10 most expensive cars in the world 2010

It's no easy task to define exactly what are the 10 most expensive cars in the world. The arbitrariness of ever-changing prices and even the question of whether a particular vehicle is in production at any given time can make determining such a list a near impossibility. Then guidelines must be set. Will older vehicles sold at auction for high money values be considered, or only newer vehicles? Will race cars be considered? For purposes of this list, the answer to both those questions is generally no.

What is considered for this list? Production cars that are street legal, at least in most countries, though this doesn't necessarily mean the U.S. Cars with a model coming out in the year 2010 or are at least still being sold as new in 2010. Cars that are not unique, one-off special productions for a particular buyer; in other words, there had to have been at least a few or more of the given car made.

All prices are average estimates based upon research; actual prices may tend to vary depending upon location of sale. Prices were compared and compiled from manufacturers, Forbes magazine and other sources. For matters of variety and simplicity, automobile manufacturers will be listed once only despite the fact the company might possibly produce another vehicle that could have made this list. But what fun would it have been to list 10 Koenigsegg or Buggatti vehicles?

Koenigsegg CCXR

$2,180,000

This Swedish vehicle can reach 0 to 60 in three seconds. That's nuts. That's like, motorcycle speed. But when you're paying more than two million dollars for a car, you can expect that, right? With a top speed of more than 250 miles per hour and a twin-supercharged V8 engine, this vehicle is practically a race car for the road. Running on ethanol fuel, the Koenigsegg CCXR also comes with a removable roof and a body made in part of Kevlar. There are a couple of special editions of this vehicle available, the Koenigsegg CCXR Edition and the Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita, but only a handful of them have been made and they come with a higher price tag.

Bugatti Beyron 16.4 Grand Sport

$2,030,000

267.91 miles per hour. Remember that number. That's how fast the Super Sport version of this vehicle can go. It's also the record for the world's fastest production car, according to the Guinness World Records. Here's another number to remember: 16. That's how many cylinders this car runs on with its W16 engine. Impressive numbers for an impressive car. Apparently someone in France knows how to make fine automobiles.

Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

$1,800,000

This automaker has only been around for about a decade now, but they've already made a big name for themselves. And the Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster is one of the reasons why. Only producing a dozen or so vehicles per year, Pagani Zonda has made the Cinque Roadster one of its most rare cars. This vehicle only has a top speed of about 217 miles per hour (yeah, only), but it can hit 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds. Nothing shabby about that.

Lamborghini Reventon Roadster

$1,600,000

You knew there had to be a Lamborghini on this list, didn't you? The original Reventon is a fairly new Lamborghini, having only been introduced by the Italian automaker in 2007, and the Reventon Roadster was just released in 2009. With a V12 engine and the capability to push 640, this vehicle has a lot of offer even for the price.

Maybach Landaulet

$1,380,000

This German car is more of a luxury vehicle than a sports car. It's a semi-convertible, which means part of the roof rolls back, and it's got a chauffeur's department up front, which is a fancy way of saying the backseat passengers can put up a wall between themselves and the driver. Prices for a Maybach Laundaulet are kind of all over the place, ranging anywhere from $500,000 to $1,400,000, depending upon the options and the place of purchase. Whatever the price, this is no cheap ride.

Ferrari Enzo

$1,000,000

217 miles per hour. 0 to 60 in 3.4 seconds. An F140 Aluminum V12 engine with 660 horses. Impressive statistics from one of the most popular high-end automobile companies in the world. Ferrari cars are generally known to be expensive, but the Enzo tops the list with it's cool million dollar price. Sure, there are older, collectible Ferraris that bring millions upon millions of dollars at auction, but for a new Ferrari nothing beats the Enzo for price and style.

McLaren F1

$970,000

Technically, the McLaren F1 hasn't been in production in a dozen years. So it shouldn't be on this list. Why is it here? For two reasons. First, though no longer produced, these vehicles are still on the market new, and only about a hundred of them were ever made. Second, the British manufacturer is coming out with a successor version though it will be called the McLaren MP4-12C. Once the world record holder for the fastest production car, the McLaren F1 is still a masterpiece of craftsmanship and style.

Leblanc Mirabeau

$870,000

With a V8 Supercharged engine that can apparently reach 700 or more horsepower, the Leblanc Mirabeau is basically a street-legal race car. Made in Switzerland by Wysstec, it's not very common in the United States as of yet, but it's not as is any of these vehicles are all that common anywhere on the globe. This vehicle doesn't come with a top, making it even more like a racing car, but if you're a stickler for a top you can always buy a Leblanc Caroline. That's if you've can afford it.

SSC Ultimate Aero

$750,000

This used to be the fastest production car in the world according to Guinness World Records, but just recently that record has gone by the wayside to the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. But hey, there's nothing wrong with being the second-fastest production car in the world, especially with a recorded top speed of 256 miles per hour. And with butterfly doors and a twin-turbo V8 engine, you can't cruise with much more style and more power for a cool three-quarters of a million dollars.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

$585,000

Coming in at the bottom of this list with a price not even reaching $600,000, this is the economy car for the millionaire with everything, including money to burn. The Saleen S7 Twin Turbo is a limited edition vehicle from Irvine, California. The company claims this vehicle can get from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds and has a top speed of at least 240 miles per hour.