Costly Cars: The Most Expensive Cars in the World

Few things grant a person more freedom than the ability to hop in a car and drive wherever the roads may take you. It’s a rite of passage for the American teenager, and something often taken for granted. But freedom comes with a price, and in some cases a much MUCH higher price than others! Here are some of the most expensive cars ever sold.

Hennessey Venom GT: $1.1M

The Hennessey Venom is very expensive. But it comes with a little extra distinction: It is currently the fastest production car of all time, with a recorded speed of 270.49 MPH on a NASA runway earlier this year. It also boasts 0-60 acceleration of only two seconds. Built by Hennessey, a relatively small manufacturer in Texas, there are just enough of these out there to be considered a production car.

Ferrari LaFerrari: $1.3M

Everyone has heard of Ferrari, and everyone knows these cars aren’t to be taken lightly. But a true masterpiece demands a limited run, and only 499 LaFerrari’s are available. “Available” is a pretty loose term here, because you can only get one if Ferrari offered it to you, or you make a really lucky find on eBay Motors. This car can take you to 120 MPH in less than 7 seconds, and runs at 789 hp from the V12 motor. That’s before the Kinetic Energy Recovery System gets to work, and brings it up to 950 hp. We can forgive the rather silly name for a sweet car like this.

Koenigsegg One:1: $2.0M

One:1 is more than just a clever title. Koenigsegg pulled off something truly amazing with this automotive marvel: a one to one power to weight ratio. 1340 kg (including driver and fuel) and 1340 hp. That adds up to a whole lot of acceleration, with 0 to 250 MPH in less than 20 seconds, and a potential top speed of 273 MPH, meaning it could easily take a spot among the fastest in the world.

W Motors Lykan Hypersport: $3.4M

This one comes roaring out of Lebanon with a top speed of 245 MPH and 0-60 time of 2.7 seconds, coaxing more out of it’s V6 than many cars can from their V12s. While this still may not be the fastest car around, it makes up for it in sheer style with diamond encrusted LEDs and a holographic display you thought only existed in Star Wars.

Lamborghini Veneno: $4M

Lamborghini turned 50 years old, and celebrated with a little poison. The Veneno (poison in Spanish) is an appropriate celebration for such a milestone for probably the most widely recognized supercar manufacturer around. This baby can get to 60 in under 3 seconds, on a naturally aspirated (read: we don’t need no turbo!) V12 engine rocking 750 hp. Unfortunately, there are only 3, and they all have owners already. But there’s still some hope: 9 roadster versions are on their way, for only half a million more!

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO: $34.65M

For this last entry we’re kind of changing gears. The auction world is an entirely different beast, where a car’s history is sometimes even more important than it’s performance. For this particular case, both are equally important. This car, sold at auction last August, has led a rich life, both racing and in a showroom. Number 19 of 36 made, it came in 2nd in the 1962 Tour de France, but later that year crashed in a race near Paris, killing driver Henri Oreiller, making it the only GTO ever in a fatal crash.

After the repairs, Italian car collector Fabrizio Violati bought it and treated it to a life of prestigious races and a position as the centerpiece in his collection until his death in 2010. His family sold the collection to an investor group for $100M, and they’re well on their way to making that back with this sale.

While this is the highest price tag of all time at a verifiable public auction, rumors abound of much larger sums being collected in private sales. People will do a lot for the car of their dreams. Maybe that’s because cars are so good at making dreams come true.