Buy a $4.8 million model of a $380,000 real car
A $4.8 million 1:8 scale model of a Lamborghini Aventador goes up for auction this fall. It's stocked with carbon fiber, gold, platinum, and gemstones. Compare that to the $380,000 price tag for a full-size, drivable Lamborghini Aventador.
You have a basic accounting decision to make. You can spend $380,000 and buy a Lamborghini Aventador or you can spend $4.8 million and buy a 1:8 scale model of the same car.
As you may have guessed, the model didn't come out of a box from Hobby Lobby. It's the creation of Robert Gülpen, a German engineer who specializes in making car models from precious materials. I didn't even know that was a career option.
The body, doors, and hood are made from carbon fiber with threads of solid gold. The rims and interior are platinum and gold. Gemstones are embedded into the construction. The materials alone cost $2.7 million.
Gülpen's site gives a suitably over-the-top description of the model. "Extreme and uncompromising, exclusive, sensual, and challenging, just like a real Lamborghini." Just like a real Lamborghini, except that you can't drive it.
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The Aventador model will go up for auction with a starting price of $4.8 million. Around $680,000 of that will go to charity. It will be displayed under bullet-proof glass to protect the potential buyer's investment.
For model car enthusiasts, all that flash and luxury won't compromise the function. The doors open and close, wheels turns, and the engine will look like a detailed little version of the real thing. That means it would make a great holiday gift for your 7-year-old nephew who's into cars.
(Via Luxury Launches.)