Thu 19 /8/ 2021

Bugatti La Voiture Noire -  $19 million (£15m)

According to Bugatti, their vintage Type 57 SC Atlantic reflects the marque's "pioneering spirit, passion for perfection and the desire to redefine its limits continually." As such, Bugatti drew inspiration from the old Type 57 when creating La Voiture Noire - or "the Black Car" (we reckon it sounds better in French). One of the four Atlantics ever built has been missing since World War Two - and La Voiture Noire is a homage to that car.

At $18.68 million (£15m), La Voiture Noire has the biggest price tag of any car ever. The only one will ever exist, and more than two years after it was sold, it still hasn’t left the production line!

La Voiture Noire packs a 1,500 horsepower engine that pushes it to speeds of up to 261mph.

“We produced a true one-off, a single unit car that we call automotive haute couture,” said Achim Anscheidt, Bugatti’s design director. “It’s not just a car anymore; it’s really more like a piece of art in line with the highly exclusive fashion and luxury brands in France.”

Rolls-Royce Sweptail  -   $13 million (£10.2m)

The Rolls-Royce Sweptail is another one-off car and one that also draws inspiration from the finer things in life. Giles Taylor, director of design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, described the Sweptail as "the automotive equivalent of Haute couture."

The Sweptail was also inspired by the coachbuilding of the 1920s and 1930s and was commissioned at the request of an aircraft and superyacht specialist who had a special idea.

Costing $12.8 million in 2017, when it was finished, it was the most expensive car of all time. Just two years later, it was supplanted by Bugatti's La Voiture Noire, listed above.

Bugatti Centodieci   -  $8.9 million (£7m)

We know what you're thinking: "Bugatti doesn’t really have an entry-level model, does it?"

But among the super-rich, the Centodieci ("110" in Italian) might represent something of a bargain, relatively speaking.

This one is also based on an older model - the 1987 EB110, well-loved for its "decent" 20mpg, and, more genuinely, for the fact it could travel more than 500 miles on a single tank.

The Centodieci successfully reflects the blistering acceleration of the old EB110, only more so - as you might expect. It can manage 0-124 mph in just 6.1 seconds - 0.4 seconds faster than the Chiron.

Mercedes-Benz Maybach Exelero  -   $8 million (£6.3m)

This one-off Batman-esque sports car was built by Italian car firm Stola in collaboration with Daimler Chrysler. It was made to show off the Carat Exelero tire range from Goodyear, whose subsidiary Fulda commissioned it. And while all these big names sound impressively complicated, the final design was completed by four students from Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. The only stipulation was that the car must reach 217 mph to test out the tires fully.

Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita  -   $4.8 million (£3.8m)

When the sunlight hits the carbon fiber of the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, it sparkles as if millions of diamonds are in the body; Trevita means "three whites" in Swedish.

Purportedly a Trevita was bought by Floyd Mayweather for $4.8m. Its V8 engine boasts 1,018hp, and it can reach at least 254 mph

Lamborghini Veneno   -  $4.5 million (£3.5m)

Based on the Lamborghini Aventador, the Veneno was built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini. It features the Aventador's 6.5-litre V12, producing 740 hp, and is a road-going version of Lambo’s racing prototype. It can go 0 to 60mph in just 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 221 mph.

The name "Veneno" comes from a famous fighting bull; most Lamborghinis are named after deceased bovine warriors, and all of them, including Veneno, had sent a matador to the next life.

Lamborghini Sian  -   $3.6 million (£2.8m)

A little less "crazy bull" than the Veneno, the Sian isn’t even named after a killer bull. Sian, in fact, comes from the Bolognese word for 'flash' or 'lighting,' a name that was first used on a Lambo in 1963. A 2020 soft-top version has also been made - and all 19 of those have been sold too! As such, just 63 of them will be built, and they've all been bagged.

W Motors Lykan Hypersport  -   $3.4 million (£2.7m)

The Lykan Hypersport is the Middle East's only supercar - with a 3.7-liter 750bhp engine and the ability to move from 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds. Its top speed is 242mph - the least you would expect for $3.4 million.

But when the 22mph LaFerrari is a "snip" at just $1,416,362, why would you splash out for the Hypersport? The answer, say the makers, is "luxury": think gold seat stitching and diamonds in the headlights.

Limited Edition Bugatti Veyron by Mansory Vivere  -   $3.4 million (£2.7m)

Mansory, a luxury car modification firm based in Germany, made the already expensive Bugatti Veyron a bit more expensive. They took a Grand Sport Vitesse Roadster and, among lots of other things, fitted an accumulation spoiler package, new LED lights, and an upgraded cabin.

Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio  -   $3 million (£2.4m)

Sergio Pininfarina, son of founder Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina, was honored with this special limited edition Ferrari. Sergio was instrumental in ensuring Ferrari survived and thrived after his father’s death. The sweeping curves of the Pinafarina are so unorthodox that it looks as if the front is actually the rear for a second.