With a seemingly endless stream of buyers ready to fork over millions to put the latest supercar in their driveway, exotic car manufacturers like Bugatti, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini have gone mad in recent years, offering up insanely powerful super and hypercars with eye-watering seven-figure price tags.
The flashiest, craziest, and most expensive exotic cars today are a showcase for the best and most innovative design, engineering, and innovation the automotive industry has to offer. This list of our favourites includes entries with screaming V12s, others that are whisper-quiet electric hypercars, and even a three-cylinder GT with seating for up to four passengers, so start saving your pennies if you’re dreaming of owning one of the wildest performance machines the auto industry has to offer in 2022.
Aston Martin Valkyrie
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is probably as close to a road-legal Le Mans prototype as we’ll ever get. This mad creation’s wild-looking exterior is the work of the Red Bull F1 team’s chief aerodynamicist Adrian Newey, who applied his near-endless technical knowledge to create a sophisticated aerodynamic platform that can produce up to 4,000 pounds of downforce at speed. Power comes from a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 that makes 1,000 horsepower at 10,500 rpm, along with a 160-horsepower hybrid system. Pricing starts at an estimated US$3 million, which is equivalent to $3.8 million at current exchange rates.
Mercedes-AMG ONE
The Mercedes-AMG ONE was developed to celebrate the German marque’s eight consecutive F1 championship titles that it earned between 2014 and 2021. As such, it uses the same turbocharged 1.6-litre engine as the Mercedes F1 car, which is paired with a sophisticated hybrid all-wheel drive system. Total system output sits at 1,050 horsepower, while the top speed is an impressive 352 km/h. Mercedes will build just 275 examples of the AMG ONE, all of which have now been sold at a price of US$2.72 million – equivalent to $3.4 million at current exchange rates.
Koenigsegg Gemera
The Koenigsegg Gemera is in the running for the craziest vehicle on this list, and that’s really saying something. This is a two-door, four-seat GT car with a cam-less turbocharged three-cylinder engine that displaces just under 2.0L. The engine produces 590 horsepower by itself but also features an electric motor on the crankshaft, which is joined by two other rear-mounted electric motors for a total system output of roughly 1,700 horsepower. Koenigsegg estimates it will top out at 400 km/h, although the Swedish supercar maker has yet to test this claim. Production will be limited to just 300 units and will be priced from around US$1.7 million, or $2.1 million at current exchange rates.
Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut
Koenigsegg is the only brand to have two vehicles on this list, which shouldn’t be surprising to anyone familiar with the Swedish manufacturer. The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut first premiered in 2020, but testing of the vehicle only began in 2022. It features a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8 that is rated at roughly 1,280 horsepower along with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an aerodynamically optimized body. These are the ingredients for a claimed top speed of over 483 km/h, although Koenigsegg’s own calculations indicate the car could theoretically achieve speeds of up to 563 km/h in the right conditions. Pricing starts at over US$3 million or about $3.8 million.
Bugatti Centodieci
The Bugatti Centodieci is an homage to the legendary Bugatti EB110 supercar and was built to mark the French manufacturer’s 110th anniversary. Based on the Bugatti Chiron, it features a quad-turbocharged W16 engine rated at 1,578 horsepower and boasts an electronically limited top speed of 380 km/h. Bugatti will produce a total of 10 examples priced at €8 million each or $10.7 million.
Rimac Nevera
The first battery-electric vehicle on this list (but not the last) is the Rimac Concept Two. This Czech EV start-up rose to prominence with its insanely powerful Concept One hypercar, which has now been succeeded by the even more impressive Nevera. This EV’s quad-motor setup is good for a head-spinning 1,900 horsepower, enabling it to hustle from zero to 100 km/h in two seconds flat and complete the quarter-mile in 8.58s at 270 km/h. While this car was first unveiled as the Rimac C_Two back in 2018, customer deliveries will only begin in 2022. Pricing starts at roughly US$2.4 million, equivalent to around $3 million at current exchange rates.
GMA T.50
While many of today’s most exciting supercars attempt to defy convention by leveraging ground-breaking new tech, the GMA T.50 is a celebration of the past. This mid-engine British supercar is the work of McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray and pairs a naturally aspirated Cosworth V12 engine with a six-speed manual transmission. It also features a large rear-mounted fan to pull it toward the ground and mimic the effect of traditional downforce – a strategy that Murray employed with great success on the legendary Brabham BT46 F1 car before the tech was banned from competition for being too effective. With 654 horsepower and a curb weight of just 2,174 lb, the T50 can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in about 2.8 seconds and will top out at 350 km/h. Prices start at around $3.7 million at current exchange rates.
Lotus Evija
Lotus may be known for its lightweight and relatively low-power sports cars, but the Evija represents a departure from the British brand’s somewhat sensible past. This is a battery-electric hypercar that makes 1,900 horsepower from its quad-motor powertrain, enabling it to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and top out at over 322 km/h. Production will be limited to 130 units with prices starting at around $2.8 million at current exchange rates.
SSC Tuatara
The SSC Tuatara is a mid-engine American-built hypercar that leverages a twin-turbocharged V8 engine based on the GM LS engine architecture. Paired with a seven-speed automated manual transmission, this fighter jet-inspired supercar can reach speeds in excess of 482 km/h, according to SSC, although it has so far only reached 474 km/h in testing. Prices start at around US$2 million, or roughly $2.5 million, and only 100 units will be produced.
Lamborghini Countach LPI 800–4
The Lamborghini Countach LPI 800–4 is a modern-day homage to the iconic Countach. The Italian manufacturer will produce just 112 examples of this model, all of which have been sold out. Power comes from a naturally aspirated V12 engine and an accompanying 48V mild-hybrid setup, which together produce an impressive 802 horsepower. Prices started at US$2.5 million when the car was still available to order, which is equal to about $3.1 million.
