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If Money Were No Object, What Car Would You Buy?
The Bentley Brooklands Coupe
“If you had all the money in the world, what car would you buy?” This hypothetical question came up in conversation the other day, and I just couldn’t come up with a satisfying answer. It’s a tough question, like asking “Whats your favorite food?” There are so many variables.
Do I go for the fastest car? The flat out most expensive? The rarest? Best looking? Most fun to drive?
The SSC Ultimate Aero TT – the fastest car in the world
Right now, the fastest car in the world is the SSC Ultimate Aero TT. It can go from 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and can make it up to almost 260 mph. It has a crazy 1183 hp and costs around $650,000. A close second is the Bugatti Veyron, which is quicker off the line and can hit 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, although it can only make it up to 253 mph and it only has a meager 1001 hp. It does cost $1.5 million though, so that’s pretty cool.
But do I really need that kind of speed? I don’t live next to the Bonneville salt flats, so really, hitting a top speed like that doesn’t look too likely, ever. So the super-speed machines are off my list.
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Mille Miglia – one of only 4 made and part of the Simeone Museum collection
I love antiques, so I thought maybe some sort of original racer or rare beauty. An original Fort GT40 would be spectacular, or a De Tomaso Mangusta. Or maybe further back, like an old Duesenberg or the 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe that sold for almost $8 million at one of the Pebble Beach Concours auctions. Anything from Dr. Fred Simeone’s collection would be amazing. But then again, I only get one choice. The older cars aren’t going to be nearly as drivable as a new one, and at the end of the day, all it’ll do it sit in my garage. I want to enjoy my car. I want to use it for it’s intended purpose, I don’t want to have to baby it. So antiques are out.
I want a fast, maneuverable, high quality, beautiful car.
My eventual choice, after hours of deliberation?
The Bentley Brooklands Coupe
The Bentley Brooklands Coupe
Like most Bentleys, it feels like an antique. The acres of rare wood and leather and glass and analog dials let you know it’s the ultimate luxury car with a powerful heritage; yet, there’s none of the technology that’s common in luxury cars today. There’s also no satellite radio, no iPod jack, no keyless entry, no radio controls on the steering wheel, hardly any gadgets at all, because they’re superfluous in a driving machine.
The Brooklands is a luxury car…but above all else, it’s a drivers car, and it’s about the experience of driving. Refinement is the best word for it, inside and out. There is hardly any bling or brightwork on the exterior, some small bits here and there, but nothing extravagant. The car already exudes quality without needing extra cues.
One of the more noticeable things to the enthusiast are the insanely huge cross drilled carbon/silicon carbide brakes that take up almost the whole inside of the wheel. They’re the largest diameter discs of any production passenger car ever, and this car needs those brakes. At 5,800 pounds and almost 18 feet long, it’s heavier and longer than a Chevy Tahoe. And heres the kicker: All that size and weight goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and hits the 100-mph mark just 6.7 seconds after that.
The Brooklands owes it’s speed to the hand built twin-turbocharged 6.75-liter V8 that puts out 530 horsepower and a bizarrely massive 774 lb-ft of torque. That’s actually more torque than any other production car in the world. Fast, beautiful, luxurious, and rare with only 550 Brooklands planned for production. I know what I want, now I just need $400,000 dollars.
So that’s my choice, how about you? Let’s say you have a regular car, your everyday driver, and you get to buy one special car, anything you want, and money is no object. Now, what’s it going to be?
Get to the comments people, I want to hear about your dream cars.
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NO question for me, should have done it when I could have done it but I didn’t pull the trigger… a 66 Lincoln Continental Convertable. Lots of cars that I’d like to own, or drive or just show off, but honestly I could see myself being quite happy to knock around in one of these suicide door classics. Practical enough that I could move the family, pick up mountains of stuff from stores, show up at a $1000 a plate fundraiser or do just about anything except off road. These Continentals share similiar lines of the 61-67 body Lincolns but the 66 and 67 are basically twins except for a small fender lamp that lights on the 66’s. Just enough for me to make the 66 slightly better than the 67. You could probably get a completely restored (built to your specs or original) for about $100k or one done for less than 70k. A solid, nice original driver seems to be around the 30k area so these are actually a little more reachable than the cars you mentioned here.
Words by Joe on August 27, 2008 at 4:06 pm | #
Why, a Prius, of course!
Not really, probably a Porsche 911 930 Turbo in perfect condition.
Words by Guyon on August 27, 2008 at 9:00 pm | #
Morgan’s lightweight coupe version of its Aero 8, the Aeromax would be my pick. You’ve got interesting styling and British handbuilt craft, combined with the smooth 333 horsepower, 4.4 liter BMW V8 under the hood.
Of course, it would take months, from the time ordering to get the car. But from what I’ve read, it would be worth the wait. I’ve ridden in vintage Moggies, and know they’re fun and the eptiome of the British roadster tradition; however, the Aeromax has most of that heritage and it is the type of car you can will to your descendents and they’ll thank you for it, just for the money it would bring, should they sell it.
But the money is the least of it. Oscar Wilde once defined a cynic as a man who knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing. The Aeromax is a car designed to teach one the value of living.
Words by Terry Parkhurst on August 27, 2008 at 10:02 pm | #
Jeeze, if money were no object, then i’ll buy anycar I like…like how most rich people do it really.
Words by john hallaway on August 28, 2008 at 4:59 am | #
One word:
Rolls Royce Phantom Drop head
actually little more than one
Words by fmfm on August 28, 2008 at 5:04 am | #
Damn. It’s a toss-up between a 1967 fastback Shelby GT, or a 2009 Volvo S80 V8 [make fun of that, please, I dare you]
Words by Suzanne Denbow on August 28, 2008 at 4:30 pm | #
A Bentley 08 brooklands on Giovanis
Words by Dennis on September 22, 2008 at 7:59 am | #
come on people,,,what abt ferrari enzo, buggati veyron, mercdes maybach, and lamborghini mercielago…..i want them all…..[;)]
Words by RoHaN on November 22, 2008 at 3:00 am | #
No way boys
the ultimate car would be a 1986-1988 959 Porsche
and that old Rolce-Royce that was insured for a small 40 million dollars, not even sold at that price just INSURED!!!
Words by NoahB on April 17, 2009 at 3:17 pm | #
i think the Ultimate Aero is one of the hottest cars i’ve seen and the maybach’s are sooo damn ugly! but thats just my opinion.
Words by Nigga K.O. on April 27, 2009 at 1:45 pm | #
The best car in the world is the Bentley Continental GT. Not the speed, just the regular one. And here is why:
First of all, it’s fast. It’s the fastest car in the world if you think about it because, where are you ever going to reach 200 mph apart from the auto bahn or a track, and is that really what you want? Then buy an F1 car or a Bughatti Veyron. The bentley is also fast enough to take off because anything below 4 seconds from 0 to 60 is just ridiculous. If your right foot accidentally slips off at a red light, you’ll be paying quite a load of money, and not just for your own repairs. And then, it’s four wheel drive. It doesn’t get any better in terms of handling at speed because yes, some cars are fast but hit a corner and you’ll regret it. With the bentley, it’s not necessarily the case. And yes, a driver’s car needs to be simple, but for the love of God isn’t a car itself technology? If you want something classical, get a horse carriage. Yes, some of the aids can be quite annoying and you won’t be doing any driving, but with the bentley, that is perfectly balanced. You get a six gear tiptronic transmission, you can always change gears manually but let’s admit that most of the fun isn’t in changing gears, it’s in the speed, the grip, and how fast you can change gears. Yes, six gears is a lot, but then it’s automatic, so you don’t have to worry about it that much. And that comes in handy because six gears won’t be as fuel savvy as a four gear automatic or five gear manual.
Then, you get the interior. It’s classic, and yet modern. You get all the toys that you would want, and yet they’re not complicated. A screen, a CD player, air con, etc yet it’s not something you would need to read a manual to operate. Not if you’re a car fanatic at least. The seats are perfect, the boot space is perfect, you can travel in that car or you can take it to the golf club. It’s not too expensive, I mean 150 thousand dollars is a lot, but not Bugatti Veyron lot. It’s a volkswagon after all so the servicing won’t be tricky, any VW dealer can manage it anywhere in the world and they’ll also get you the parts. Try servicing a Veyron in India. Or Syria. Or Romania….
The thing is if I want a perfect car and had a lot of money, it won’t be just about the money. Money will simply enable me to buy anything I want. Then, I will look for what I want based on a lot of criteria, like what am I going to be doing with the car? Why do I want it? What do I want to do with it? What do I want it to be able to do? And unless you plan to take the kids to school, have a limited budget for either buying or running the car, or have an eco mentality, then the Bentley is the only car in the whole world that answers 90 percent of the needs of a regular stud who just wants a fun ride that can do anything.
At least, that’s what I think.
Words by Cruentos Solum on May 8, 2009 at 6:52 pm | #
a black low miles PERFECT 1969 dodge charger with a 440 or a 383 and a 4 spd man. and skinny tires and stock hubcaps like the ones on bullitt. YOU CANT GET ANY BETTER CAR
Words by neightball on July 2, 2009 at 10:47 pm | #
I would buy my self an Ascari KZ1. for me its a perfect supercar and everyday car. and i agree with Cruentos Solum speed is not everything, but maybe i would by on of Arash Farboud’s cars like an AF-10 or GTS or maybe a Noble or somehing Italian but rare cause i love rare cars i will never buy a mercedes or a BMW or audi they are not bad actually i love them but there is so much of those here in europe and thats why i like exclusive cars.
Words by knight992 on July 24, 2009 at 11:36 am | #
The only American car that i would MAYBE buy is a Corvette ZR1 or a Z06.
Words by knight992 on July 24, 2009 at 11:38 am | #
‘98 993 911 Turbo. The best Porsche ever, and certainly one of the most intoxicating mixes of style, aggression, power, performance and pure aural goodness i’ve seen yet. And they are bulletproof too.
Words by lloyd dube on November 27, 2009 at 4:33 am | #