Why Owning A Supercar Isn’t Actually As Expensive As People Tell You It Is

Owning a supercar seems like it is out of reach for the vast majority of people. But it’s not actually as expensive as the naysayers would have you believe. No – you can’t own one on a budget. But it turns out that you might be able to support your passion for cars on a regular income. 

Everything Is Replaceable

Owning a supercar in 2021 is not like it was in the olden days. If you owned an Italian supercar in the past, getting parts for it was virtually impossible. But today, practically all of the major components actually come from German brands who pump them out at a regular clip. So if the clutch requires replacement, getting the spare isn’t as difficult as you might think. 

These parts aren’t too expensive to purchase either. You don’t necessarily have to go with the manufacturer-approved component to keep the vehicle in good working order. Just choose a part that satisfies your requirements and run with it. 

You Can Easily Protect The Bodywork

Many supercar owners are paranoid about the bodywork of their vehicles. They worry that the tiniest scuff will cost a fortune to resolve. Well, again, that’s not true. Paint jobs are just as cheap as for a regular car in many cases. And, furthermore, you can protect matte finish with vinyl wrapping. 

You Don’t Need To Always Follow The Manufacturer’s Suggested Maintenance 

Manufacturers of supercars will often recommend that you get maintenance according to a strict schedule. Super cars are like pedigree dogs, they tell you, and require a high level of upkeep. 

But, again, that’s not true, strictly speaking, especially when it comes to newer supercars. If you don’t use the car all that much, then you can afford to space out your maintenance and servicing more. You may even be able to ask a professional for their opinion of what you should do next. Many times, they’ll tell you that you can leave certain tasks or simply space them out over a longer period of time. 

Go Aftermarket

Going direct to manufacturers for any component for your vehicle is going to cost you more than simply buying it aftermarket. Ferrari and other top makes are notorious for charging high prices for parts (it’s one of the ways they make money). But you don’t have to stick with the manufacturers themselves. There’s an entire industry out there, dedicated to finding and sourcing cheap parts. You can often slash the cost of replacement brake pads, for instance, by 90 percent which is a big deal. 

Buy Smart

Many supercars now sell for eye-watering prices. If you want a Ferrari GTO, you’ll need more than $30 million. (Who knows what the real price is because it keeps going up all the time). So buying a supercar could actually make you money if you know which to buy. 

A case in point is the original Zonda. When Pagani first released the car a little under twenty years ago, it was an immediate smash hit with buyers. However, collectors didn’t cotton onto the vehicle’s timeless appeal until some time later. It was only around 2015 that it became clear that the car was a classic and that early buyers were onto a winner. Those who keep their vehicles in mint condition have found no shortage of keen buyers in recent years, desperate to lap up vehicles for themselves. 

Fundamentally, supercars are a kind of investment, especially if you manage to bag yourself a vehicle from a limited run. In many cases, the growth in value can actually outweigh the costs of running it and keeping it in good condition long-term. The moment a supercar becomes rare, its value skyrockets. 

They Aren’t Fragile

People imagine that supercars break down every thirty miles or so. They have incredible performance, but nothing is free, right?

Well, not necessarily. It turns out that many supercars, especially those from the last twenty years, have reliable parts from mainstream manufacturers, proven to work in regular vehicles. Thus, if you look after your supercar property, you don’t always need to spend a fortune on it. In fact, it can run pretty much the same as a regular road car, with a little extra noise when you depress the gas pedal. 

The chances of catastrophic failures on today’s supercars is also very slim. In the past, there were nightmare stories of fires and engines literally dropping from their supports onto the road beneath. But that sort of thing hardly ever happens these days. The main risk is inexperienced drivers crashing into trees. 

Learn To DIY

As with anything, you don’t have to pass over full responsibility for maintenance of your vehicle over to professional mechanics. There are quite a long list of jobs that you can learn to do at home with pretty basic tools. Getting to grips with these can be a pain if you’re not the type of person who likes working on vehicles. But chances are, if you own a supercar, they are one of your passions. And so you’re naturally inclined to figure out how they work and fix them. 

Also, remember that businesses operate for a profit. So no matter how much you pay them, they are never going to put the same level of love, attention and care into your vehicle as you do. Their primary motivation is to get the job done as fast as possible so that they can move onto the next task and earn more money. So if you’re somebody who is genuinely in love with their car, then doing a lot of the basic stuff yourself is a great idea. 

Of course, you’re not going to be able to do all of it, unless you’re a mechanic by profession. But you can solve many cosmetic problems yourself. 

So, in conclusion, supercars aren’t necessarily the money pits you think that they are. Servicing and running them is less expensive than you think, particularly if you only use them on the weekend. And you don’t necessarily have to cut corners.