Lamborghini has had trouble attracting customers from the Witness Protection program, and the Murciélago Roadster is one reason. The absolute antithesis of “blending in,” the open Murciélago was even more extroverted than its coupe sibling, if only because now people could easily see who was driving this 42-inch-high supercar. The $320,000 Murciélago Roadster came with a rudimentary top that made fair-weather driving more appealing than dealing with the annoyance of rain showers. The Barrett-Jackson collector-car auction in Scottdale, Arizona in January 2024 is offering a black 2006 Murciélago Roadster at no reserve.
Just 10 supercar connoisseurs were able to buy a McLaren 570 MSO-X, a special track-oriented model, in 2018. Each was decked out in livery inspired by McLaren F1 GTR racecars, and each is unique. At Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in January, the #8 MSO-X will go to a new owner thanks to this auction company’s all no-reserve policy. McLaren built these cars as dual-purpose road and track machines, ready pile on the miles in either setting.
Closing in on the end of another year, Premier Financial Services looks back on its Top-10 exotic cars leased for 2023. This year, Ferrari pushed Porsche out of the #1 leased marque for the year in terms of volume of leases. Lamborghini, however, made a stronger showing on the list with three models in the Top-10. Porsche’s two top sports cars, the 911 GT3 and 911 Turbo S, both made the cut, as well. With its new MC20, Maserati has returned to the mid-engine exotic category after a 45-year absence. The new Maserati grabbed the #10 spot on the list. What’s your favorite?
This month’s Gooding & Company Geared Online auction offers a compelling pair of vintage V8-powered Maserati GTs by the same legendary Italian designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. The front-engine Ghibli represents 1960s design, and the mid-engine Bora flies the 1970s flag. Both have pre-sale estimates hovering in the $100,000 neighborhood, give or take. Both are listed at no reserve, which means both are going to new owners for sure. If you had to choose just one, which would you want?
While Porsche competes in the realm of super-fast electric vehicles with its Taycan Turbo S, that battery-electric car doesn’t have a turbo, or even an engine, for that matter. But it does have a sibling in the Porsche family with a 640-horsepower twin-turbo engine for real: the 911 Turbo S. Boosted with even more power two years ago, the 911 Turbo S delivers breathtaking acceleration, tenacious road-and-track handling, and top luxury in coupe and Cabriolet (convertible) styles, starting around $230,000.
While EVs may grab headlines with their acceleration performance, the latest gas/electric hybrid supercars throw down the gauntlet with some track-burning speed and excitement. The early tests of the Ferrari 296 GTB and Lamborghini Revuelto show that, with a little help from electrons, cars with roaring engines can still melt the asphalt … and blow their drivers’ minds. Though far apart from each other in price, the Ferrari and Lambo make the same emphatic point about the still-thrilling potential available from cars with pistons and pipes.
If you plan to be in New York City on November 13 and have easy access to about $60 million, why not take a chance bidding on a one-of-one Ferrari? The RM Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Art auction will offer a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that’s also known as the 330 LM. The car was built to suit a new race class at the time, which allowed replacing the 25 GTO’s 3.0-liter V12 with a more powerful 4.0-liter. Ferrari kept this special GTO for its own Scuderia Ferrari race team. Will this car surpass the reported $70 million a private collector paid for a 250 GTO in 2018? We shall see on November 13.
Will the new Mercedes-Benz CLE be the last of this German luxury car maker’s gas-fueled coupes and convertibles? Based on the new C-Class chassis, the new CLE essentially replaces the somewhat larger E-Class coupe and Cabriolet and offers the promise of more athleticism than those cars. The CLE will cover a wide gamut in price and performance, starting at $65,000 for the base CLE300 coupe 4MATIC and going well beyond that with optioned-up versions of the six-cylinder CLE450 Cabriolet. Future AMG versions are sure to offer more power and excitement, for more money, of course.
Has inflation taken a bite out of the exotic car market? Premier Financial Services Midwest Regional Sales Manager Ross Dressel has seen a dip in activity in the $200K-$500K heart of that segment. But meanwhile, “affordable” pre-owned exotics and classics in the $75K-$200K range are getting more action for America’s #1 exotic and classic car lease financing provider. Who’s up? Who’s down? Read here to find out.
