When it comes to wealth, there are degrees of separation that go well beyond conventional tax brackets. Being the VP of a local bank is different than being an investment banker, and being an investment banker is a far cry from being Jeff Bezos, a Kardashian, or the Sultan of Brunei.
But on the off chance you happen to be one of those chosen few (big fan of the first two, by the way) who happen to have an unconscionable sum of money just burning a hole in the pockets of the pants that your company created or distributes, then you might be in the market for something to show off a little bit of your success.
If your chosen method of financial flexing is of the automotive kind, beyond the basic Mercedes-Benz sports car, then you’re in for a treat as we’ve compiled a list of the seven most excessively opulent options you can buy and organized them by their respective ‘wow’ factor from seven to number one. Enjoy!
7. Bentley Continental GT – Rotating dash display
Pulling up in a Continental GT should be enough of a wow moment, with its twin-turbo 4.0-liter 542 horsepower V8 or even more ridiculous 626 horsepower 6.0-liter W12. But Bentley understands true luxury is arguably more about the interior than the exterior. So, the luxury carmaker decided to offer this rotating dash display as an option.
The display has three distinct displays. One option is that the dash can show a modern high-resolution 12.3-inch touchscreen to access things like navigation and phone controls. With the push of a button, that display can rotate into a classic-looking three analog gauge cluster that shows off a clock, outside air temperature, and a compass in case you happen to be old-school when it comes to navigation systems.
The third option is a clean-looking veneer that integrates (almost) seamlessly into the rest of the dashboard, creating a much more serene cabin space to focus on more important things like the road or your passengers.
6. Bentley Bentayga – Mulliner Tourbillon Clock
A rotating display is a pretty cool feature, no doubt, but Bentley also recognizes that some of its customers may be a bit more polished and accustomed to more traditional wealth indicators. Timepieces have always been fan favorites of the affluent, and Bentley knows this.
Commissioning the classic watchmaker Breitling, the Bentayga has this fabulous fully mechanical clock set on top its dashboard. Dubbed the Mulliner Tourbillon, this ostentatiously excessive option will set you back a cool $160,000 or so if you check that mark off on the order sheet, which tacks on another 78 percent of the Bentayga’s starting MSRP, in case you were curious.
5. Rolls-Royce Boattail – Bult in picnic table and chairs
Coachbuilding is a term that has been resurrected in the autoverse in recent years. A term coined a century ago, it was common practice for the rich to buy a bare drivetrain and then have it shipped off to someone willing to craft it into a personalized mode of transportation. Given the vast amounts of wealth flowing around everything from NIL to influencers, Rolls-Royce realized it might be lucrative to revisit that same idea, and they were right.
With their series of Boat Tails, this particular owner must have been the outdoorsy type because Rolls added a bespoke picnic setup to this car. The bespoke setup includes a table, chairs, champagne cooler, specific dishes and bowls, as well as the obligatory color-matched umbrella if you want to make a strong yet oddly understatedly romantic impression on that special someone.
4. Rolls-Royce Starlight Headliner
While it may not have the same financial kick as a $160,000 clock, Rolls-Royce yet again aims to offer something that can’t be found anywhere else. The Starlight Headliner is available on almost all of its models and allows passengers to look up at a magical night sky and contemplate the meaning of the universe.
The Starlight Headliner, controlled by the car’s infotainment system, is comprised of up to 1,600 fiber optic lights. The system can be tweaked to display different colors, patterns, or even logos if you’re really going for that hard sell. Yes, they do twinkle, and there are shooting stars whose frequency can be adjusted to add just the right amount of “Oos and ahhs.”
3. Rolls-Royce Cullinan – Champagne chiller
If owning the quarter-million-dollar Cullinan isn’t enough of a statement in and of itself, fear not—Rolls-Royce has more to offer. The presumption is that with an SUV as lavishly opulent as the Cullinan, many of its owners will not be driving it themselves and instead employ someone to deal with rush-hour traffic on the 405 or Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, which leaves them to enjoy the posh luxury of the truck’s passenger space. So, what better way to celebrate closing that new deal or buying that new country than your very own champagne chiller tucked right inside the center console of the rear seats, complete with matching flutes?
If bubbles aren’t your thing, there is also a set of whisky glasses and a decanter to complete the world’s largest liquor cart.
2. Inkas Armored Range Rover – rear armored bulkhead partition and escape hatch
While it may not be quite as extravagantly sumptuous as a champagne chiller or a starlit ceiling, this armored bulkhead partition and escape hatch will allow you to keep staring at the night sky (real or fake) and ponder the great beyond rather than joining it.
That’s right. It’s a sad fact, but sometimes, when you have enough money to make Scrooge McDuck ask you to come over for a dip in your vault, you can occasionally make some enemies along the way. But Inkas Armored has taken a regular Range Rover and created what amounts to a very attractive and much faster tank.
The rear passenger compartment is fitted to seal off the cabin and cargo area from the front seats (think limo but with a bulletproof divider).
Beyond that, if for some reason you happen to be in the back of this heavily armed SUV and can’t get out through the conventional door method, you’ll be glad you checked off the box for the emergency escape hatch. Integrated into the ceiling of the rear half of the roof is what amounts to a large, people-sized moonroof, allowing passengers to jump out of harm’s way if they are under heavy fire. It may not be pretty, but sometimes that’s the price of doing (big, big) business.
1. Bugatti Chiron – Sur Mesure personalized hypercar
This is it. Out of all the ways to show off that you are one of the one percent who holds all the cards in one section of the world’s economy, a Bugatti is the ultimate ace in the hole. Yet, Bugatti sells more cars than you might think, meaning there are quite a few ultra-rich out there driving around the same kind of car.
So, in 2021, to help alleviate what might be the pinnacle of first-world problems, Bugatti unveiled its Sur Mesure customization program, offering a way to personalize your new hypercar and finally stand out.
According to Bugatti, no two hypersport cars exit the facility the same. Customers can choose between various carbon fiber finishes, hand-painted motifs, and specific interior embroidery. Whatever the choice in exteriors happens to be, no paint finish is identical, and each one is applied individually, creating a unique signature for that particular bespoke machine. So, if you are running out of room for any more Jackson Pollock and Rembrandt paintings, head over to the Bugatti dealership and get to work creating the ultimate rolling masterpiece, and don’t forget your checkbook or Bitcoin wallet.
