World's most expensive cars

Gratuitous excess. At this end of the market, it’s the name of the game.

No matter where you look on these four-wheeled fantasies, your personal benchmarks are likely to be smashed. Four-figure kilowatts, record-breaking 0-100km/h times, and the most exotic materials used in their construction.

Not surprisingly, most of the cars at this end of the market are made in limited volumes, so if they aren’t already sold out you’d better get your name (and hefty deposit) down quick. 

You may grumble: “Why would you pay so much money for something so pointless like this?” or “When would you ever drive it?” And you’d be right. Apart from costing so much and being incredibly impractical, most of these cars will likely sit in garages as a kind of grotesque display of hedonism. 

However, you and I may benefit from the technology introduced at this top end, as it trickles down slowly to our mainstream, mortal machines.

Ignoring the completely over-the-top track specials, custom-built one-offs or those that have simply ceased production, here are the most expensive cars you can order right now. As for the most expensive cars sold at auction? They’re deserving of their own list altogether.
All prices are as listed by the manufacturer and exclude on-road costs. 

#8 Aston-Martin Vanquish Zagato (AU$863,000)

2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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2017 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato.

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This is the most “normal” car on this list, being a spin-off of the Aston Martin Vanquish luxury speedster. Why the almost super-car pricing then? It’s set to be ultra-rare, with only 99 to be made. It’s been crafted by esteemed design house Zagato which shares a long history of collaboration with Aston Martin dating back to the 1960 DB4. 

What purpose could this car serve? The unique body Zagato has developed is completely fashioned from carbon fibre, proving that the racing material can be used to form beautiful curves.

#7 Lamborghini Aventador 750-4 SuperVeloce (AU$882,650)

2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV.

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2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV.

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2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV.

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Lamborghini’s track-focused version of the flagship V12 for the road. It is second only to the Porsche 918 around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, courtesy of a suite of handling upgrades from suspension to chassis rigidity.

What purpose could this car serve? The SuperVeloce’s handling prowess proves that V12 Lamborghinis aren’t just for parking outside Monaco casinos.

#6 Hongqi L5 (AU$970,260)

2014 HongQi L5.

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2014 HongQi L5.

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2014 HongQi L5.

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Ever felt like indulging your inner despot? Parade around the neighbourhood in the Hongqi L5 and the peons will never doubt your gravitas again. It’s by far the most expensive Chinese car ever built at around 5 million yuan (AU$970,260). More than enough to make Marx spin in his grave. For the money you get over a meter of legroom and a not-paticularly-quick V12 (300kW, 550Nm).

What purpose could this car serve? I don’t know about you, but we’d like to see more mainstream Chinese cars with outlandish designs and plush interiors like the L5.

#5 W Motors Fenyr SuperSport (AU$2.4 million)

2017 W-Motors Fenyr SuperSport.

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2017 W-Motors Fenyr SuperSport.

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Never heard of W Motors? Neither had we. Their latest contraption, the Fenyr SuperSport is essentially a development of the previous Lykan HyperSport which was diamond-encrusted and cost US$3.4 million (AU$5 million).  The Fenyr SuperSport uses a Porsche flat-six engine refined by German tuning house RUF, which gives this unusual car some serious performance credentials (671kW, 1100Nm).

What purpose could this car serve? The Lykan HyperSport had a unique multimedia system with motion-gesture inputs, something only BMW has touched (pun unintended) on with the new 7 Series.

#4 Koenigsegg Regera (AU$2.5 million)

2015 Koenigsegg Regera.

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2015 Koenigsegg Regera.

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2016 Koenigsegg Regera.

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Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg, has made some silly cars in the past. No longer, now that the brand builds a hybrid. 

It’s not quite the same kind of soul-less, save-the-planet type hybrid you and I are used to. The Regera has a combined engine output of around 1120kW and transmits power to the wheels via a unique direct-drive transmission that does away with a traditional gearbox (wouldn’t want to waste a single one of those kilowatts…) 

Koenigsegg also claims that the Regera is the “first fully robotised car” which means not a single opening requires a human pull or push. Fancy.

What purpose could this car serve? One of the problems with robotised parts is that they tend to weigh more and simply aren’t feasible for mainstream cars. Koenigsegg’s advances in lightweight engineering suggest that this may not be true forever.

#3 Lamborghini Centenario (AU$2.5 million) and Centenario Roadster (AU$3 Million)

2017 Lamborghini Centenario.

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2017 Lamborghini Centenario.

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2017 Lamborghini Centenario.

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This is Lamborghini’s latest special edition Aventador spin-off. It was built to celebrate Ferrucio Lamborghini’s 100th birthday and only 40 are slated to be built (20 coupes, 20 roadsters). While not the most expensive car Lamborghini has ever built (that honor goes to the ridiculous AU$6 million 2014 Veneno) it is the most powerful with around 566kW.

What purpose could this car serve? Aerodynamics are the focus of the Centenario’s cheese grater design, from the massive vents and diffusers to the active rear spoiler, all those wind tunnel hours help to give engineers new ways to shape regular cars.

#2 Pagani Huayra BC (AU$3.3 Million)

2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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2016 Pagani Huayra BC.

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Yes, we struggle to pronounce the name too. It may be a whole hundred grand cheaper than the Chiron, but the Huayra BC is far more exclusive. Only 20 hard top versions will be produced and Pagani will only sell you one if you already own one of the 100 AU$1.7 million standard, poverty-pack Huayras. For BC money you get truly unique interior design and a specially tuned version of the Mercedes-Benz sourced V12 power plant. 

What purpose could this car serve? Lightweight materials is Pagani’s technological focus with the Huayra. The car is mostly constructed from a unique carbon fibre that Pagani claims is 50% lighter and 20% stronger (than normal carbon fibre), plus, the suspension is constructed of aeronautical-grade aluminum.

#1 Bugatti Chiron (AU$3.4 Million)

Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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Bugatti Chiron, the world's fastest and most expensive car, unveiled at Geneva motor show.

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You may have seen this car also appear on our world’s fastest cars list. Turns out if you want one of the fastest cars in the world, you will have to be willing to pay the most money currently asked for a production car. The Chiron has a list price of US$2.6 Million (AU$3.4 Million) or $1.5 Million more than its Veyron predecessor. 

What do you get for that kind of money? Apart from accelerating 0-100km/h in reportedly less than 2.5 seconds and reaching a (limited) top speed of 420km/h the Chiron will do so in style and opulence, unlike some cars on this list which are stripped to the bone in favor of performance. Production will be limited to just 500 cars.

What purpose could this car serve? The Chiron has its sights aimed at having the highest top speed of any production car, making the science behind the materials, aerodynamics and engine tuning intimidating to say the least. As Bugatti is owned by Volkswagen, one day some of the science behind this car could make it into your everyday Golf.

If money was no object, which car would you pick? Tell us what you think in the comments below.