What separates a supercar from a hypercar in power, price, production numbers and purpose, with the current cars that define each category and what they cost to buy and to own.
In short
- Supercars: 600 to 800 horsepower, 250,000 to 500,000 dollars, made in thousands, usable most days. Hypercars: 1,000-plus horsepower, seven figures, made in hundreds, allocated to existing clients.
- Ferrari 296 and SF90, Lamborghini Revuelto and Temerario, McLaren 750S and Artura, Porsche 911 Turbo S and GT3 RS define the supercar today.
- Bugatti Tourbillon, Koenigsegg Jesko, Pagani Utopia, Rimac Nevera, Aston Martin Valkyrie and Ferrari F80 define the hypercar.
The definitions
A supercar is a mid- or rear-engined car built for speed and drama that you can still drive to dinner: roughly 600 to 800 horsepower, 250,000 to 500,000 dollars, produced in the thousands. A hypercar is the limit of what a manufacturer can do: 1,000 horsepower and beyond, seven-figure prices, a few hundred built, often sold out before they are announced. The line moves every decade; today’s supercar has the performance of a hypercar from 2005.
The supercars of the moment
Ferrari’s 296 GTB (hybrid V6, 830 hp) and SF90 (hybrid V8, 1,000 hp, the border case). Lamborghini’s Revuelto (hybrid V12) and Temerario (hybrid V8). McLaren’s 750S and Artura. Porsche’s 911 Turbo S for the all-weather option and the GT3 RS for the track. Aston Martin’s Vantage and DB12 sit at the GT end. Prices from about 200,000 dollars for a 911 Turbo S to 500,000 for a specified SF90.
The hypercars
Bugatti Tourbillon (V16 hybrid, 1,800 hp, about 4 million dollars). Koenigsegg Jesko and Gemera. Pagani Utopia (about 2.5 million). Rimac Nevera and Nevera R, the electric benchmark. Aston Martin Valkyrie, a Formula 1 car with number plates. Ferrari F80 and Lamborghini’s next flagship. Production runs from 40 to a few hundred; allocation goes to clients with history, and the secondary market often prices them above list from day one.
Owning one
Insurance: 1 to 3 percent of the value a year. Servicing: 3,000 to 10,000 dollars a year for a supercar, far more for a hypercar with a bespoke service programme. Tyres: a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 lasts a few track days. Depreciation: most supercars lose 20 to 40 percent in three years, with exceptions (Porsche GT cars, limited Ferraris) that hold or rise. Hypercars from Bugatti, Koenigsegg and Pagani have appreciated more often than not.
The honest question
Where will you drive it? A hypercar on a public road is using five percent of its capability. A supercar on a mountain road on a Sunday morning is the best that motoring gets. If you have a track and the skill, the answer changes.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a supercar and a hypercar?
Power, price and rarity: supercars have 600 to 800 hp and six-figure prices in the thousands; hypercars exceed 1,000 hp, cost millions and are made in the hundreds.
Do supercars hold their value?
Most lose 20 to 40 percent in the first three years. Limited-run Ferraris and Porsche GT models are the exceptions that hold or appreciate.
How much does it cost to run a supercar?
Budget 5 to 8 percent of the car’s value a year for insurance, servicing, tyres and storage, before depreciation.
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