The most expensive cars of 2012

Ten years after introducing Maybach, Daimler announced it would shutter the super-luxury brand by 2013.
It wasn’t a surprise. Maybach never fully established an identity that could compete with Rolls-Royce and Bentley. And the brand lost money each year in its existence, according to Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche.

That hasn’t kept the $1.4 million Maybach Landaulet down, at least in some circles. Madonna and Jay-Z are known lovers of the line. And along with the famously outré $2.6 million Bugatti Veyron Supersport 16.4 and the $1.7 million Koenigsegg Agera R, the Landaulet made this year’s list of the most expensive cars on the market today.


Behind the Numbers
To compile our list of the most expensive cars going on sale next year, we scoured price lists from well-known manufacturers like Bugatti, Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini, and from lesser-known companies like Leblanc and Shelby Super Cars. Some otherwise high-end entrants (Spyker, McLaren) didn’t quite have the stuff to make our list. Others, like Koenigsegg, had a few models that might have qualified, so we limited our list to one car from each manufacturer. We limited the cars on this list to new models, rather than vintage, and evaluated their prices based on MSRP, not auction or off-the-record sales.

What makes cars like the $970,000 SSC Tuatara and $1 million Hennessey Venom GT so expensive? A combination of rare and high-performance materials used—carbon fiber, silver trimmings, ceramic brakes, exotic wood—extraordinary tuning, and exclusively low production numbers. (To wit: The Ferrari 599X is made to order by invite only.)

That’s not all. Tire replacements can cost multiple thousands of dollars, plus fees. Some require specialized luggage for their front-situated trunks, at costs like $30,000 per set. And the Zenvo ST1, for instance, must be shipped to Denmark for any major repairs.

For the people who buy these cars, though, price isn’t exactly an issue. Franz-Josef Paefgen, the CEO of Bugatti when the company unveiled its Supersport in 2010, confirmed the mentality.

“The crisis cannot keep a Bugatti buyer away from buying a car for financial reasons,” Paefgen said at the time.

Take the $1.8 million ST1. Just like the $845,000 Porsche 918 Spyder, it’s likely out of your price range. But Danish delight has got a lock on Russian billionaires–so far.

The first person to pay the $500,000 deposit for the ST1 was a wealthy Slav who opted for a customized blue paint job and carbon fiber rims, says Bobby Khan, the president of New Jersey-based Emporio Motor Group. The dealership is the only place in the U.S. that will sell the car.

Khan says he tried to talk Mr. Russia out of the tires–one botched pothole and the entire wheel would need replacement–but the client would have none of it.

“He said, I want it because I want it,” Khan said.

The desire is understandable: hand-made, with a 1,250-horsepower 8-cylinder engine that goes 0-60mph in 2.9 seconds, ST1 has a top speed of 233mph. It has a wicked rear-wheel drive on a 7-speed manual transmission. The entire body is carbon fiber.

Only 15 of the ST1 will be made, with three slated for U.S. showrooms. Those specimens have already generated plenty of interest from high profile figures, as you can well imagine, but the bulk of the buyers will remain anonymous.

“We’ve already got a waiting list,” Khan says.

The latest on the list
With that in mind, here’s something else for the friendly neighborhood billionaire to consider: The $1.3 million Pagani Huayra. A newcomer to this year’s tally, Pagani’s 700-horsepower gullwing stunner, named after an ancient god of wind, is made from carbo-titanium and uses a 12-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Pagani is a small brand but has cult status among track regulars and exotic aficionados. Huayra is a big deal because it will be the first time a Pagani-made vehicle will be sold stateside.

Unfortunately for acolytes, it’ll be some time before the opportunity hits stateside. Pagani planned to debut its car in U.S. showrooms earlier this year but faced delays due to airbag compliance. Company executives maintain that five Huayras will make it to the states by 2013.

Worth the wait? Maybe. The 20-year-old company’s previous model, the Zonda F, once held the road-car lap record at the infamous Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. Huayra is said to be no less impressive. For that price, it better be.
 
Porsche 918 Spyder
Country of Origin: Germany
Engine: 500hp 3.4-liter V8 with three electric motors delivering 218hp
0-60mph: 3.1 seconds
Price: $845,000


 
2012 SSC Tuatara                                               
Country of Origin: USA                                          
Engine: 1,350hp 6.8-liter V-8
0-60mph: 2.5 seconds
Price: $970,000 (estimated)

 
Hennessey Venom GT
Country of Origin: USA
Engine: 6.2-liter supercharged V-8
0-60mph: 2.5 seconds
Price: $1 million (1,200hp edition)


Pagani Huayra
Country of Origin: Italy
Engine: 700hp Mercedes-Benz-made V-12
0-60mph: 3.5 seconds
Price: $1.3 million

 Maybach Landaulet
Country of Origin: Germany
Engine: 620hp 12-cylinder
0-60mph: 5.2 seconds
Price: $1.4 million

Aston Martin One-77
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Engine: 750hp, 7.3-liter V-12
0-60mph: 3.7 seconds
Price: $1.4 million

2012 Koenigsegg Agera R
Country of Origin: Sweden
Engine: 1,115hp, 5.0-liter V-8
0-60mph: 2.9 seconds
Price: $1.7 million ($1.5 million for the base Agera,
plus $211,000 at current exchange rates for the R
package. An additional $270,000 will get you the
carbon-fiber version)



Zenvo ST1
Country of Origin: Denmark
Engine: 1,250hp V-8
0-60mph: 2.9 seconds
Price: $1.8 million




Ferrari 599XX
Country of Origin: Italy
Engine: 700hp V-12
0-60mph: 2.9 seconds
Price: Rumored in excess of $2 million.
(This car is not street legal and available for sale by invite only.) A  replacement called the 599XX EVO is set to debut in Geneva in 2012.

Bugatti Veyron Supersport
Country of Origin: France
Engine: 16-cylinders, 1,200hp
0-60mph: 2.4 seconds
Price: $2.6 million