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New ranking for most expensive cars announced - PHOTOSESSION

New ranking for most expensive cars announced - <font color=red>PHOTOSESSION</font>

08 February 2010 13:59 (UTC +04:00)

Bakuâ€“APA-Economics. Forbes announced a new ranking for the most expensive cars.
It’ll take a good three-quarters of a million dollars to own something like the SSC Ultimate Aero. The supercar produces 1,287 horsepower and features a carbon fiber-dashboard and center console with a digital temperature control unit and tire pressure monitor, for optimum driving conditions.
But if you drive the Aero, be prepared to be outclassed by owners of the Lamborghini ReventÃ³n. Only 20 drivers willing to part with $1.42 million will get to enjoy the car’s fighter jet-inspired sharp edges and precise lines. You’ll know the ReventÃ³n by its glass engine hood, solid aluminum fuel tank lid and opaque carbon fins screwed onto the black aluminum spokes on the wheels.

Both make our list of the world’s most expensive cars. To compile it, we reviewed price lists from all the ultra-luxe ($300,000 and above) automakers who might have produced a contender this year for the top spot, including Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Leblanc, Maserati, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Pagani, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Saleen, Shelby Super Cars and Spyker. Only the cars that are currently in production and street legal were chosen, which eliminated the discontinued $653,000 Ferrari Enzo, as well as the $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster.

But if you drive the Aero, be prepared to be outclassed by owners of the Lamborghini ReventÃ³n. Only 20 drivers willing to part with $1.42 million will get to enjoy the car’s fighter jet-inspired sharp edges and precise lines. You’ll know the ReventÃ³n by its glass engine hood, solid aluminum fuel tank lid and opaque carbon fins screwed onto the black aluminum spokes on the wheels.

Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., calls the ReventÃ³n a "car without compromise"--it’s based on the $354,000 MurciÃ©lago and created exclusively in Sant’Agata Bolognese, the heart of Italian motor design.

Both make our list of the world’s most expensive cars. To compile it, we reviewed price lists from all the ultra-luxe ($300,000 and above) automakers who might have produced a contender this year for the top spot, including Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Leblanc, Maserati, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Pagani, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Saleen, Shelby Super Cars and Spyker. We chose only cars that are currently in production and street legal, which eliminated the discontinued $653,000 Ferrari Enzo, as well as the $500,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. In some cases we did not list all variations of a particular model. Prices do not include taxes, destination charges or upgrade options; some prices have been converted from euros to U.S. dollars. Not all of the vehicles on our list are sold in the U.S.
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And what that limited group is making is hyper-exclusive--production runs like the 150 expected for the French-built Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are considered high-volume (it takes seven months and a down payment of $487,000 to get one).
The Koenigsegg Trevita is of the most exclusive on our list. "Trevita" means "three whites" in Swedish, a nod to the car’s unique diamond-colored carbon fiber-weave bodywork and the fact that only three of them will be made. Inside, Trevita comes with all the best technologies: a hydraulic lift system, a tire monitoring system, a chrono instrument cluster, paddle-shifters and carbon fiber brakes. Under the hood, the 1,018-horsepower engine and 250-mph top speed promise much for any weekend thrill ride (lateral G-force can reach 1.5 G, and it’ll get to 200 km/hour in 8.75 seconds). Price tag: $2.21 million.

The Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster is another newcomer to the supercar winner’s circle. This Italian-made machine is the new convertible version of the Pagani Cinque Coupe, the street-legal version of the Zonda R. The 678-horsepower, V12 engine is built by Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance AMG division. It’ll hit 62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 217 mph--and it’ll stop from 62 mph in just 2.1 seconds, thanks to the extremely expensive carbo-ceramic self-ventilated hydraulic Brembo brakes. A total of five Cinque Roadsters will be made.

Still, it’s the Lamborghinis that have long inhabited expensive-car lists. These include the ReventÃ³n (its unique design and bloodlines make it coveted by collectors) and its convertible counterpart, the ReventÃ³n Roadster. These jet-like screamers are steeped in Italian luxury history: They’re named after ReventÃ³n, the fighting bull owned by the Don Rodriguez family and known for killing the famous bullfighter Felix Guzman in 1943.