbochargers, 1,012bhp and a staggering Veyron-swotting 1,036lb ft of torque. Restricted to 225mph from a claimed maximum of 270, it maintains at least one company tradition – with little press access and no independent verification, buying a Bristol is definitely an idiosyncratic way to blow wads of cash. A steal at £352,000? Perhaps we’ll never know…
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – c£340,000
For a car that costs over £317,000, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a tiny bit disappointing. It only tops the double ton by 7mph and has an interior disarmingly similar to more ordinary high-end Merc. Something clearly needed to be done. Cue the ‘722’ edition. Okay, so it’s not actually all that faster (1mph more, anyone?), and looks a little aftermarket on those polished-rim lightweight alloys, but as least it’s a special edition, right? Thankfully, the additional £23,000 also buys you suspension and aerodynamic tweaks for better cornering prowess. Get your mate and their ordinary SLR out on a circuit, and mock them with your faster sector times. Probably.
Maybach 62 S – c£340,000
The highest of our non-sporting entries comes from Maybach. We say non-sporting, but of course this is the range-topping long wheelbase 62 “S” variant, with the 612bhp AMG twin-turbo V12 under the bonnet and chassis mods suitable for the sportier chauffer – although the 57 S is the ‘real’ driver’s choice. Still, given the 6,165mm length of the thing, 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds is probably enough, and we imagine it thumps into the 155mph limiter with considerable conviction. On the downside, the S costs around £40,000 more than the standard 62, and that’s before you start adding any of those little extras that make life so worthwhile. And if you even ask about the fuel economy you can’t afford it.
Saleen S7 – c£300,000
Never heard of Saleen? We’ll forgive you. This American company is better known for performance modifying Ford Mustangs and pickup trucks, but this hasn’t stopped them producing a 200mph supercar and having the guts to charge in the region of £300,000 for it. What should convince you to pay? Well, the 750bhp V8 is a nice place to start, claims of ‘over 200mph’ were too vague to get the S7 into our top 10 fastest cars but 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds definitely grabs the attention, and 0-100-0mph in 11.2 definitely isn’t hanging about. Race-bred aerodynamics and suspension complete the package, while the low-slung looks are every bit as exotic as the name.
Rolls-Royce Phantom – c£250,000
It’ll be an odd day in the world when a Rolls-Royce doesn’t make the top 10 list of most expensive production cars. Gladly, today isn’t it. Even more gladly, the Phantom is a stupendous fine luxury automobile in the best Rolls-Royce tradition, offering unmatched ride-comfort and such imposing road presence (read: giant proportions) the headlights are practically in the bumper to stop you from scaring lesser traffic. Rear-hinged ‘coach’ doors allow the most graceful ingress and egress and it handles even challenging roads with the utmost dignity and aplomb. Consider our price the minimum entry level, as this Roller can be bespoked to suit your needs.
Ascari KZ1 – £235,000
It’s the lowest priced car on the list, and yet the Ascari KZ1 comes complete with its own race resort so all the owners can play together. Ahhh. Seriously, though – a free racetrack? How cool is that? Despite being named after an Italian racing driver and the circuit being situated in southern Spain, the company is actually UK-based, and the KZ1 only their second effort at a supercar. Powered by a 500bhp 5.0-litre V8 and featuring a full carbon-fibre monocoque, at less than a quarter of a mil the Ascari seems to represent excellent value for money for a supercar, Exclusive, too – only 50 will ever be made.
The Bugatti Veyron has stunned the world several times over. The early announcement of the power and performance aims, the very public failures, delays and redesigns, and then finally the car itself – surely one of the most impressive engineering achievements of the early 21st century. After all that excitement the price shouldn’t be a shock. But at around £840,000 it costs well over one million Euros, and parent group Volkswagen is still suspected of losing money on every one. Nothing else on the road is anywhere near as savagely fast and yet so remarkably driveable. And when you’re closing in on the 252mph maximum we bet it feels just like a bargain.
Maserati MC12 – c£515,000
Couldn’t get on the list for a Ferrari Enzo? Yeah, we had the exact same problem. Ruined our day. Fortunately, Maserati has spotted the gap in the market for extreme Italian exotica and plugged it with the MC12. £515,000 sounds like lots to pay for the next best thing, but as the MC12 basically is an Enzo under all those ducts and spoilers the deal starts to seem a little bit sweeter. If only it had all 650 of the Ferrari’s prancing horses – we’d have signed up like a shot. A mere 621bhp just doesn’t seem enough for such an epic amount of cash. Especially when the Ferrari 599 GTB has the exact same engine, a technological masterclass of a chassis, and costs only £172,000…
Pagani Zonda F Roadster CS – c£450,000
The really great thing about any Pagani Zonda is there’s no mistaking exactly where the money’s gone. Even the ‘entry-level’, £350,000 C12S, is finished with the kind of exquisite detailing and exotic materials that make average luxury items look like the efforts of a three-year-old with a paintbrush and the downstairs curtains. But this doesn’t mean dropping another £100k on the range topping F Roadster and a CS engine upgrade is a chunk of change wasted – it equals 640bhp (up from 555), stunning roofless looks and no dynamic compromise. Just remember to budget 25% as much again for the bare carbon fibre bodywork finish.
Koenigsegg CCX – c£370,000
Would you pay £370,000 for the car that can’t quite match the Veyron? Well, given a saving of nearly half a million quid and some jaw-dropping detailing the Koenigsegg CCX is actually pretty tempting. In fact, £370,000 is almost worth it for the doors alone – no-one, not even Lamborghini, does entry and exit cooler – although you’ll be despatching a few more piggy banks should the options list start to tempt you. Carbon-fibre wheels? Obviously a must. And when the car is capable of 245mph, ceramic brakes make so much sense. Shame they’re not standard, either. Oh, and nor is the Stig-indorsed rear wing… High-speed stability or a few saved pennies – apparently your choice.
Bristol Fighter T – c£352,000
When Bristol introduced the Fighter in 2003 we thought it was having a laugh. A motoring anachronism building an ultra aerodynamic V10-powered supercar – surely not? But in three years the Fighter has gone from 525 naturally aspirated bhp - good for 210mph - through the 628-660bhp Fighter S variant (yours for just £296,000) to the new for 2006 Fighter T, with twin turbochargers, 1,012bhp and a staggering Veyron-swotting 1,036lb ft of torque. Restricted to 225mph from a claimed maximum of 270, it maintains at least one company tradition – with little press access and no independent verification, buying a Bristol is definitely an idiosyncratic way to blow wads of cash. A steal at £352,000? Perhaps we’ll never know…
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – c£340,000
For a car that costs over £317,000, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a tiny bit disappointing. It only tops the double ton by 7mph and has an interior disarmingly similar to more ordinary high-end Merc. Something clearly needed to be done. Cue the ‘722’ edition. Okay, so it’s not actually all that faster (1mph more, anyone?), and looks a little aftermarket on those polished-rim lightweight alloys, but as least it’s a special edition, right? Thankfully, the additional £23,000 also buys you suspension and aerodynamic tweaks for better cornering prowess. Get your mate and their ordinary SLR out on a circuit, and mock them with your faster sector times. Probably.
Maybach 62 S – c£340,000
The highest of our non-sporting entries comes from Maybach. We say non-sporting, but of course this is the range-topping long wheelbase 62 “S” variant, with the 612bhp AMG twin-turbo V12 under the bonnet and chassis mods suitable for the sportier chauffer – although the 57 S is the ‘real’ driver’s choice. Still, given the 6,165mm length of the thing, 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds is probably enough, and we imagine it thumps into the 155mph limiter with considerable conviction. On the downside, the S costs around £40,000 more than the standard 62, and that’s before you start adding any of those little extras that make life so worthwhile. And if you even ask about the fuel economy you can’t afford it.
Saleen S7 – c£300,000
Never heard of Saleen? We’ll forgive you. This American company is better known for performance modifying Ford Mustangs and pickup trucks, but this hasn’t stopped them producing a 200mph supercar and having the guts to charge in the region of £300,000 for it. What should convince you to pay? Well, the 750bhp V8 is a nice place to start, claims of ‘over 200mph’ were too vague to get the S7 into our top 10 fastest cars but 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds definitely grabs the attention, and 0-100-0mph in 11.2 definitely isn’t hanging about. Race-bred aerodynamics and suspension complete the package, while the low-slung looks are every bit as exotic as the name.
Rolls-Royce Phantom – c£250,000
It’ll be an odd day in the world when a Rolls-Royce doesn’t make the top 10 list of most expensive production cars. Gladly, today isn’t it. Even more gladly, the Phantom is a stupendous fine luxury automobile in the best Rolls-Royce tradition, offering unmatched ride-comfort and such imposing road presence (read: giant proportions) the headlights are practically in the bumper to stop you from scaring lesser traffic. Rear-hinged ‘coach’ doors allow the most graceful ingress and egress and it handles even challenging roads with the utmost dignity and aplomb. Consider our price the minimum entry level, as this Roller can be bespoked to suit your needs.
Ascari KZ1 – £235,000
It’s the lowest priced car on the list, and yet the Ascari KZ1 comes complete with its own race resort so all the owners can play together. Ahhh. Seriously, though – a free racetrack? How cool is that? Despite being named after an Italian racing driver and the circuit being situated in southern Spain, the company is actually UK-based, and the KZ1 only their second effort at a supercar. Powered by a 500bhp 5.0-litre V8 and featuring a full carbon-fibre monocoque, at less than a quarter of a mil the Ascari seems to represent excellent value for money for a supercar, Exclusive, too – only 50 will ever be made.
