Auto Trader

      | Homepage

The world’s most expensive cars

The world’s most expensive cars - News image

19 March 2007

Got a few hundred thousand pounds to spare? You could get your hands on the planet’s most exotic cars.

Adrian Hearn looks at the motors which cost more than a house.

Bugatti Veyron - £830,000
The pinnacle of automotive engineering. Each model costs Volkswagen £5 million in research and development, but the ultracar is sold for a mere £830,000. For your money you get acceleration from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds, a top speed of 253mph and some serious kudos.

Koenigsegg CCX - £415,000
The CCX stormed onto the supercar scene when The Stig lost control of one on Top Gear’s test track. The psychopathic Swedish motor had too much power for the tame racing driver who careered off the track, damaging the carbon fibre body. Using a 4.7-litre V8, the ferociously-fast motor accelerates from 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and has a time-warping top speed of 245mph.

Pagani Zonda F - £390,000
Founded in 1992, Pagani is one of the more recent manufacturers to join the supercar elite. Using a 7.3-litre V12, the 594bhp Zonda F rockets from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds before hitting a top speed of 215mph. The F stands for Fangio, after the legendary Formula One racer who helped Horacio Pagani get a job at Lamborghini in the Eighties.

Leblanc Mirabeau – £370,000
Designed for Le Mans, the Mirabeau is a lightning-quick motor. Sharing the Koenigsegg CCX’s engine, the Mirabeau has an approximate top speed of 230mph. If you’ve got cash to spare, Leblanc offers a semi-automatic gearbox for an additional £35,000.

Maybach 62 - £341,585
Luxury defined, the Maybach boasts fully reclining rear seats, a fridge, electronically operated curtains and jaw-dropping performance. The six-metre leviathan hits sixty in 5.2 seconds thanks to its mammoth 612bhp V12 engine. 

SSC Ultimate Aero - £336,000
The new Bugatti Veyron? SSC claims the Aero – which produces 1183bhp and 1094 lb/ft of torque – can accelerate from 0-62mph in 2.78 seconds before reaching a top speed of 286mph. On March 21, a 12 mile stretch of road in Nevada will be closed off for the American supercar to attempt the Veyron’s production car record of 253mph.

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 - £334,300
Apparently 208mph isn’t quick enough. So Mercedes upped the standard SLR’s power by 24bhp and torque by 30lb/ft to give a top speed of, er, 209mph. The improvement - which hiked the cost up by £17,000 - means the German supercar can hit 62mph in a marginally quicker 3.6 seconds.

Rolls-Royce Phantom - £306,100
The Phantom is the ultimate marriage between British looks and German technology. The luxury motor comes with a 6.75-litre V12, pumping out a massive 453bhp and 531lb/ft. The power helps shift the 5.8-metre machine from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds.

Saleen S7 – £302,000
Jim Carrey drove one of the 750bhp animals in his box office success Bruce Almighty. Introduced in 2002, the 7-litre V8 produces 700lb/ft of pulling power enabling a 0-60mph time of 2.8 seconds, with a manufacturer-claimed top speed of 248mph.

Ascari KZ1 - £235,000
Inspired by racing legend Alberto Ascari, the KZ1 is one of the world’s most exclusive cars. While 300 Veyrons will be made, only 50 of these British supercars will roll off the production line. Using a BMW-sourced 5-litre V8, the Monocoque motor rockets from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 200mph.

Auto Trader Links:

Slide show: The world's most expensive cars
Cars money can’t buy
Sultan of Brunei’s cars
Stars in unreasonably priced cars


Page 1 

In association with WhatCar


Bookmark this page with: