Forbes' Top 10 List of the Most Expensive Cars in the World

For most people a $50,000 car is well out of reach, while others happily spend double or triple of that amount on a ride. However, even those enthusiasts might not be so keen to whip out their checkbooks when confronted with the price tag of these vehicles featured in a special list compiled by Forbes.

These are the most expensive cars in the world, usually bought by the kind of people who don’t even break a sweat amidst the worst economic crisis. Forbes' list in not without its flaws as the publication added two vehicles (the Enzo's successor and the upcoming Pagani Zonda C9) that have yet to be revealed, let alone be priced. Nevertheless, you can check out the complete list of exclusive toys for the real tycoons after the jump.

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21yo Saudi Arabian Millionaire Takes Delivery of 33rd Supercar

Actress Bo Derek once quipped, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." Someone who would most likely agree with her is 21-year-old Dhiaa Al-Essa, a Saudi Arabian Engineering student and millionaire playboy with a collection of over 30 exotic supercars worth more than £4.5 million (US$7.3 million).

Al-Essa has recently taken delivery of his thirty-third exotic, the first Ferrari 599 GTO worth £345,000 (US$557,000). In his own words:

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VIDEO: Fiat 500 Races Koenigsegg CCX in Swedish Webhost Ad

Here's a car race with a difference: an automotive remake of the classic Tortoise and the Hare story, starring a Fiat 500 as the tortoise and a Koenigsegg CCX as the hare. Well, not a real 500 and CCX; these are 1:24 scale models, and the whole thing is filmed in stop motion. It was made by Swedish filmmaker and photographer Robin Danehav as an advertisement for Binero, a Swedish webhosting service.

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Video Shootout: Corvette ZR1 vs Koenigsegg CCR, BMW X5M vs Range Rover Sport, Audi R8 vs Porsche 911 and More

Since we're suckers for speed, we jumped at the opportunity to show you these awesome videos from a sports car shootout, courtesy of the folks over at M5Board. If you haven't done so already, follow the jump to watch some mega power throwdowns including Switzer's Nissan GT-R P800 versus the Koenigsegg CCR Evo and BMW's M5 Touring going against its X5M SUV stable-mate.

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Geneva: The Action-Packed, Ageless Agera by Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg's Agera is a car of action. No, literally, "agera" is Swedish for "to act". It's name is also derived from the Greek "Ageratos", meaning "ageless". Being a Koenigsegg, the Agera puts out an insane amount of power (910 horses thanks to two turbos), oodles of torque (1,100 Nm / 811 lb-ft ), wears 6-egg-omelet-sized brakes (392mm discs in front and 380mm in back).

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Geneva: The Action-Packed, Ageless Agera by Koenigsegg

Koenigsegg's Agera is a car of action. No, literally, "agera" is Swedish for "to act". It's name is also derived from the Greek "Ageratos", meaning "ageless". Being a Koenigsegg, the Agera puts out an insane amount of power (910 horses thanks to two turbos), oodles of torque (1,100 Nm / 811 lb-ft ), wears 6-egg-omelet-sized brakes (392mm discs in front and 380mm in back).

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Oops... New York Dealer Crashes Customer's Koenigsegg CCX

Of course, accidents can happen. But it's one thing getting into a fender bender with a Ford Taurus and another when you destroy a customer's $500,000+ supercar. According to the crash-addicted folks over at 'Wrecked Exotics', this accident happened when a New York dealer took his customer's 2008 Koenigsegg CCX for a joy ride only to end up crashing into a guardrail and then on a Porsche 911 GT2. We'd love to read the insurance claim on this one..

Via: Wrecked Exotics

China's Beijing Auto Wants to Buy Previous Saab 9-5 Tooling and Design Rights

As the saying goes, another man's trash, well you know the rest... Citing unnamed sources, UK's Autocar magazine is reporting that China's Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) is interested in buying the tooling and design rights to the outgoing Saab 9-5 that is to be replaced by an all-new model in 2010. The report does not clarify if BAIC wants to start production of the previous Saab 9-5 in China as is or if the company will perform a light makeover (another word for changing badges...) as was the case with China's SAIC and the Rover 75.

And if you're wondering what's the deal between state-run BAIC and Saab, the Chinese company recently took a minority stake in Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg, which is planning to take over Saab from General Motors. The two involved parties have yet to finalize the deal.

Via: Autocar

VIDEO: Koenigsegg CCR Evolution with 806HP V8 on the Drag Strip

Our Swedish pals over at Sportbilen made their way to Mantorp Park this past weekend to attend the 2009 Action Meet racing event. The crew had the chance to film the only Swedish registered Koenigsegg CCR Evolution (yes, that's the company that acquired SAAB) during the quarter mile run. From what they told us, the specific Koenigsegg CCR had been upgraded with the newer CCX's 4.7-liter supercharged V8 engine (hence the Evolution nametag) that churns out a hefty 806 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and a peak torque of 920 Nm (693 ft/lb) at 5500 rpm.

On the first run, the Koenigsegg CCR Evolution clicked off a 12.02 second quarter-mile sprint time and a top speed of 213,64 km/h or 132.9 mph while the second and last attempt returned a time of 11.43 seconds (top speed wasn't recorded due to a technical issue). For the record, the CCR Evolution was fitted with normal sport tyres.

Pics and Video: Sportbilen - Thanks Bo!

GM Announces Deal with Koenigsegg on SAAB Sale

General Motors officially announced today that it reached a preliminary agreement to sell its Saab division to a consortium led by Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg. The deal that is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of this year includes an expected $600 million funding commitment from the European Investment Bank (EIB) guaranteed by the Swedish government, while GM said that it plans to support Saab's new owner. General Motors did not provide any specific finance details on the sale.

As part of the agreement, the American automaker will continue to provide Saab with architecture and powertrain technology during a defined time period while GM said that the next generation 9-5 Sedan and Station Wagon models will be produced in the Saab production facility in Trollhattan, Sweden.

"This is yet another significant step in the reinvention of GM and its European operations," said GM Europe President, Carl-Peter Forster. "Saab is a highly respected automotive brand with great potential. Closing this deal represents the best chance for Saab to emerge a stronger company. Koenigsegg Group's unique combination of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and financial strength, combined with Koenigsegg's proven ability to create world-class Swedish performance cars in a highly efficient manner, made it the right choice for Saab as well as for General Motors."

Koenigsegg Reported to Have Agreed to Buy SAAB, Officials Says No Comment

Citing anonymous sources, Sveriges Television AB, or SVT for short, reported on its website that Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg has agreed to buy GM's loss-making premium brand, Saab. "The buyers have signed a letter of intent to buy Saab. Final negotiations on the details of the deal will continue over the next few months," SVT said on its website. However, Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs told CNN that the report by the Swedish television station is "speculation from other channels, and I can't comment on speculation." We'll keep a close on the story and inform you for any new developments.

Sources: SVT and CNN - Hat tip to David N.!

Koenigsegg Among the Remaining Bidders for GM's SAAB Division

According to a report from the Swedish financial daily newspaper, Dagens Industri, Sweden's own supercar builder Koenigsegg, is one of the three remaining parties interested in buying General Motors' SAAB brand. The newspaper said that the other two suitors for GM's Swedish arm are Fiat S.p.A that has also made a bid for Opel and Vauxhall, and the Renco Group, a New York City-based holding company controlled by U.S. billionaire Ira Rennert. Citing unnamed sources close to GM, the paper said that the "toughest battle is expected between the Renco Group and Koenigsegg."

Dagens Industri noted that the Swedish automaker's chief executive, Christian von Koenigsegg, declined to confirm or deny the newspaper report.

In April, Saab officials told a Swedish court, which granted the company an extension of its reconstruction period, that they expect to have completed the sale by the end of June.

Via: Reuters