5 Of The Most Expensive Cars Ever Powered By A V12 Engine

In the world of high-performance automobiles, V12 engines are right near the top of the list when it comes to powering the most exclusive hypercars. Sure, V10s, turbocharged-or-supercharged V8s, and even some electric powertrains rank amongst the most exclusive propulsion systems you can buy, but V12s are nearly ubiquitous amongst the world's most expensive and posh performance vehicles. With all those superlatives, it's natural to expect that these V12 engines and the cars they come in are pretty expensive, and quite often, they deliver on that expectation. There are some V12-powered vehicles that are a bit less exciting, but really, V12s are associated with screaming soundtracks and ultra-fast transportation.

What's the cost of all this power? Often, it's stratospheric. Seven- and even eight-figure prices for V12 vehicles aren't unheard of these days, especially amongst rare and exotic cars selling at auction. It would be nearly impossible to track down all the private sales of rare V12 vehicles, but we've selected a few of our favorite outrageously expensive cars, including as-new prices and auction prices where available. This isn't a ranked list, more like a grouping of ultra-expensive favorites. But rest assured, they're all properly qualified. Each of these V12-powered machines reaches well past a million dollars, some much higher than that. And they all have one thing in common — twelve cylinders of pure automotive joy.

The McLaren F1 is truly fast, and it is hailed by many as one of the greatest driver's cars of all time. It has a unique design, with three seats total — one center-position seat for the driver and two seats behind the driver. The F1 used a 6.1-liter naturally aspirated V12 to produce 618 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. Those might not seem like big numbers by today's standards, but the F1 weighs in at just 2,579 pounds. That's nearly 300 pounds less than today's lightest Honda Civic. With all that power and no weight to drag it down, driving an F1 is on the bucket list of many driving enthusiasts.

An extremely low-mileage F1 sold at auction for nearly $21 million back in 2021, with less than 250 miles on the odometer. This kind of mileage is exceedingly low and valuable in the auction community. It represents a vehicle that's likely all-original, mechanically sound, and without defects caused by abuse or wear-and-tear from the road. It's unfortunate that vehicles designed to be so good at driving are often left parked to gain value, but there's no denying the logic in a vehicle that gains that much value over time. After all, the F1 was just scratching the surface of $1 million when new, so that's a price increase of 20x over the last 30 years — not many cars can offer that kind of ROI.

Think the F1 is expensive? Well, you're right. $21 million for a car is downright bonkers, but even the F1's gargantuan price tag looks modest next to the pile of cash needed to get your hands on a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. The 250 GTO is powered by a small but potent V12 engine, with a displacement of 2,953ccs (just under 3.0 liters). The Ferrari V12 used six Weber carburetors and produced 300 horsepower at 7,400 rpm — all incredible numbers for the 1960s. All that power moved the 250 GT around in quite a hurry, with its dry weight checking in at just 1,940 pounds (880 kg).

When it was sold at auction in 2018, the 250 GTO with chassis code 3413 had an opening bid of $35 million — already nearly double what the McLaren F1 sold for. When the final gavel fell, it set the auction record at over $48 million. Part of the recipe that led to the Ferrari's record-breaking auction price was its fantastic V12 engine, but much of it was the car's history. It ran in, and won, several races in its day, including the 1962 Italian GP where it won nine out of the ten events it competed in. It's also taken part in several historic races and events, including the Goodwood Revival and Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

While out-of-this-world auction prices are certainly worth noting, it's also important to look at the as-new prices of some of the world's most expensive V12-powered cars. And where better to look than at a Gordon-Murray designed three-seater? Gordon Murray was the chief designer of the aforementioned McLaren F1 and the architect of the one-plus-two seating configuration. Today, decades after his original design came to life, a new one-plus-two car has made its way onto the market: the T.50. The T.50 is a V12-powered supercar with all sorts of astonishing numbers to gawk over, but the T.50s Niki Lauda takes things even further.

The T.50s Niki Lauda, named after the Formula 1 champ and racing icon, is powered by a 3.9-liter V12 that's designed by Cosworth — a renowned engine manufacturer that has provided beating hearts for several of the world's greatest racing cars. The engine revs up to a screaming 12,100 rpm at redline, and it pushes out 725 horsepower — 71 horses more than the standard T.50. It's also incredibly lightweight, checking in at just 1,878 pounds, using titanium and aluminum engine components along with parts like magnesium wheels to keep the weight to a bare minimum. The T.50s is one of the most expensive hypercars ever made and its sticker price of $4.3 million is remarkably high for anything with four wheels, but the entire production run of 25 vehicles sold out shortly after launch.

Like the T.50, the Aston Martin Valkyrie uses a Cosworth RA V12 engine with a sky-high redline. The Valkyrie's 6.5-liter V12 revs all the way to 11,100 rpm, which is fitting for a car that Aston says is essentially an F1 vehicle designed for public roads. The Cosworth V12 makes 1,000 horsepower on its own, but paired with the Valkyrie's hybrid system, the ultra-exclusive Aston pushes the limits of streetable power with 1,140 horses. Like most of the exclusive V12-powered vehicles with two commas in their price, the Valkyrie comes only in limited numbers. The Valkyrie Spider, for example, is limited to just 85 production units total.

With such a ferociously powerful engine and a curb weight of just under 2,900 pounds, you'd expect the Valkyrie to be very fast, and you'd be correct. From zero to 60 mph, it's estimated that the Valkyrie will blast off in just 2.3 seconds, dashing through the quarter-mile mark in just 7.7 seconds, with a limited top speed of 220 miles per hour. The price for all this insane speed? At a bare minimum, $3 million will get the conversation started, but maintenance will run another $450,000 for the first three years. The Valkyrie's looks, along with its super-rare status, will certainly turn heads, though, and you'll be the talk of the town at your local Cars and Coffee event.

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster sits right at the top of the list when it comes to the most expensive Lambos of all time, and for a supercar brand as pricey as Lamborghini, that's saying something. The Veneno uses a 6.5-liter V12 that produces 750 horsepower. That's enough to catapult it from zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and propel it all the way to a top speed of 220 miles per hour. Sleek, curving lines aren't really Lamborghini's thing — at least not lately — and the Veneno is no exception. Its design is characterized by hard angles and straight lines, with a big wing, lots of visible aerodynamics and the personality of a prototype adapted for road use — at least that's the way Lamborghini put it.

According to Lamborghini, only 13 of the Veneno exist worldwide — likely playing a big part in the fact that it's the most expensive Lamborghini ever sold. Three were made as coupes in the colors of the Italian flag, another gray one is on display in their technology museum, and nine additional Veneno Roadsters were sold before they were even unveiled, priced at 3 million euros — but that's not remotely close to the value it's now achieved on the used market. A Veneno Roadster recently set a record for highest price paid via an online car auction, with a price of $6 million.