I walk in a different neighborhood of cookie cutter patio homes. They appear to be mostly two-bedroom, unpretentious houses. There is only one entrance to the community, and there is a tennis court and a swimming pool. I expect to see mostly Japanese and American cars in driveways. I do a double take when I see the Maserati in this photo sitting in a driveway — not even in the garage! Since it is 8 a.m., I expect most cars to be in garages overnight — especially Maseratis — unless the residents were too lazy to make them secure or feel very safe leaving them outside all night. It seems to be a modest, middle-class neighborhood, so I am surprised to also see a Porsche Carrera sports car, along with Audi, BMW and Lexus sedans and a black MINI Cooper with black & white checked side mirrors. I guess some people like to spend more money on their cars than their homes.
I am one to talk because I live in a 1600-square-foot, modest, 3-bedroom townhouse, and I drive a Hyundai Genesis. It is the luxury brand of Hyundai, like Lexus is to Toyota. I bought it after a 20-something driving her father’s car turned left into my Hyundai Sonata, totaling it when I had a green light. Guess I felt I deserved a better car after the trauma.
My experiences with high-end vehicles are: (1) visiting the Tesla showroom during my weekly walk at the Galleria Mall — the car must have had a 25-inch screen for all the electronics — and (2) seeing a Lamborghini in a grocery store parking lot in East Texas. People gathered around admiring it when a teenager appeared to unlock HIS car. His response to receiving multiple compliments on his car? “Eh, I’ve wrecked three of ‘em.” I wanted to slap him.
According to Matt McIntyre’s article “The 20 Most Expensive Cars in the World” at wealthygorilla.com, below are a few examples of pricey, posh automobiles.
1. Rolls Royce Sweptail - $13 million
Dominating the top spot on our list of the most expensive cars is what can only be described as one stunning piece of handcrafted magic. A powerhouse of automotive design and engineering, the Rolls-Royce Sweptail is a one-of-a-kind luxury piece made in the United Kingdom by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Commissioned in 2013 for a super-yacht and aircraft specialist, whose identity Rolls-Royce does not divulge. The Sweptail made its debut as the most expensive new car in the world at the yearly Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este event in 2017. It surpassed all its rivals and remains the most expensive car ever sold.
2. Mercedes Maybach Exelero - $8 million
In second place on our list of most expensive cars is the Maybach Exelero from Mercedes Benz. Despite its peculiar looks, it’s one hell of a high-performance, four-seater sports car with V12 twin-turbo engine. It was commissioned by a German subsidiary of Goodyear — Fulda — to test its new Carat Exelero tire range. The Exelero is featured in one of Jay-Z's music videos and was purchased by rapper Birdman according to Top Gear. It has an impressive top speed of 213 mph.
3. Bugatti Divo - $5.8 million
The Bugatti Divo is a mid-engine sports car developed with a track-focused approach and manufactured by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. It was named after French racing driver Albert Divo, who won the Targa Florio race twice in the 1920s for Bugatti. According to Bugatti, the Divo is the most agile and dynamic car they’ve ever created. Limited to 40 units, the car was pre-sold before the public debut to Chiron owners through special invitation by the dealers. It sold out in its first day of availability. Top speed – a reduced 236 mph!
4. Koenigsegg CCSR Trevita - $4.8 million
Intended to be limited to only three units, the CCXR Trevita cost so much to manufacture, Koenigsegg decided to make the car even more exclusive and limit the number to just two. Some of its features include a diamond weave carbon fibre finish, a unique double carbon rear wing, inconell exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes with ABS and a tire monitoring system. The car featured above is from Floyd Mayweather’s own personal collection. It has a top speed of 254 mph!
5. Lamborghini Veneno Roadster - $4.5 million
Lamborghini’s poisonous Veneno starts the top five countdown. Veneno means venom or poison in Spanish, and the car certainly gives off a deadly presence. Based on the Aventador, the Veneno was created to celebrate Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary and was introduced at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. It can reach 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and its price tag makes it one of the most expensive production cars in the world!
6. McLaren P1 LM - $3.6 million
The McLaren P1 LM is more or less a street legal version of the track-only McLaren P1 GTR. Lanzante — a British firm — bought the original P1 and converted it for sale. Six LMs were made in total. Five were sold to private buyers and the sixth, codenamed “XP1 LM,” the prototype P1 LM, is now being used for development and testing purposes. The P1 LM features a larger twin-turbocharged V8 engine than the P1 and P1 GTR and reaches a limited top speed of 214 mph!
7. Lykan Hypersport - $3.4 million
Wow… just wow! Look at it! Words can’t even describe how nice this is. It’s the product of W Motors, a Lebanese motor company that collaborated with both Lebanese and Italian engineers. The HyperSport was the first car in the world to have headlights encrusted with diamonds — 15 carats. Buyers also had the choice of rubies, yellow diamonds and sapphires. The twin-turbo mid-rear mounted 3.8-liter engine produces 780 horsepower and 708 pound-feet of torque. All that power means the car can reach speeds of up to 240 mph!
8. Bugatti Veyron by Mansonry Vivere - $3.3 million
What a beauty! The limited-edition Bugatti Veyron Mansory Vivere is just gorgeous. The car was modeled on the Grand Sports Vitesse Roadster and has an 8.0 L W16 engine that produces 1,200 hp. It’s one of the fastest cars in the world, and the original version was named the Car of the Decade 2000-2009. Reaching a top speed of 253 mph, it holds firm at No. 8 on our list of most expensive cars.
9. Aston Martin Valkyrie - $3.2 million
The first car on our list that’s the result of a collaboration between different manufacturers. British automobile manufacturer Aston Martin teamed up with Red Bull Racing and several other manufacturers to create this beast! Developed as a track-oriented road car, it now holds the title of the fastest street-legal car in the world. It houses a 6.5-liter aspirated V12 engine tailored by Cosworth and has a power output of 1,130 hp! Only 150 road cars have been made.
10. Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio - $3 million
Breaking into the top ten is the Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio, one of the most
expensive cars on the list. Introduced as a concept car in 2013, the Pininfarina
Sergio was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show. It was a tribute to the
former chairman of the company and Sergio Pininfarina, the legendary
automotive designer who died just a year before. The design was based on the
Ferrari 458 Spider. Only six were made, and all sold to a group of high net worth
individuals.
11. Pagani Huayra BC - $2.8 million
One of the most expensive cars ever designed, the Pagani Huayra BC is truly an epic automotive accomplishment. Inspired by the Zonda R and featuring sideways opening doors, Pagani has also increased the power, revised the chassis and brakes and included a new seven-speed transverse gearbox. It gets its name from one of Pagani’s original investors — Benny Caiola — who was also the first Pagani customer and friend of the founder. With a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12 engine, it’s easy to see how this supercar is able to get up to speeds of 261 mph!
12. Bugatti Chiron - $2.7 million
The Bugatti Chiron is a mid-engine supercar manufactured by Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. First unveiled at the Geneva motor show in 2016, buyers were required to put down a $200,000 deposit. The first 200 units sold out before the first delivery of the car. The Chirons speed is electronically limited to 261 mph or 233–236 mph without the key. However, its speculated that its actual top speed could be as much as 281 mph!
13. Ferrari LaFerrari FXX K - $2.7 million
Designed by Marco Fainello, Flavio Manzoni and architect Evan Rodriguez, the FXX K is based on the road-legal LaFerrari. The FXX K is Ferrari’s research and development vehicle, the K refers to the kinetic energy recovery system which is used to maximize performance. A total of 40 cars were produced between 2015 and 2017. They are being held and maintained by Ferrari, available for their owners to use on track days. Top speed… 217 mph!
14. Mercedes AMG One - $2.5 million
To celebrate its 50th birthday, Mercedes Benz AMG decided to make one hell of a hybrid sports car. Unveiled at the 2017 International Motor Show in Germany, the AMG One sold out of all 275 units and will not manufacture any more to preserve exclusivity. Selling out so quickly might have something to do with Lewis Hamilton helping to develop the car or its 1.6-liter, turbocharged, 90-degree V6 engine that produces a top speed of 217 mph!
15. Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta - $2.4 million
It’s no surprise to see another Ferrari on the list; it has always made some of the world’s most expensive cars. In fact, this time it’s the Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, a beefed-up version of its predecessor, released to celebrate Ferrari’s 70th year in business. If you like the LaFerrari, then you’re going to love this open-top hypercar, as it’s more or less the same car — but on steroids! According to Ferrari, all units were already pre-sold to an exclusive list of customers via invitation.
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