The price of not just buying, but keeping a super- or hypercar running, is astronomical. What would otherwise be your standard, run of the mill car parts on a regular vehicle can cost as much as vehicle themselves on a supercar. From McLaren F1 windshields that cost as much as a midsize family sedan to Mercedes SLR McLaren brakes costing as much as a Mercedes themselves, you have to be disgustingly rich to afford the upkeep on these vehicles. The car that is likely the king of ultra expensive car parts? Why, Bugatti, of course.
First spotted by Luxury Launches, there’s currently a Bugatti Veyron headlight listed for sale on eBay. This isn’t just any Bugatti, either. These headlights are for the Veyron 16.4 Sang Noir, a 2008 special edition of which only 12 were made at a cool $2.2 million each. As Bugatti described it:
For the EB 16.4 Veyron Sang Noir, Bugatti experimented with darker shades and tonalities. Vincent van Gogh once said: “It often seems to me that the night is much more alive and richly coloured than the day.” The Veyron Sang Noir takes this thought to heart.
The historic model for this special edition was the Type 57S Atlantic, which had the same distinctive beauty, reminiscent of a bird of prey, that has run throughout the brand’s history and now revived in the Sang Noir. Both models forcefully demonstrate the close connection between Bugatti’s past and present.
OK, then.
One of those 12 might have given their life for spare parts, and if you happen to be one of the lucky owners of a Sang Noir, you’re going to have to get your accountant on the phone if you need a headlight. The one Sang Noir headlight listed on eBay Germany will set you back 35,000 Euros, or just over $38,000 at current exchange rates. There’s not much about the headlight in the description, with the Polish seller noting that despite the condition of the light being very new, it’s sold as used. They look pretty trustworthy as they seem to specialize in headlight replacements for high end cars. They also have a pair of Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ headlights for just over $162,000.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the wild costs of keeping a Bugatti running. EPA documents show that while the prices of the parts themselves are high, the labor costs are even worse. Take the Veyron’s fuel tank, which costs $20,000 to replace. It’s another $23,000 in labor to actually get the work done. The Veyron’s four turbochargers cost nearly as much. Each turbo costs $6,400. Then it’s another $9,000 in labor for each pair of turbochargers. Suffice to say, if you’re not a oil baron or a tech billionaire, you probably can’t afford a Veyron or its parts.