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Expensive Cars - Not Just a Pretty Face

Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes, you name it, I’m into it. My name is Brian and I’m all about the most expensive, high-performance, and radical cars in the world. That’s exactly why the name of my blog is what it is. I do not own a car at this point but am a fan of all television shows that feature supercars of any sort.

One of the biggest issues other car fanatics have is the same issue they have with computers made by Apple compared to Toshiba, as in the only reason amazing money is paid for such a high-performance tool is because of the brand name. In some cases, that is true. But not with all of them.

A great example of this is the Ferrari F430. It costs between $187,000 and $217,000, which is the cheapest car Ferrari makes. There is also a popular convertible version, the F430 Spider that cost $230,000. Even though both of these cars went out of production in 2009, they demonstrate a perfect example of a car bought purely for the label.

No doubt, the Ferrari is an astonishing car. It can top 200 mph and sounds like any good Ferrari should. But only when you blast it at 8,000 rpm’s, in which case you have to change gear and quiet the car down before the engine decides it’s time to kill you. Also, like most supercars, it’s astonishing speed is only useful if you live right next to an unrestricted Autobahn in Germany. With that ferocious engine working with speed limitations, the 4.3 liter V8 engine is put to waste, holding back the 490 bhp concealed in the beautiful engine in the middle.

The worst problem with the F430, it is anything but discrete. Someone that pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for a supercar should get one that has an absolutely marvelous design. The car looks like an old TVR from the front and the back looks like the back to the newer Ferrari Enzo but raised 8 inches, which ruins the beautiful look of the back grill.

What’s this got to do with brand names? A car that deserves the Ferrari seal should be beautiful. With speed limitations on highways all over the country, the best thing to get in an expensive car is shear beauty. Which is why I prefer the Chevrolet Camaro. This car is still in production, and though it lacks the racing pedigree of the Ferrari and a whole lot of performance, it is much prettier and more useful in the common environment. Snow driving is important, and the Camaro has the same Brembo brakes available in the F430 and may other Ferrari models, in addition to the higher nose which makes it easier to glide across snow banks. The Camaro and F430 also weigh about the same, so apart from mind-blowing power the Camaro ranks right up next to the F430 in most categories on paper.

The best part is the price. The 2012 coupe version of the Camaro costs just under $193,000 less than the 2009 F430, and the 2012 convertible version costs $201,000 less than the 2009 F430 spider.

One supercar that is in the same situation as the F430 is the McLaren-Mercedes SLR. It costs $450,000 and had a top speed of 207 mph. This sounds like good value, but not when you compare it to my favorite Italian supercar, the Ferrari 458 Italia Spider. The Ferrari costs $200,000 less than the McLaren-Mercedes, and is faster than it in the sprint to 60, 100, and has the exact same top speed. The best part is that the cheaper car also has an automatic folding roof.

The main reason such a radical price is set for the SLR is because of the point I drew at the beginning of this article. It carries two brand names, so it sucks more money out of all its customer’s pockets. Customers pay for the McLaren name and the Mercedes name. No doubt it is an insanely powerful car and luxurious as well, but the performance doesn’t make up for the price.

The one supercar company that understands that people deserve exceptional value for their cars is Lamborghini. I know that a lot of people know of the insane expense of Lambos, but the one thing they understand is that a combination of looks and performance makes a great car. I don’t care if I can’t take a brand-new Aventador 217 mph down the interstate, but at least I could sit inside the car and enjoy myself, and know that I can get out of it and enjoy it from every angle. Lamborghini always makes radical and beautiful designs, and that’s why you can’t get ripped off for a logo whenever you throw 300,000 dollars into a brand-new Lamborghini.

Hello All!

Hey all you car fanatics, this is 9,500 Revs! I don't know how many people will see this post, but in the next weeks and months I will begin posting some real-life car talk. So relax and enjoy!