While many of us may not be able to afford them, the world is full of incredible, expensive cars, cars that are from multiple manufacturers ranging from Ferrari to Pagani and Rolls-Royce to Bugatti. They hail from various categories, too, from classics to sports cars and bespoke one-off builds to luxury cars.
Many of the most expensive cars are supercars or luxury vehicles, with a few exclusive oddities in between. The sticker price of these most exclusive cars from some of the world's most expensive car brands will leave you in awe, and while some have never been officially confirmed by the marques that sold them, their estimated price tag is often beyond belief. But even if we can't afford them, we can all agree they are also some of the most remarkable cars ever built.
For the avoidance of doubt, the prices listed here are for the most expensive new cars, which is to say these were the prices when they were sold new. We've excluded record-setting auctions for the most expensive Ferraris ever, and some of the cars on this list are unavailable in 2023.
11. Pagani Imola: $5.4 Million
This spot nearly went to the $5 million Bugatti W16 Mistral, but another rare Pagani just beat it out. The Pagani in question is the Huayra-based Imola.
Limited to a production run of only five units, the track-focused supercar was developed on the Imola circuit in Italy and is only one step below the Huayra R for sheer outrageousness. It relies on a 6.0-liter twin-turbo AMG-sourced V12 developing 816 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of torque, sent to the rear axle via a seven-speed automated manual gearbox. Helping those ponies hit the tarmac effectively is a reconfigured suspension system to reduce brake dive from the massive six-piston Brembo brakes clamping down on 15.7-inch rotors, and at each corner, sticky Pirelli Trofeo R tires.
It shed a bunch of weight, too, including 11 lbs from the method of painting, and weighs 2,747 lbs dry.
At $5.4 million, and all spoken for before the car was revealed to the world, the Imola is where we start this list of most expensive cars in the world.
10. Bugatti Divo: $5.8 Million
This may be the first Bugatti on this list, but it won't be the last.
The Divo was a limited-edition Chiron-based limited edition model named after former Bugatti driver Albert Divo and was limited to just 40 units, all spoken for within a day of buyers being privately invited to acquire the new hypercar. Officially the first coachbuilt Bugatti of the 21st century, the Divo is based on the standard Chiron but with several stylistic departures, including a redesigned front end and very complex 3D printed taillights with 44 light-up fins.
It retained the 1,479 hp of the standard Chiron from an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, hammering home a 0-62 mph time of 2.4 seconds and running to a top speed of 236 mph. But Bugatti said the new design produced more downforce, making the Divo quicker around a circuit than the Chiron.
9. Pagani Huayra Codalunga: $7.4 Million
After the Zonda stole the limelight for Pagani for years, the Huayra became the new king on the block. And for $7.4 million, the Huayra Codalunga was the ultimate expression of that car, at least financially speaking. The idea behind the supercar came from two Pagani collectors who had deeper pockets than any of us could hope for. They approached Pagani with the idea of a longtail Huayra harkening back to racing cars from the 1960s, and the result was the Codalunga - Italian for 'long tail'.
Only five examples have been made, each housing an 829-hp 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. While its performance figures like top speed and 0-60 time are unknown, the project is lighter than a standard Huayra with a dry weight of just 2,822 lbs, due in part to a lightweight titanium exhaust system and a lack of a rear grille.
8. Maybach Exelero: $8 Million
Costing a staggering $8 million, the Exelero was the product of a desire to have a car that could punish even the most durable of a company's tires. The Exelero was commissioned by Fulda, a German subsidiary of Goodyear, and Maybach would create just a single example.
A twin-turbocharged 5.9-liter V12 engine with 690 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque powered this tire killer, and its performance figures spoke volumes.
A (theoretical) top speed of 218 mph and a 0-62 mph time of 4.4 seconds put this one-off concept firmly in supercar territory. Yet inside, the Exelero had just as much luxury as you would expect from a Maybach, highlighting the incredible nature of this car.
7. Bugatti Centodieci: $9 Million
Another of the finest Bugatti products is the Centodieci. The price of the Bugatti Centodieci is an eye-watering $9 million but somewhat makes sense when you realize it's the spiritual successor to the EB110 supercar of the 1990s. In paying tribute to the EB110 (Centodieci means 110), the coachbuilt hypercar sports several nods to the original. These include a small horseshoe grille flanked by narrow intakes, horizontal headlights, and a rear end that looks like an exceptional take on the EB110's butt. Best of all, Bugatti replicated the side air intakes on the Centodieci.
The Centodieci is another exclusive car with just ten examples made, and the internal combustion engine under the hood is a 1,578-hp quad-turbo W16. It propels the Centodieci from 0-62 mph in 2.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 236 mph.
6. Rolls-Royce Sweptail: $12.8 million
Rolls-Royce reignited the concept of coachbuilding in 2017 with the Sweptail, which sold for an astonishing $12.8 million. This one-off car was commissioned by a private individual who was allowed to dictate almost everything, from the body's shape to the interior's finish and everything in between. It was such an exhaustive process that Rolls-Royce nearly stopped Coachbuild projects altogether and now only lets special customers commission such builds.
Its massive price tag made the coachbuilt Rolls-Royce as exclusive a luxury car as they come, and the project took four years to complete. It was inspired by superyachts and private aircraft, resulting in a large two-seater coupe with a massive glass roof and tapering rear end.
5. SP Automotive Chaos: $14.4 Million
Greek automotive newcomer SP Automotive has big ambitions with the car it dubs 'Chaos.' Remarkably, there are two versions of this ultra car, of which the base model is the 2,048-hp SP Automotive Chaos Earth Version. This costs $6.3 million, but it's the Zero Gravity version that takes things to the extreme.
With its 3,065-hp V10 engine and 1.55-second 0-62 mph time, few cars are quite like it. There's just one caveat - all of these figures are claimed numbers and have not yet been verified in the real world. It also claims to have a top speed of over 310 mph, which would make it the fastest production car ever. Until such claims have been proven, this has a huge asterisk next to it.
With its $14.4 million price tag, it's cheaper than the Zonda, but we imagine it is out of reach for many of us. Good luck handling over 3,000 hp on your trip to the grocery store.
4. Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta: $17.6 Million
At the cost of $17.6 million, the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta deserves its top-three spot on the world's most expensive new cars. This car was designed by Horacio Pagani as a 60th birthday present to himself and announced to celebrate 20 years since he founded Pagani Automobili. The HP in the car's name even stands for 'Horatio Pagani.'
Pagani would only make three examples of the Zonda HP Barchetta. Under the rear decklid of the special Zonda variant was another incredible V12 engine, displacing 7.3 liters and producing 789 hp, matching the power of the Huayra BC Roadster. Even more impressive is that the HP Barchetta is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, making it a true driver's car.
"I made this car just for me, to satisfy my personal pleasure. It's a completely open car that was made to enjoy the air in my face and the excitement of hearing everything, including the roar of the engine." - Horacio Pagani
3. Bugatti La Voiture Noire: $18.7 Million
The 18-million-dollar La Voiture Noire produces 1,479 hp from an 8.0-liter quad-turbo W16, but that's not even the most special aspect of it. For a couple of years, La Voiture Noire - French for 'The Black Car' - was the most expensive car in the world, but only after tax, as without vat, it was priced at just $12.47 million.
Its name was derived from the nickname for the Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic owned by Jean Bugatti - Ettore's eldest son - which was all black and disappeared before World War II, never to resurface. Another three were built, which are still around to this day.
The contemporary La Voiture Noire is a modern interpretation of the original, with six exhausts, a deep black carbon fiber body, a prominent Bugatti C-line, and a dorsal fin running the length of the car.
2. Rolls-Royce Boat Tail: $28 Million
Rolls-Royce produces some of the finest luxury cars in the world. Top of the tree is the incredible Boat Tail, one of the most expensive cars in the world, with a price tag of a rumored $28 million. We say 'rumored' because its price was never confirmed, and as we know, commissioning a Rolls-Royce Coachbuild is somewhat of a money-no-object purchase.
The first Boat Tail made its debut in 2021 at Italy's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Under the hood is a 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 with 563 horsepower. It is a luxury car worthy of entering the 'elite cars' category.
Currently the most expensive new car in the world, the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail is ridiculously luxurious. As its name suggests, the Boat Tail takes on a nautical theme with its rear deck and elongated silhouette. That rear deck opens to reveal a bespoke champagne chest (stocked with Champagne as you would expect of a luxury car company like Rolls-Royce) with cocktail tables and even picnic stools.
Only three Rolls-Royce Boat Tails will be produced, making it one of Rolls-Royce's most exclusive models and its (current) most expensive car.
1. Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire: $30 Million
The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire is the first in a series of four Droptail models, each unique enough to be blessed with a unique name and design. With the La Rose Noire, Rolls-Royce is showing other manufacturers what a coachbuilt project should look like. It's not just a limited edition Phantom without a roof. Rolls-Royce spent four years creating this car, which boasts a Coachbuild-exclusive monocoque made just for this car.
The La Rose Noire is Rolls-Royce's first two-door, two-seat drop-top in the company's modern history. It borrows design cues from several classic models but was clearly designed to be a one-off, never to be repeated. The blend of colors was inspired by the Black Baccara rose from France, which changes color depending on the light.
As you can see, the La Rose Noire has a new interpretation of the Pantheon grille, flanked by slimmer but still recognizable Rolls-Royce headlights. The rear is splendiferous, incorporating vertical taillights, a large diffuser, and a removable roof made from carbon fiber.
Rolls-Royce doesn't provide pricing for cars like this, but CarBuzz snooped around a little and learned that is allegedly sold for $30 million.