Bugatti’s Veyron is Expensive, But Just How Expensive?

Ferrari. Lamborghini. Porsche. These are just a few go-to names that people tend to mention when talking about sports cars, but for the car enthusiast, most would argue that the best cars aren’t built in some mega-factory, but rather by builders who prefer to keep things as small as possible. The reason is usually simple. People who build just one or a few cars at a time tend to be pretty passionate, and really, really care about both quality and design.

One example of this is Bugatti. Sure, it’s now owned by Volkswagen, but the heart of the original company remains intact, and that came to light when the ultra-luxurious Veyron was released in 2005. This car took everything the company gained from its near 100 years of operation and built what was the fastest supercar on the planet, with incredible mechanics and design. But, what makes it super?

For starters, it’s equipped with a W16 quad-supercharged 1,001 horsepower engine, and with its design, the beast is able to top out at over 250 MPH. That’s so fast, that chances are you can’t get close to a track where a speed like that is even made possible. Of course, there’s more than just performance that makes this car, but there’s too much to mention in a simple news post. One spec worth noting could be the price tag,  though, of at least $1,500,000.

Alright, the Veyron is expensive… no one is surprised. But just how expensive? You know… for the long haul? Believe it or not, it’s so expensive to drive, that one owner who wanted to let loose on a track several hundred miles away found it was actually cheaper to send his car there and take his private jet instead. Damn, now that’s saying something.

After taking a look at some numbers, it’s not too hard to understand the reason behind this. For routine service on the Veyron, it will set the owner back about £12,866 ($20,922 USD). Compare that to £1,680 for the even rarer Ferrari Enzo. Oh, and the tires, which Bugatti recommends changing often (if you use the car to its potential, this is understandable)? £23,500 for a set of four.

Yes, for the price of replacing a Veyron’s set of tires, you could have bought a brand-new modest BMW. Now that’s what I call expensive.

Most of us probably won’t be too disposed to sympathising with Bugatti Veyron owners over the maintenance costs they’ll face when running one of these magnificent machines – you practically have to be a billionaire to afford one – but you can understand why anyone might wince at some of the bills that Volkswagen’s finest can run up. A routine service, for instance, costs £12,866 or the price of a middling Polo, whereas an annual service for a Ferrari Enzo is £1680, which seems like a bargain by contrast.