Ask Mike: The most expensive car in the world
Hey Guys,
Yesterday, for the umpteenth time, my car’s “Check Engine” light made an unpleasant return to the dashboard. Few things are as unwelcome, and it got me thinking about starting fresh with a new ride. Just for kicks, I decided to look for the most expensive car in the world. Buckle up, expensive ride ahead.
I limited the search to new and street-legal cars. No antique Rolls-Royce Phantoms or rocket-powered flying cars allowed. Still, even with those limitations, I managed to find a car that I wouldn’t be able to afford in a million years. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Bugatti Veyron.
According to car experts at Edmunds.com, the Veyron will run you about $1.5 million. (That’s not counting the trade-in value of your ’89 Pontiac, FYI.) But, the Bugatti isn’t just about style, although it has plenty of it. In addition to being the world’s most expensive automobile, it’s also one of the fastest and most powerful cars on the planet. Top speed: 252 mph. Horsepower: 1,001 under the hood.
Of course, a $1.5 million dollar car begs the question: What’s the least expensive car on the market today? About.com claims it’s the Hyundai Accent, which retails for around $10,690. True, it won’t go 252 miles per hour, and it has a fraction of the Bugatti’s horsepower. But, on the plus side, you can buy about 140 of them for the same price as one of the Italian supercars.
Back to my beleaguered car for a moment. Anyone know of a quick way to figure out why the hated Check Engine light is on, without having to take the car in to the shop? I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to know. As always, links are appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
- Rating:
(30 votes, average: 2.57) - Permalink
- Comments (68)
Loading ...
Subscribe
Autozone used to read error lights for free….not sure if they still do, but I would ask there first.
You can take it to Auto Zone and they will see what code it is putting out, and they should be able to help you figure out what the problem is. If it is an older car, sometimes the light will just come onand after a couple starts it will go back off. The most common reason for a check engine light coming on is because your engine is misfiring, which could be anything froma bad spark plug, spark plug wire or even a bad fuel injector. Hope this helps, Auto Zone should be able to help you out!
bugatti vayron
the most expensive car is Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987.
That was a fun read! Thanks, Mike.
I have never even heard of that car before. As for the check engine light, I usually take my vehicle to an AutoZone, Advanced Auto or something similar because they offer free scans. Usually it is something easy. Once when my light came on, it was because I had not screwed the gas tank lid on tight enough.
My husband used to be a tech and they would get cars in all the time whith a check engine light on. More often then not, the gas cap would be loose. So the moral of the story? Always check you gas cap before you take the car in on a check engine light. The dealerships will still charge you for an hour of service if it’s just that. Other then that- There are not very many ways to figure out why your check engine light is on- you will normally have to take it to a ship where they can scan for codes to figure it out (on newer cars at least)
Well being and ’89 you may not have too many options. But I would at least try take it to Auto Zone or one of the other well known places to buy car parts. They will hook up a little hand held device under your dash and hopefully tell you whats wrong. Also NO cost to you by the way.
If you have an Autozone nearby they’ll scan it for you. If not, call around to other autoparts stores — one is bound to do it for you.
I think the Pagani Zonda would be a good 2nd choice, and the Lamborghini Murcielago SV the 3rd choice.
Find somebody who can read the fault codes.
Odds are it is an Oxygen Sensor. It’s always a freaking Oxygen Sensor. However, just to be sure, stop by any auto-parts chain store and ask to use their hand-held diagnostic code reader. They will let you use it for free, hoping that you will then buy the parts needed to fix the car from them. Write the “fault code” down and then go home and look it up.
Hey Mike.
That check engine light could mean one many different problems. EGR valve, cylinder misfire, Catalytic converter, etc. You need to diagnose it with a “code reader”. Code readers are available at most auto parts stores like advance auto parts, NAPA, etc. And if you look interested in buying one (they run about $100) and are nice to the people working there, they probably have a demo they can connect to your car and pull the codes for free. Once you have the code, you may have to call the dealer or a mechanic and ask for guidance on repairs.
Turn the ignition on and off 5 times (don’t start the engine, just enough for the battery. The check engine light will blink a certain amount of times and then it will pause, count the number of blinks each time it pauses. Then go online and look up diagnostic codes for the manufacture you have and you can diagnose your own problem
Stop by my condo and I can use my scanner to retrieve the codes. The single most common cause for the check engine light is a gas cap that is not secured properly. This usually happens a few hours of driving after refueling. I don’t know what car the person with the comment about the flashing light drives, but it won’t work for 99% of all cars ever built. It won’t work for ANY car built after 1996.
Yeah too bad it is not the fastest anymore
1. SSC Ultimate Aero: 257 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 secs. Twin-Turbo V8 Engine with 1183 hp, base price is $654,400. Tested in March 2007 by Guinness world records, The SSC Ultimate Aero takes the lead as the fastest car in the world beating Bugatti Veyron
http://www.thesupercars.org/fastest-cars/fastest-cars-in-the-world-top-10-list/ the link
also, someone once told me the check engine light automatically comes on after a certain length of time, or a certain length of miles, requiring you to go to a shop to get the light turned off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_aero
here’s the link to the fastest car in the world
The Veyron was tested by Top Gear on the clandestine VW course in Germany (9 kilometres long straight – http://www.satellitesights.com/satelliteimage/Ehra-Lessien_Secret_Volkswagen_Test_Track_Niedersachsen_Germany ). It did indeed live up to its publicized top speed.
Top Gear noted that, at that speed, the car would consume its entire fuel supply in fifteen minutes, and melt its tires in 12 minutes (Nobody makes tires for sustained speeds beyond about 185 mph.
The Bugatti Veyron is in fact not the most expensive car. The Maybach Excelero sells for 8 million dollars.
the check engine light will not work well with any car, it is always on in all of my family members cars, as soon as something is not what it should be, anything from oil to pistons, the light comes on, usually the light comes on for nothing, sometimes after driving 50 miles the oil changes color so the light comes on. btw I could not even afford the 89 pontiac, I just got unemployed
According to the Sotheby’s website the most expensive car ever sold was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder which sold for 10.9 million.
Here’s a picture of one of them though I’m not sure if the car pictured is the same one that sold for that price.
http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/512969,8773/1961-Ferrari-250-GT-California_photo.aspx
the bugatti veyron has 987 brake horse power btw
Sometimes the check engine light means your gas cap isnt screwed on right. What my sisters auto body did was reset her light. let it sit for a night, run it at 65 for 15 minutes morning, let it sit, drive it again for 15 minutes at 65, and repeat that for a couple of days. That process was done to see if it would come back on. Or your oxygen sensor is whacked out.
Check the gas cap. If not on tight, it can trigger a check engine light. Happens on my 1996 Corvette every once in awhile.
It’s an easy, but often overlooked, thing to try before digging deeper.
Obviously, a dreaded emissions problem, which can’t be diagnosed without the computer. I think the Maybach ranks right up there in price with the Bugatti.
Do what the Car Talk guys always say: “Just put electrical tape over the check engine light”
the most expensive car in the world is my project car a 1978 pontiac trans am it cost me every penny i had and its still not done as for the check engine light just smack the flux capacitor on the side then hit 88 miles an hour it shuold take care of the problem
I feel like many of the Auto Zone employees I have had to deal with lately know very little about cars. Even when I get my codes checked there they usually can’t tell me much. Which is why I go to O’Reilly Auto Parts. The guys there really know their stuff!!
That Bugatti is a hot car. I feel sorry for the guy who wrecked his(and for his insurance company)
http://droppingmadskrill.com/worlds-most-expensive-car-wrecked/?pid=1
http://www.livevideo.com/video/embedLink/F403B0F4F8094F13AF9D945A77E6FD46/85680/8-million-dollar-car.aspx
The most expensive car in the world, street legal and can be purchased for driving – is the Maybach Exelero. Cost: $8,000,000.00. No kidding, google it or click the link to see it in Car Review.
The codes on your car, Mike, are OBD-I or OBD-II, depending on the year and make of your car. OBD-I (or On-Board Diagnostics, level I or II) codes are simple codes that tell where and what is wrong with a car. Usually consists of a letter followed by 4-digit number. If your car is older invest in an OBD-I scanner from wal-mart ($20). Read it, get codes, and google ‘em to save time. If it’s OBD-II the scanner is abit more costly. But it beats the $75-250 I’m gonna charge just to hook up at the mechanic’s shop. Check with autozone to see which OBD system your car as.
I guess the terms “new and street-legal and expensive” don’t register with some people.
I just saw one driving on a back road last week. There are only about 200 of them in the whole world! Ive been to tons of car shows and have never seen one until last week, all I could say when I was driving by it was “oh my god oh my god oh my god!!” I would like to comment that the Bugatti is the “most expensive production & road car ever” which means that it’s the most expensive “new” car that you can buy.
Besides the comment about the 8.7 million dollar Rolls Royce that was made…the other most expensive cars are the Maybach Exelero at 8 million dollars, and then there is the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost…not sure which year but its an old one and it was reported that it would be listed at 15 million dollars if Rolls-Royce decided to sell it…its the model that they have at thier headquaters in England.
“The four-seater Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world, was launched yesterday with an asking price of just £1,390.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/motoring/article-1164150/1-390-worlds-cheapest-car-headed-Britain.html
The Bugatti Veyron; $1,700,000
Hope tht helps!
Turn the key from off position to the accessory position three times and then on the third time leave it on the accessory position and it should flash the problem on the dash.
I’ve had come on a few times took it Auto zone always the gas cap. Make sure it clicks a least 3 times.
IF you put gas in the vehicle shortly before the light came on, then your gas cap is loose. Tighten and have the code cleared.
I bought a handheld scanner for approx. 150.00. It payed for itself after 2 needed scans. (plus one for my father-in-law)
The scanner will come with a code book.
What is the most expensive car in the world? The 1931 Bugatti Royale Kellner Coupe was sold for $8,700,000 in 1987. However, that car and many alike will not be included in this list because it is not available on the market today. It is hard to imagine someone would actually spend 8 million dollars on a car instead of using it for something more productive. However, if you have the money and the opportunity, you will definitely spend a small fraction of it to place a few of these supercars in your garage. Here are the 10 most expensive production cars on the market.
Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. It claims to be the fastest car with a top speed of 253 mph+. However, the title for the fastest car goes to the SSC Ultimate Aero which exceed 253 mph pushing this car to 2nd place for the fastest car.
The “check engine” idiot light is the most annoying piece of junk on any car. It’s just a way to cost you money. OH, yeah all those mechanics out there will give you the ‘talk” about take it to the shop and get it checked could be serious (shaking in my shoes-not). 99.9% of the time its not important, nothing worth fixing or something that an older car is just gonna do.
gabriel the flashing check engine light only works on cars qwith the obd-1 system, newer cars have obd-2 which requires you to plug in a code scanner.
obd-1 was great, you used a jumper wire in the fuse box and it flashed the code! I did that on a 92 tercel.
Nice post.
LOL
Oh and definate TU to Mechanic Mike’s answer!
Gerald: If you spend $150 for a scanner with a code book, you were robbed. That type of code reader should run under $50. For $150, the code book should be programmed into the scanner.
fred stevens: to add to your comment about OBD-I flashing codes: The way you get the light to flash was manufacturer specific. For the OBD-I cars I used to own, you used a paper clip to jumper 2 pins on the diagnostic port and then turn the key to run. My current car has OBD-I programming and an OBD-II diagnostic connector. I had to find a scanner that reads BOTH, and has swappable plugs for 5 different systems.
gotta love 1000 horsepower though…
Being a person of the feminine gender, I’m not much into cars, but did decide to click on the links.
Except for the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT, I thought most of those high priced vehicles were ugly.
My husbands 1999 Ford truck has been running with the check engine light on for two months. Rides like a buckboard. Hope your luck getting the Pontiac fixed is better than his.
(This truck has been a lemon if ever there was one. Had a transmission and engine replaced before it was three years old. — Needs to be “driven over the hill.”)
Good Luck with that Pontiac!
..
The check engine light could be a few things. The most common is when people go to fill up their car and “top up”. Once the gasoline pump automatically stops, do not top up. Alot of cars have sensors and if it tops off, it could hit the sensor that causes the light to go on. Also different gas stations have slightly different amounts of water in them. If you are using a gas statiomn that puts more water than others it could cause a slight problem or set off your sensor. I asked various mechanics because this has been happening to my Mercury Sable for a while. Hope this helps you out.
the bugatti is the most expensive car
There’s an simple way to figure out why the dreaded check engine light on your 89 Pontiac. Just locate the OBD port, its at the bottom of the dash on the drivers side and use a paperclip or wire as a jumper between the top two far right plugs. These are the ground and the diagnostic connections. Next don’t crank it just turn the ignition to the on position. The check engine light will start to flash, there will be a flash or a quick series of flashes a brief pause and then another flash or flashes. Typically the first code is the diagnostic mode code and should be ignored, all the codes will repeat 5 or 6 times before showing the next code. Write down all the codes that come up and let it keep giving you codes until it cycles back to the first one to ensure you get all of them if there is more than one. Once you’ve got all the codes just look them up on the internet and voila, you should know what needs fixing to make it go away until the next thing goes wrong.
I don’t think Hyundai Accent is the cheapest car in the world.Haven’t you heard about Tata Nano which costs about 1,53,000 in indian rupees and the price tag in US Dollars is about $2300.
It is actually very easy to figure out what the Check Engine light means onan 89 Pontiac (or any 1980-93 GM car for that matter). It also may not be a very big problem at all. First of all, what kind of a Pontiac is it, and what engine does it have in it? What you need to do is look under the steering column for the diagnostic connector to the computer. It should have a cover on it that says “Diagnostic Connector” on it. Pull that off. Then, you’ll see what looks like a rectangle with 16 slots in it, i.e. two rows of 8 slots, one row on top of the other. The upper right two slots are the “A” and “B” terminals. Go get a paper clip from your desk drawer, and straighten it out completely. Then bend it perfectly in half, so it now looks like a “U”, with each side of the U being of equal length. With the engine OFF, stick the two ends of the paper clip into the A and B terminals (the upper right two terminals. DO NOT STICK IT INTO ANY OTHER TWO TERMINALS PLEASE. Now trn the key to “on”, BUT DO NOT START THE ENGINE. Look at the “check engine” light. It will start to flash. It will flash once, then twice, once, then twice, once then twice. That means “code 12″ which is a NORMAL code- it means the computer system is working. Then it will begin to flash a different number. You need to watch the light carefully and count the number of flashes to figure out what it is. You will get three chances to read the code, just as you got three chances to read code 12. There may be more than one code there, so continue to watch. When you get back to code 12, that means it has read all of the codes in memory. Write down what the codes are. If you need to, continue to watch the flashing check engine light as it will repeat the codes. When you’re done, turn the key off and pull the paper clip out. Whatever you do, do NOT start the motor while the paper clip is pushed into the diagnostic connector. With these codes, you should be able to go online and look up “GM check engine codes” or something like that- and find out what the codes mean. Just make sure you are looking up 1980-1993 codes because starting around 1994 they were totally different. Either that, or you can e-mail me and I will try to help you. Most likely you just have an oxygen sensor that went bad or something like that.
Actually, the most expensive car ever sold was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. It sold for a mind boggling 12.2 million dollars. As for modern production cars, yeah, the Bugatti Veyron is by far the most expensive production car on sale today. Probably the Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang is the most expensive of them, selling at 3.6 million dollars.
A few months ago I had occasion to visit Symbolic Motors in San Diego. They are the Bugatti dealer in that area. You might find this interesting. The Veyron is powered by waht is called a “W16″ It is technically a V8 but with 16 cylinders. Two pistons operate off the same crankshaft journal. The engine is made by Volkswagen for Bugitti. This is actually an old technology. The Nethercutt Collection in Slymar Ca. has a 1927 French made vehicle with the exact same technology only called the flat 12. It is 12 cylinders but every two cylinders operate off the same crankshaft journal. I would recommend to anyone interested in antique cars to visit this collection. It is free of charge and free parking. They have one building that has over 130 cars. All perfectly restored or perfect original condition. They have an original Bugatti of 1925-7 vintage. Instead of being painted, the body is covered in leather. Just google The Nethercutt Collection. Symbolic had two of the Veyron in stock. One tire for the Veyron is $2500. A routine service is $14,000 and a factory rep from Italy stands over the service techs shoulder while he does the service. I asked which one I could sit in and smoke. They rathered I didn’t
wow cool 1000 horse power that is awesome what is the most expensive ar you ever had?
Isn’t it an amazing coincidence that the world’s most expensive car also happens to be the most ugliest?
I was hoping that the most expensive car would be a Ferrari, not the Bugatti Veyron.
So I have a 1995 ford pickup ,that used to do that all of the time .and Finnally i found out what it was about .Alot of the time it’s becouse the vehical has reached a set mileage marker ,and it was a way to have your Vehical into the dealer or ? then i was shown how to reset by myself . JUST UNHOOK THE BATTERY CABLES FROM THE BATTERY AND THEN PUT THEM BACK ON . THIS ALSO WORKS FOR GETTING YOUR(ON THE FLY ) 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO SHUT OFF ) WHICH I USE TO HAVE TO DO BY DRIVING 30 MPG BACKWURDS .
I read about the Bugatti Veyron in a book at school. I am completely envious of anyone who owns one, though that number must be incredibly small.
The Buggati is made in Paris not Italy and DesignerGenes you have that backwards you would run out of fuel before your tires melted they said
I’ll take one…the Bugatti that is!
are you looking for a pricetag or memory.
my first car is priceless. so there you have it.
Mclaren F1 costs more than Bugatti Veyron
i dont know the absolute most expensive car, but there are more expensive cars than that. for one, the Lamborghini Reventon is $3M
WOW! I think I am to imagine that these vehicles that cost in the millions are NOT FOR DRIVING to the grocery store on Saturdays with your Mom? With so much power under the engine – where in the world would you ‘let out’ the engine without getting po-po in your rear view mirror? I’m just understanding the specifics of the MAYBACH. And this doesn’t seem to be the kind of car that you just ‘drive around’. I’m blown away! Who would want these cars? Just the rich and famous… I guess…me? I love my Stratus.
I’m happy with my Mitsubishi Eclipse. I don’t need an expensive car to show off. I got a reliable ride that gets me from point A to point B. Thats the same thing a Rolls Royce will do.
Range of specialised chauffeur services tailored to meet the requirements of all clients. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, airport transfers, private tours, or wedding cars
OFCOURSE BMW
B-M-W MOST Expensive Car
Mike were you able to figure out what the check engine light means on your car?
Bugatti Veyron $ 1,700,000. This is by far the car street legal most expensive on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. He claims to be the fastest car with a top speed of 253 km + h /. But the title of fastest car goes to the SSC Ultimate Aero which exceed 253 mph pushing this car to the second space for the fastest car.
More detail: http://www.thesupercars.org/top-cars/most-expensive-cars-in-the-world-top-10-list-2007-2008/
Back to my beleaguered car for a moment. Anyone know of a quick way to figure out why the hated Check Engine light is on, without having to take the car in to the shop? I’m sure I’m not the only one who would love to know. As always, links are appreciated.”>pellet die http://www.pelletmillguide.com/ring_die.html