According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the price of auto insurance in the USA is continuing to increase with a further 1.1% jump having been experienced between November and December last year. This will add an additional $9 to the average driver’s auto insurance each month. Britain has witnessed even more severe insurance increases with UK price comparison service Moneysupermarket.com reporting a price rise of over 40% for the average British driver in 2010. This means that it has never been more important to consider insurance costs when buying a new car.
You would therefore be wise to avoid buying the following vehicles which are the 10 most expensive cars to insure on the roads today. Here we go in reverse order:
10. Mercedes Benz S600
The Mercedes Benz S class range is stooped in history having first been put into production in 1954. The cars have been updated throughout the years in order to keep them contemporary and the latest S600 model has a 640bhp engine which is capable of dragging the heavy chassis around at over 150mph.This is hardly surprising when you consider that the latest engine is a 5.5 litre V12 accompanied by two turbo chargers. However, like most cars with big engines, the insurance prices are affected by all this power with insurance cost for the average driver being $2,667 per year.
9. BMW M6
BMW first introduced the M6 model in 1983 and it quickly established itself as a classic. Throughout its production it has been continually praised for its performance and styling. The latest iteration of the model is equipped with a 500bhp engine. Although this is almost 150bhp less than the Mercedes Benz S600, it is still capable of matching it for performance with a top speed of over 150mph. This is thanks to Formula One inspired technologies which have resulted in advanced electronics (as proven by the number of buttons on the steering wheel) and a seven speed gearbox. Given that it has a similar performance level to the Mercedes S600, it is also in a similar price range when it comes to insurance costing the driver $2,689 per year.
8. Mercedes Benz CL65 AMG
The high performance AMG department within Mercedes never fail to deliver a remarkable machine and the latest CL65 AMG is an absolute beast. The V12 engine puts out a similar amount of power to the S600 (630bhp) but is housed in a much lighter chassis which delivers superb performance. Unfortunately Mercedes has placed an electronic limited on the vehicle so it doesn’t exceed 155mph. However, it still comes with a price tag of $209,300 and with insurance costing the average driver $2,700 per year.
7. Mercedes Benz SL600
Unlike the S600 and the CL65 AMG, the SL600 is not all about performance. In fact, the roadster model is more about posing with its roofless design. It is still powered by a mean 493bhp V12 engine but this isn’t quite up there with the performance of the other Mercedes vehicles mentioned. However, insurance companies seem to believe that SL600 drivers are more likely to have an accident with insurance on the SL600 costing the average driver $2,715 per year.
6. Audi R8
When the R8 was first introduced in 2006 it caught a few people off guard. No one expected Audi to produce a vehicle which combined beauty and performance so effortlessly. The 4.2 litre V8 engine and light weight high performance chassis are capable of a top speed of 187mph and the R8 has been described by 6 time Le Mans 24 hour winner Jacky Ickx as “the best handling car on the road today”. Despite this it is cheaper than it’s before mentioned rival, the Mercedes CL65 AMG, being available from $109,000. However, unlike the actual cost of the vehicle, the insurance price does take account of the extra performance meaning that the R8 will cost the average driver $2,751 per year to insure.
5. Porsche Panamera Turbo
The Panamera model launched in 2009 was Porsche’s attempt at a four door car which was slightly more passenger friendly. However, this does not mean that the German manufacturer has skipped on performance as the seven speed 4.8 litre V8 turbo engine is still capable of a top speed of 188mph and does 0-60 in four seconds. The insurance reflects this high performance with the Panamera Turbo costing $2,815 per year. This is over $200 per year more expensive than the conventional non-turbo Panamera.
4. Dodge Viper SRT-10 (coupe)
The only American vehicle on the list, it is of no surprise that the legendary high performance Dodge Viper features strongly near the top. The latest SRT-10 model was first introduced in 2008 with the V10 motor having a power output of 600bhp. This combined with the ultra-lightweight Dodge chassis means that the SRT-10 is capable of over 200mph. The insurance price reflects this at $2,851 per year. However, when you are getting this much performance for $84,000, surely you won’t be too concerned about the additional $40 per year which separates the SRT-10 from the Porsche Panamera Turbo which costs over $40,000 extra to buy initially.
3. Mercedes Benz S65 AMG
The S65 AMG costs $2,863 per year to insure, which is almost $200 more than the CL65 AMG. As has generally been found, extra performance means extra insurance cost so it is logical to assume that the S65 must be even faster than the CL65.
On basic statistics this does not appear to be the case because the S65’s V12 engine is less powerful than the CL65 engine (27bhp less to be precise), and is still limited to the same 155mph limit. However, it should be remembered that this is a saloon car, and as such it is the fastest in its field. These statistics also don’t take account of the cars handling and general feel which is in another league from its sister models.
2. Porsche 911 Carrera GT2 Coupe
The Porsche 911 is a classic machine which was first introduced in 1963. Since then the styling of the vehicle has remained vaguely similar due to its iconic look but the performance of the car hasn’t, with the latest 911 Carrera GT2 coupe capable of a top speed of 204mph from its six speed 530bhp motor. This goes some way to explaining the $2,944 annual insurance premium.
1. Bugatti Veyron
The Veyron has been hailed by motoring experts as the pinnacle of car design. It is claimed that this vehicle is the Concorde of the motoring world as due to dwindling fossil fuel supplies, this is likely to be the best performing road car that will ever be produced as focus invariably swifts to environmental means of transport.
Costing over $1,300,000, the Veryon is capable of a top speed of 252mph which is a mind-blowing 48mph faster than the Porsche 911 Carrera. However, due to its high price tag and limited availability with only 300 Veryon’s having been produced by Bugatti, it is almost impossible to find an insurance firm willing to cover Veryon owners. If you are lucky enough to find a willing auto insurance firm, it would be wise to expect to pay in excess of $5,000 per year for insurance alone.
