All posts in “Supercars”

Experiencing a Supercar Isn’t As Expensive As You Think

For car enthusiasts, there might be no greater experience than owning a supercar. It could be that you have always dreamed of owning a particular make and have had posters on your bedroom wall from your youth, dreaming of the day that you could sit behind the wheel. Alternatively, you may have developed a love for supercars later in life and now want the ultimate experience that driving has to offer.

But it can be easy to be put off supercar ownership by the fact that it is expensive. Detractors point to the initial cost of the car, as well as insurance and regular maintenance, not to mention running costs, which would appear to make it exorbitant to own a supercar. However, you might be surprised to learn that owning a supercar is not as draining for your bank balance as you think.

The opportunity to try a car

Not everyone who wants to get behind the wheel of a supercar also wants to own it on a day-to-day basis. It might simply be the case that you would be happy with simply the occasional few hours in the driver’s seat. And after all, roads have the same speed limits for supercars as they do for every other car, and if the thrill that you are looking for comes from taking a car up to high speeds, then you might even just be satisfied with a supercar experience day.

You can look at supercar experiences two ways. Firstly, they can be a relatively cheap and easy way to the experience the best of what a supercar has to offer. You won’t be committing yourself to one specific car and can give multiple different models a try. Secondly, however, you can consider your experience day as a test run before you commit to ownership. Buying a supercar won’t come cheap so it can be best to know that you are choosing the right one.

An alternative to buying

If you are committed to owning a supercar and enjoying it on a day-to-day basis, then you might be looking into the prices and wondering how you can afford the initial outlay necessary to own. But it is actually the case that you can drive a supercar without having to buy one. Leasing has become a very popular alternative to outright car ownership, with simple monthly payments and a fixed term often being preferable.

Many buyers assume that it is only possible to lease more affordable cars, but if you look at the top of the market you can find it is possible to lease high-end sports cars and supercars such as the Porsche 911, the Audi R8, and even various Ferraris. With predictable repayments and the financial future of your car planned out, this can be a very affordable way to drive a supercar.

A supercar as an investment

Naturally, the price of a supercar can be extremely high but sometimes it is a case of how your frame that price. Remember that a supercar will not depreciate at the same rate as a normal road car – in fact in some cases if you buy the right model, a supercar will actually gain value. You can’t count on this being the case, but it is often possible to recoup a lot of your initial expense when you come to sell.

You need to think of your supercar as an investment. This starts with doing your research into which model you are going to buy as some will depreciate faster than others. Additionally, you need to ensure that you take care of your supercar correctly. Keeping the car in good condition will pay dividends in the long-term.

Built to last

It is also worth pointing out that supercars are built to be able to withstand the rigors of demanding use at very high speed. This means that all of the parts used in construction are of exceptional quality. Given that these cars are not often used at these sorts of speeds you can enjoy the benefits of their quality in the fact that they will last for a long time. This means that while supercars will still require maintenance, you are likely to have fewer problems, especially if you don’t constantly push it to its limits.

Super Exotic Cars of 2018

Exotic cars have developed into a truly competitive market with a mix of exotic car makers offering everything from classic styling to new frame up designs. In 2018, there is a good number of stylish cars hitting the road so we decided to highlight some of our favorite cars of the year with the help of our friends at 777 Exotics.

2018 Bugatti Chiron

It’s an extraordinarily powerful supercar, well styled in Bugatti classic fashion, a real dream car to drive. The Chiron is an 8-liter, 16-cylinder engine pumping out 1479 horsepower and will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. If you have the money and the taste for it, this vehicle will not disappoint.

2018 Ferrari 812 Superfast

This is the fastest Ferrari, the name 812 superfast is not just a hyperbole, the 8 stands for the 800 horsepower generated by the engine on the metric scale, while 12 denotes there are a dozen cylinders beneath the hood with superfast promising fast delivery. It rides on a 6.5-liter, V-12 engine producing 789 horsepower and gets up to 60 mph in about 2.8 seconds.

2019 Porsche 911

The iconic 911 line for the 2019 model released in 2018 is a 3.0-liter 24-valve turbocharged and pumps out 370 horsepower at 6500rpm.

2019 Tesla Model S

The new Tesla is an all-electric dream car envied by many. The new Model S comes in three versions and all are all-wheel drive: 75D has a 75-kwh battery pack, 100D has 100-kwh pack and at the top P100D has 100-kwh with extra powerful motors. Despite the lovers and haters of this brand and perhaps its status as a luxury car, we decided to list it based on unique options and performance.

2018 Mercedes AMG GT-R

The Mercedes widens their range with the AMG GT-R using a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine giving 469-585 horsepower. It offers supercar performance but well packaged with Mercedes’ standard luxury to ensure total comfort.

2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible

This is an LT5 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine car pumping out 755 horsepower.

2018 BMW i8 Roadster

It is a hybrid supercar with a new motor that will produce 143 bhp for a total gas with an electric power output of 374 bhp. On one full charge, the all-electric range is 34 miles with the car rising to 62 mph under 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Nissan Infiniti QX50

This concept SUV comes with a four-cylinder turbo-powered engine giving 268 horsepower and optional all-wheel drive.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S e-hybrid

Ranked as the world’s most powerful luxury sedan, it gets 680 total horsepower more than the 911 GT3 with a high voltage that can run it for 30 miles on electric power alone. It can hit 60mph in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 192 mph.

Jaguar E Pace

It’s the latest compact SUV in the British brand’s and it comes with a four-cylinder engine with nine-speed automatic transmission producing 296-horsepower.

Audi A8 L Quattro

This is Audi’s larger performance sedan with six-cylinder engine giving 450 horsepower and can rise to 60 mph under 4.4 seconds with 133 mph top speed.

BMW M3 CS

It’s a twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder engine car producing 460 horsepower and can rise up to 62 mph under 3.9 seconds with top speed of 174 mph.

Porsche 718 Cayman GTS

It has a flat four-cylinder engine car reaching 60 mph under 3.9 seconds on the 365 horsepower with a top speed of 180 mph.

Jaguar XF Sport brake

It runs on a supercharged V6 engine giving 380 horsepower on an eight-speed automatic transmission, rising to 60 mph under 5.3 seconds with top speed of 121 mph.

Owning all of these cars would be a dream come true, but it will be only a dream for 99.99% of people.  For the rest of us, we can still ball-out by accessing some of these through a rental partner.  For those seeking to push the limits of performance in 2018, the streets of Los Angeles are a great place to drive with sunshine and mild temps year round. Check out the exotic car rentals available and the beautiful original images of everything from the Lamborghini Aventador to the Rolls Royce Dawn.  

Highlights from the 2017 Quail, A Motorsports Gathering (champagne not included)

One of the highlights of the annual automotive extravaganza that occurs every August on the Monterey Peninsula is the Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Yes, the comma is officially part of the name. And yes, it really is that pretentious. But look beyond the complementary champagne and gourmet food stations, and you’ll see an exquisite array of exotic automobiles – classic, new and concept – trampling the 18th fairway of the Quail Lodge & Golf Club. It’s basically an extremely fancy cars and coffee.

Though we poke fun at it a bit, it’s nevertheless one of those things that’s worth experiencing. Then again, admission runs a cool $600, which is basically twice the price of the actual Pebble Beach Concours. Of course, you don’t get the champagne and fois gras with that.

Check out our ace photographer Drew Phillips’ photographic evidence of the 2017 Quail. As always, it was quite the collection.

Related Video: