Supercar Sanity

Yes, it's another post questioning how rich people spend their money.  I'm hoping any rich readers won't be too offended.  I know you're a bit touchy about criticism, but at least I'm only complaining about your spending choices, rather than starting a revolution.  So hopefully you'll find this a bit refreshing:

Currently, McLaren sells two cars. The MP4-12C costs in the $300,000 range, putting it in line with similar cars like the Ferrari 458 and Lamborghini Aventador. And the P1 costs well over a million dollars, similar to other most-expensive-cars-on-earth like the Bugatti Veyron.

But now they're planning new models. The P13 would cost about $150,000, and the P15 would cost about $500,000.

First of all, they need to hire someone to come up with names for them. They don't make any sense, and even the German manufacturers would find those boring. I can make exciting alphanumeric names: T-17, GF6, 538c. Call me, I've got dozens of these.

But also, I’m wondering at these prices. I figure there are three levels of sports car prices:

• you're upper-middle-class, and you can afford a fairly expensive car, so you buy a Corvette or a cheap Porsche.
• You're rich, money's no object, so you pay a quarter mil' for the best car available.
• You're rich, money's no object, and you're slightly unhinged, so you buy a race car for the street for a million dollars.

So why would they need those cars at other levels? Who is out there that can afford a $150,000 car, but not a $250,000 car? You can spend over a hundred thousand dollars on a car that has little practical value, but no, not two hundred thousand, that’s ridiculous? And who spends half-a-million dollars on a car, but not a million. If you’re spending that much, you want something that’s better than everything on the street, so why cheap out to get second-best?