We've been saying that Los Angeles is the center of the automotive world for some time now. That means that all kinds of cars are on the road here, including the high-performance models of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, and others. But what about the exotics? The interesting issue here is that there are exotics and there are exotics! Maybe I should make that latter one hyper-exotics. I would place the Mercedes SLR, Porsche Carrera GT, all Ferraris and Lamborghinis as simply exotics. But then there are the hyper-exotics.
What makes the difference between the simple exotic and the hyper-exotic? Mostly it is production numbers and price -- but not always price. Do you want a car that you can be absolutely sure you won't see another one in Beverly Hills? Driving your Ferrari 456 around, it is almost likely you will find another one parked on Rodeo Drive. So what to do? It depends on how much you want to sacrifice comfort for exclusivity. You certainly won't be sacrificing style!
The first marque that comes to mind is Bugatti. Their single model is the Veyron. Yes, it is
$1.3 million and that probably guarantees exclusivity, but the other guarantee is that the company (Volkswagen is the parent) produces "only" 30 per year. With demand, however, management is saying that the number will likely increase. Of my list of hyper-exotics here, this one probably is the most usable day-to-day. That, of course, assumes that you would be willing to drive a car that expensive in day-to-day traffic and park it anywhere in Beverly Hills.
I've talked before about how impressed I am with the technical details of the Veyron. This is a car that is happy going 250 miles/hour and just as happy toodling down the road to Ralph's. This makes it the fastest production car in the world. The power rating is above 1000 horsepower and sort of like Rolls Royce, acceleration isn't specified. The only transmission is a suitably exotic 7-speed DSG. As befitting the price, the inside of the Veyron is just as exotic as the price and performance.
But what about others? There are several manufacturers in the world who make very expensive cars that are close to the performance of the Veyron -- and similar in production numbers.
The Spyker is made in Zeewolde, Holland. They make several variations on the C8, but production totaled 48 cars in 2005. This company was established in 2000, but the Spy
ker is a historic one in Holland. The original company was established building cars in 1898, but made history by winning the Peking-to-Paris race in 1907 with a standard model. The C8 has been shown several times at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Both open and closed models are available.
On the outside, this is a typical exotic. It must look almost like a race car to be an exotic, so it does. This, however, as you can see in the photo, is a very high-styled race car.
The power comes from an Audi twin-turbo V-8 that develops in excess of 400 horsepower. The company claims an acceleration of a not-so-exotic 5.0 seconds to 62 miles/hour. Given the European laws about specifying performance, that number is probably pessimistic. The only transmission available is a 6-speed manual.
The car has the mandatory for an exotic scissors opening doors. The interior is definitely as styled as the exterior. The finest of materials are used to create something that is different from other cars. I'm not sure how all this styled stuff works in real life, but since this is supposed to be more of a work of art, I'm not sure if it makes any difference.
Price? In this class, if you ask, you probably can't afford it. Dig in your wallet for $275,000 to start.
The next hyper-exotic marque is Pagani. It is based in the center of what is normally
thought of as exotic car heaven where both Ferrari and Lamborghini are located: Modena, Italy. The company's tradition lies in Pagani's past as a race car designer in Argentina at age 20, then forming his own carbon fiber fabrication facility in Italy. While Pagani as a car manufacturer was established in 1998, they made just 14 cars in 2005. There are both closed and open versions of the Zonda, which is their race-car looking model. While we haven't seen the Zonda at the Los Angeles Auto Show, it has appeared quite a few times in U.S. car magazines.
The exterior is typical exotic GT, but has sort of odd-looking little projector headlights.
Power comes from a special AMG Mercedes V-12 that develops over 600 horsepower. The company specifies that the car will reach 62 miles/hour in 3.6 seconds. That is definitely in exotic territory. Again, this is an exotic, but the only transmission you can get is a not-so-exotic 6-speed manual.
This one also follows the exotic-established Lamborghini tradition with scissors doors. The interior befits the high price with very expensive materials.
Open your wallet very wide for a Zonda as the price starts at about $700,000
From a very unusual location, namely Angelholm, Sweden, comes the Koenigsegg -- a hyper-exotic with an unusual name. As with Pagani, it is the company founder's name. This is the case of a rich man, who was a car enthusiast, starting his own car company. It also is the case that he has the business sense to make it profitable, though likely not very. The c
ompany was formed in 1995, but didn't make its first production car until 2000. They made just 15 cars in 2005. Only recently have we started seeing the Koenigsegg models in the U.S. car magazines and never at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Again, this is a race-car looking GT, but in this case it is a little different. It looks like there is no consideration for driving on a real road as there is no rear quarter vision and little, if any, rear vision. I suppose you drive it with the same attitude that was supposedly used with the first Lamborghini Countach: Drive fast enough that you don't need to look behind you. But let's face it, if you drive in Southern California, you need to change lanes sometime.
Power comes from a bespoke 4.7-liter supercharged V-8 that develops over 800 horsepower. Acceleration is quoted for the European speed of 100 kilometers/hour or 62 miles/hour as under 3.5 seconds. That is in the low end of exotic territory. But... this manufacturer too uses a manual transmission, which to me isn't exotic at all, but it does have six speeds.
Because the Koenigsegg does not exactly have the traditional scissors doors, I included a photo. It might actually be rather easy to get into considering that it is a very low car. The interior, again, is bespoke with very high quality materials. Mr. Koenigsegg, however, has done a very unusual control assembly on the center console. From the pictures, it appears to be completely unfathomable. I hope that, in person, it is easier to use than it looks.
The CCR model sells for about $600,000.
Now, while the press says that all of these cars are to be certified for sale in the U.S., the only one that is definitely for sale here is the Bugatti Veyron. You can order yours at the authorized dealer in Pasadena, Rusnak. Pagani has just 13 dealers worldwide, as does Koenigsegg. Spyker has 25. And, my associate, Evan wouldn't like any of them because according to my research only the Veyron has both automatic headlights and automatic windshield washers. But, with the prices these cars command, would you really drive it in the rain?
Actually I have omitted two American manufacturers who fit into this hyper-exotic category, if not with hyper-exotic prices.
The first is Panoz, who makes their Esperante in Horschton, Georgia. This is a roa
dster built on a bespoke platform with mostly Ford mechanical and interior parts. Because of these mundane parts, the price for their most exotic version is about $120,000. I put this manufacturer in the hyper-exotic category because they built just 125 cars last year, but have been in business since 1989.
The other U.S. hyper-exotic manufacturer is Saleen with their S7. I'm tempted not to include Saleen because their business is really making variations of the Ford Mustang and F-150 truck. They do make their cars here, in Irvine, so it is a local hyper-exotic car company. The S7 is really a thinly disguised race car because it is made really so that the car can be raced at Le Mans. Some production cars are required to race in the class that the Saleen competes in. They don't win, alas, because they are competing against the Chevrolet Corvettes which have far more money behind them.
