Cars span a wide range of price points. From the affordable massage market cars to the uber-luxurious one-off pieces of art, cars cater to everyone from common people to the elite. For instance, there was a time when the iconic Tata Safari was seen as a car for the well-heeled, while most fulfilled their dream of owning a car with cars like the Maruti 800.
The story is still the same, only the characters have changed, thanks to the extensive modernisation, which dramatically changed the world over the years. Today, while most of us see cars priced more than Rs 50 lakh as quite expensive, cars priced north of Rs 100 crores do exist in the market. Engineered only for the elites, these cars substantiate the most advanced technology and peak luxury. In this article, we explore the most expensive cars in the world and learn how far automotive masters have reached, who breathe the same air which we do.
1. Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail – Over Rs 251 Cr ($30 million)
The Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail takes the pole position among the most expensive cars in the world. Its design is inspired by a rare and beautiful flower, the Black Baccara rose found in France. This 5.3 metres-long and 2 metres wide coach-built two-seater supercar with a removable hardtop, has its body made of fine proportions of carbon, steel, and aluminium. The body colour of the La Rose Noire Droptail changes when viewed from different angles, thanks to the advanced body colour theme, which has been developed after 150 tests and has a secret base coat.
On the inside, the La Rose Noire Droptail has a minimalistic layout and the dark red interior theme complements the exterior colour theme. The seats are garbed in the finest leather and the wood inlay on the dashboard is embellished with rose petals-themed embroidery. With this, the interiors consist of 1,603 hand-crafted wood pieces, which are also hand-placed, taking a time of over 2 years. The heart of this elite car is a twin-turbo 6.75-litre V12 petrol engine, which produces 570 PS and a peak torque of 820 Nm. With this engine, the La Rose Noire Droptail can sprint from 0 to 100 km/hr in 4.8 seconds.
After the commencement of production in 2023, only three units of the Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail have been sold, while one is in production.
2. Rolls-Royce Boat Tail – Over Rs 235 Cr ($28 million)
The second one of the list of most expensive cars, Rolls-Royce Boat Tail, is the successor to the Rolls-Royce Sweptail. This convertible is built to honour a client’s lifelong reverence for life at sea and its form evokes J-class yachts. Substantiating this spirit, the Boat tail is coloured in an oceanic blue infused with shimmering crystals. This colour remains subtle in shadow and looks vibrant in light. With a lavish interior, the Boat Tail features a hosting suite in its deck, which opens in a sweeping butterfly gesture and brings out a built-in sun umbrella and a champagne fridge. Powering this uber royal car is a 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12 petrol engine which churns out 570 PS. Since its launch in 2021, only three units of the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail have been manufactured and sold.
3. Bugatti La Voiture Noire – Over Rs 155 Cr ($18.5 million)
The most expensive car from the French carmaker, Bugatti La Voiture Noire is a tribute to Jean Bugatti’s personal car, Type 57 SC Atlantic. It is equipped with a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W-16 engine, which also powers the Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+. The La Voiture Noire, produces 1,500 PS and 1,600 Nm torque, enabling this French hypercar to sprint from a standstill to 100 km/hr in 2.4 seconds. The term ‘La Voiture Noire’ is French for ‘the black car’, which explains the jet-black body of the aggressive-looking Bugatti La Voiture Noire. It features six exhaust tips, radically designed wheels, and a big illuminated logo at the rear. There is only one Bugatti La Voiture Noire in the world and the identity of its buyer is still a mystery.
4. Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta – Over Rs 146 Cr ($17.4 million)
Pagani was established in 1992 by Horacio Pagani and the Italian brand is known to engineer some of the most expensive cars in the hypercar space. However, unlike most of its rivals such as Lamborghini and Ferrari, Pagani is known to produce limited models of its cars. The Zonda HP Barchetta was unveiled in 2017 at an automotive event in California. It was a present to the company’s founder, Mr. Horacio Pagani for his 60th birthday and a commemoration of Zonda lineage at its 18th anniversary. Only three units of the Zonda HP Barchetta have been made, with one reserved for Mr. Horacio Pagani himself. The French hypercar is powered by a 7.3-litre Mercedes-AMG V12 which produces 800 PS power and 850 Nm peak torque, making it the most powerful road-legal Zonda car ever.
5. SP Automotive Chaos – Over Rs 119 Cr ($14.2 million)
In 2024, the Greek start-up, Spyros Panopoulos Automotive, recently made one of the most expensive cars, SP Automotive Chaos. It’s a high-performance car built with cutting-edge materials. Of the two models of SP Automotive Chaos, Earth produces 2,077 PS, while the top model, Zero Gravity, throws open 3,107 PS for the maximum adrenalin rush. This model can accelerate to 100 km/hr from a standstill in just 1.9 seconds. Both models are powered by a 4-litre twin-turbo V10 engine with hybrid assist. The monocoque body of the SP Automotive Chaos is built with one of the strongest man-made fibres, Poly. Each unit of the SP Automotive Chaos is hand-built and the production is limited to 15 to 20 units annually.
6. Rolls-Royce Sweptail – Over Rs 108 Cr ($13 million)
The iconic Rolls-Royce Sweptail is a modernised version of the coach-built Rolls-Royce cars of the 1920s and 1930s. Built for Hong Kong-based patron Sam Li, the Sweptail gets this name because of its sweeping roofline which does give an impression of a hefty tail. On this inside, the Sweptail packs refined handcrafted materials: polished Macassar ebony and open-pore paldao which remain in contrast with moccasin and dark spice leathers on the seats, armrests, and some other interiors. With this, there is a large glass roof which extends till the tailgate to draw in natural light, much like the Tesla cars. The Rolls-Royce Sweptail was launched in 2017 and remained the most expensive car until Bugatti La Voiture Noire took the throne in 2019. This one-off luxury car is powered by a 6.8 litre V12 engine which generates 460 PS power and can zoom from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 5.6 seconds.
7. Bugatti Centodieci – Over Rs 74 Cr ($8.8 million)
‘Centodieci’ is Italian for ‘110’ as the Bugatti Centodieci is a homage to the legendary Bugatti EB 110 and a celebration of Bugatti’s 110th anniversary. The French sports car was revealed in August 2019 at a motorsport gathering in California and is limited to just 10 units. Sharing its quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W-16 engine with the Bugatti Chiron, the Centodieci can go from 0 to 100 km/hr in 2.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 380 km/hr.
8. Mercedes- Maybach Exelero – Over Rs 66 Cr ($8 million)
The Mercedes Maybach Exelero is a one-off high-performance sports car engineered by the collaboration of the Italian automaker, Stola (now part of Blutech) and DaimlerChrysler (now Mercedes Benz). This car was commissioned by Goodyear’s German subsidiary, Fulda to test the ability of their high-performance Carat Exelero tyres at speeds over 350 km/hr. Built on the Maybach chassis, the Exelero packs a 6-litre twin-turbo V-12 petrol engine, which generates 700 PS and 1,020 Nm torque, enabling the car to do a 0 to 100 km/hr dash in 4.4 seconds.
9. Pagani Huayra Codalunga – Over Rs 61 Cr ($7.3 million)
The Pagani Huayra Codalunga was built when two Pagani patrons expressed their wish for a car with a long tail much like the vintage long-tail design seen on race cars of the 1960s, especially the Porsche 917. With the name ‘Codalunga,’ which is Italian for ‘long-tail,’ this rare hypercar is limited to only five units. Powered by a 6-litre twin-turbocharged V12 from Mercedes-AMG, the Pagani Huayra Codalunga produces 840 PS power and 1,100 Nm peak torque. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/hr in 2.8 seconds.
10. Bugatti Divo – Over Rs 49 Cr ($5.8 million)
The Bugatti Divo is the tribute to the legendary French-Italian racer Albert Divo and with limited production of only 40 units, the French sports car was sold out on the debut day. While the Divo shares many components with its more affordable sibling, the Chiron, it carries some distinctions to justify its higher price. For example, it’s nearly 35 kg lighter than the Chiron, thanks to the lighter wheels, a carbon fibre intercooler, and some other weight-reduction bits. With this and a unique aerodynamic configuration, the Bugatti Divo beat the Chiron on the Nardo test circuit by 8 seconds, even though both cars are equipped with the same quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine. However, the Divo’s top speed is electronically limited to 380 km/hr, while the Chiron can go to 489 km/hr.
Summary: Symbols of Automotive Excellence
As can be seen, all of the most expensive cars are limited production models and some of them are limited to only one model. This means, not only are these cars beyond our reach, but it’s also hard to get a glimpse of one such car in real life. While exclusivity plays a major role in the sky-high prices of these cars, they symbolise what modern-day engineering is capable of, and how advanced we have become as a species.
Most expensive cars in the world: FAQs
Which are the most expensive cars in the world?
The most expensive cars in the world are Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail (Over Rs 251 Cr), Rolls-Royce Boat Tail (Over Rs 235 Cr), Bugatti La Voiture Noire (Over Rs 155 Cr), Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta (Over Rs 146 Cr), SP Automotive Chaos (Over Rs 119 Cr), Rolls-Royce Sweptail (Over Rs 108 Cr), Bugatti Centodieci (Over Rs 74 Cr), Mercedes- Maybach Exelero (Over Rs 66 Cr), Pagani Huayra Codalunga (Over Rs 61 Cr), and Bugatti Divo (Over Rs 49 Cr).
Which are the most expensive cars of Rolls-Royce?
The most expensive cars from Rolls-Royce are Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail (Over Rs 251 Cr), Rolls-Royce Boat Tail (Over Rs 235 Cr), and Rolls-Royce Sweptail (Over Rs 108 Cr).
Which are the most expensive cars of Bugatti?
The most expensive cars from Bugatti are Bugatti La Voiture Noire (Over Rs 155 Cr), Bugatti Centodieci (Over Rs 74 Cr), and Bugatti Divo (Over Rs 49 Cr).
Which car companies manufacture the most expensive cars in the world?
The car companies known for manufacturing the most expensive cars are Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Pagani, SP Automotive, and Mercedes- Maybach.
