This issue of the Tech Corner will review some of the most expensive and powerful car in existence. Some of these cars have incredible power and others have incredible prices or both.
First let’s start with an electric car.
PININFARINA B95
The Pininfarina B95 is an all-electric automobile. At a price of $US 5.8 million, it offers 1877 horsepower with 4 electric motors, 0-60 mph of 2 seconds at a top speed of over 300 km/hr. It is powered by T-shaped 120.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack slotted into a carbon-fiber housing. Although there is no traditional windshield, clear polycarbonate aero screens are mounted on aluminum arms that can raise or lower to help shield the occupants from wind. Production 10.
MCLAREN SOLUS GT
The McLaren Solus GT at a price of $US 4 million is powered by a 5.2L naturally aspirated V10 producing 829 hp at 10,000 rpm and 479 lb-ft of torque. The engine has no belts or chains. Everything is gear driven. With a weight of only 2200 lbs, it accelerates from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of over 200 mph. It is a one-seater machine. The design provides over 2500 lbs of down force. Each car is built around the driver, so no 2 cars are the same. Production 25.
HENNESSY VENOM F5
The Hennessy Venom F5 at a price of $US 3 million is powered by a 6.6l twin turbo V8 producing 1817 hp at 8500 rpm and 1193 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates form 0-60mph in 2.5 sec with a top speed of 311 mph (484 kph). Production 30.
BUGATTI CHIRON SS GOLDEN ERA
The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport Golden Era at a price of $US 10 million is powered by a quad turbocharged 8l W16 engine producing 1578 hp and 1180 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from 0-60 mph in 2.2 seconds and has a top speed of 273mph. What makes this car special and unique is that hand-drawn sketches of legendary Bugattis cover the car’s sides; they took more than 400 hours to produce. The driver’s side focuses on the modern Bugatti hyper cars—the EB110, Veyron, and Chiron—while the passengers side features iconic pre-war cars, the Type 35, Type 57SC Atlantic, and Type 41 Royale. This is a unique automobile and had a production of 1.
PAGANI ZONDA BARCHETTA
The Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta at price of $US 17.6 million is powered by a 7.3l naturally aspirated V12 engine developed by AMG that produces 789hp at 6200rpm and 627 lb-ft of torque. It accelerates from 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds and has a top speed of 221 mph (355 kph). This was a very limited production of 3. Unfortunately, one the cars had an accident with substantial damage but due to the value it was not written off.
Finally, a car with no equal. This car is not performance based but luxury based.
ROLLS ROYCE ARCADIA DROPTAIL
I have included a video as the picture doesn’t give justice to all car features.
The Rolls Royce Arcadia Droptail at a price of $US30 million is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.75l V12 that produces 583hp and accelerates from 0-60mph in about 5 seconds. This the most expensive car to be bought new from a factory.
However, the power and speed are secondary to the luxury. One of the Arcadia’s most fetching details is the hardwood used on its rear deck section and throughout the interior. Known as Santos Straight Grain, Rolls says there are a total of 233 wood pieces in the car that took 8000 hours to fit and install. A special varnish had to be developed to protect the outside wood from the elements. The clock is a work of art and precision that took 5 months to assemble. The clock’s raw metal face incorporates a geometric guilloché pattern with 119 facets.
