Lamborghini. Bentley. Ferrari. They’re some of the most well-repected and revered car companies on the face of the planet. They’re also some of the most expensive. Lamborghini, famous for its fast and mean looking vehicles such as the Gallardo and the Aventador, recently released an extremely limited car the Veneno (Italian for “The Fighting Bull”); only three were made and they were sold before they were out of the factory. The car came with a $4.3 million dollar price tag, making it one of the most expensive cars ever made. Buyers had the choice of buying nearly two Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sports (the fastest street legal car in the world that would set you back about $2,426,904) in its stead. Because $4.3 million didn’t make the car quite exclusive enough, Lamborghini has recently announced the release of a topless roadster Veneno. The price? A cool $5.3 million. Thats 335 Ford Fiestas.
The Fighting Bull has certainly earned its name. This car goes from 0-62mph (0-100kph) in less than three seconds and screams at a top speed of 220mph; 48mph behind the infamous Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. Yet the Veneno is almost twice as expensive. Why? You’re not paying for horsepower. In this case you’re not even paying to be the unchallenged fastest guy on the road. You’re paying for something very different.
In the case of the Veneno you’re paying for the exclusive right to drive it. Three of these things were made. Not 3,000, not 300, three. You’re 24 times more likely to have been fatally struck by lightening last year than to own a Lamborghini Veneno. When you spend $4.3 million on a car you’re also paying for the status that comes with it; that not so subtle reminder to those around you that you’ve been able to afford a $4.3 million car.
When I see YouTube videos titled “Ford Focus beats Lamborghini Aventador in Drag Race” or “Nissan Holds Its Own Against Ferrari Italia” I can’t help but laugh. So you put a rocket ship engine under the hood of your Ford Focus. So Nissan built the GTR that while far less expensive than the Aventador, packs a pretty big price tag at nearly $100,000. With the exception of the Bugatti who’s very purpose is to be the fastest car in the world, super cars don’t have to be faster than a Ford Focus with a V12 growling under the hood. We have to remember that super cars aren’t made for the track; they’re made to be driven on city streets where traffic laws reign as king. If there is any race to be had it’s the race from 0-60mph. The point of buying a super car isn’t to see who can go the fastest and it isn’t to see who can look the smoothest doing it, it’s to see who can spend the most money.
If just my saying this doesn’t convince you look at the price of the Lamborghini Veneno (which, mind you, was bought by three people who had never laid eyes on it before). If the purchasers wanted to be the fastest guys on the road they would have gone with the much more conservatively priced Bugatti Veyron Super sport, but they didn’t. They wanted to see who could spend the most money, be the most exclusive, and race to become a member of the fraternity that will forever only have three members.
Sources:
http://www.lamborghini.com/en/models/veneno/overview/#!slide/1630
http://www.gizmag.com/most-expensive-lamborghini-veneno/29464/
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/bugatti-veyron-2011-bugatti-veyron-164-super-sport-review
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/15/bugatti-veyron-super-sports-top-speed-will-be-10-mph-less-than/
Fifth Gear 