why luxury cars are expensive ?

What makes luxury cars so expensive? 

Start with the engine by trying to explain the high cost of luxury cars, and then throw in handling, engineering and exclusivity.

So what makes luxury cars so expensive?

As for the 458 Italy, three words say it all: it's a Ferrari.

At the risk of simplifying too much, any car that leaves the Ferrari factory in Maranello carries the pedigree, exclusivity and, above all, engineering to ensure those "preferred" customers on the waiting list will not be arguing on the baseline.

Plus: No losers in this five-car comparison

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This is not to say that the Ferrari 458 Italy is not worth every penny of its $225 325 (US) selling price. This marvel of aluminum, elaborated entirely in the company, from the interior sewn by hand to its 4.5 L V8 of direct injection, ends up being more than the sum of its parts. And the parts are doomed impressive.

Ferrari claims, the 562-hp V8 crankcase dry-crank flat has the highest specific power of any natural suction production engine, 125 horsepower and 89 lb-ft per liter. Look deep inside and you'll find the F1 technology: Graphite coated piston skirt, "carbon coated diamond" pushers, three electric sweeping pumps for oil control, etc.

I have visited the ultra-modern Ferrari factory, and the pride and dedication of the workers is palpable. In a station, a craftsman removes the guide valve from a liquid nitrogen bath and inserts them into the head, where they expand for a safe fit.

In another section, where an army of women in stitch sewing machines The fine skins that swatch the cabins, old traditions meet the New world.

At Ferrari, you're getting what you pay for.

With a price of $119,105, the Corvette ZR1 is expensive. However, in the big picture, this super-Vette is a bargain for the car's performance. A Nürburgring lap time of 7:19.63 and a maximum speed of 328 kmh say it all.

The heart of the question is its supercharged-Eaton 6.2 L LS9 V8, which makes 638 CV at 6500 rpm and 604 lb-ft torque to 3800 rpm

These engines are hand-built into the GM Construction Performance Center in Wixom, Michigan. The 100,000-square-foot plant employs about two dozen highly skilled workers and, following the example of the AMG factory in Afalterbach, Germany, GM uses "one man, one focusing engine". A single worker builds every engine from start to finish.

Other special hardware that contributes to high price of the ZR1 are the hood panels of carbon fiber, roof, split and rocker, and the same aluminum frame that is in the racing car C6 R winner of Le Mans.

Like the Ferrari 458, the Corvette is equipped with expensive carbon-ceramic brakes and magnetically controlled adaptive shock absorbers.

The current BMW M3, in $71,700, is based on the previous generation series 3 and is about to be put to graze. If you are a fan of the natural aspiration V8 engine, buy one now.

The next M3, with its V6 turbocharged, will have more power, more torque and better numbers to be presented, but you will not get the crack whip response from the accelerator and the Sweet exquisite 4.0 L V8 chant of this car, which makes 414 horsepower and spins at a vertiginous 8,300 rpm and we can only hope that the new M3 retains the ballet balance of this car.

What makes the M3 much more expensive than a garden-variety series 3 (starting from $36,000)? Its small block "to the Square" V8 (its diameter is larger than its career) was built specifically for the E92 M3 and will see service in no other vehicle. We're not talking about economies of scale here.

In fact, although it looks like series 3, 80 percent of the M3 components are new. It gets burned wheel steps, an aluminum vent hood, carbon fiber roof, hollow ant bars in events, adaptive limited slip differential and the two front and rear suspensions are unique to the M3, being almost entirely aluminum fashion.

This is one of the best cars of all time. Buy one! Oh, yes, I said that.

With the Porsche 911 transition from the 997-outgoing designation for the new 991, the rear-wheel-drive GT3 variant is interrupted. Be assured: There is a new version of the work.

The GT3 997 was a special being, and the price of $211 100 of the swan song of 500 CV 2011 GT3 4.0 (only 15 arrived in Canada) which bought the sharpest, purest to the existing 911. Having driven the GT3 3.8 L ($138,100), I can attest that there are 911 wired yes immediately to your driving mojo-your immediate and accurate response to the tickets seemed to anticipate all your intentions.

And the sound of that flat and six! It all comes down to the engines. Seeing a pattern here?

The separation itself from all the other 911 in the list (and there were many) was the GT3 dry crankcase engine that plotted its lineage back to the GT1 1996 Porsche 911 corridor.

This high speed mill has not made modern concessions for efficiency or emissions. There was no direct injection and only a six-speed manual of closed ratio was offered. The PDK dual-clutch transmission was not designed to fit this engine, and was considered too heavy anyway.

The GT3 has also lowered adaptive sports suspension, active engine supports, secure in center 19-inch ultra-light alloys, a stunt rear differential and IR-fast body bits.

Although piffle as the rear seats acoustic insulation and have been eliminated, in the true tradition of Porsche, the base GT3 had a dizzying array of options and expensive upgrades (from $4,000 Côte d'azur paint to $12,000 carbon ceramic brakes) that swells the baseline in a big hurry.

Although the British car manufacturer Lotus has been in business for 60 years, it is still more or less a sports house manufacturer. As such, you can expect to pay a higher price for your CV 345 Evora S logo, now around $90,000.

That doesn't sound like a lot if you're cross purchases a Porsche 911 S, and the direction and chassis of the sublime Lotus are in a league of their own.

The question here is to build quality, ergonomics and that supercharged Toyota 3.5 L V6, which by the way delivers the merchandise, but it is not the material exotic dreams are made of.

You are going to buy this car totally with your heart, and that makes it expensive.