The most expensive (real-world) cars to insure
Saturday August 19
We explained how the UK motor industry places cars in insurance groups in the "Top five cheapest new cars to insure" article, where each car is rated from 1 to 20, with 1 being the lowest risk group and 20 the highest. Additionally, the level of security is denoted by a suffix letter, with the majority being either A (meets all security requirements for this group), D (does not meet the security requirement for a car of this type and the group rating has therefore been increased), E (exceeds security requirement for a car of this type and the group rating has therefore been reduced) or U where the level of security for the model concerned is regarded as unacceptable.
Obviously the most expensive cars to insure all reside in group 20, but the ABI ratings may not be the best place to look. For instance, we know that the owner of a Bugatti Veyron was quoted about £20,000 for a year's comprehensive insurance (with a wince-worthy excess of £50,000), but there doesn't appear to be an entry in the ABI database for the Veyron and I have yet to find an insurance website quote facility that the supercar is listed under!
For that reason, we've taken the ABI database as a guide to what is a real-world car and here we'll look at the most expensive of those to put on an insurance policy with your name. All of these cars fall into group 20, the highest risk group, but many fall foul of the need for a certain level of anti-theft equipment as standard to qualify for the full 20E rating. It may be that the fitting of suitable devices, such as a tracking device, could substantially reduce your premium in these cars.
One of the worst risks according to the ABI is the Lotus Exige S, with a 20U rating, but as mentioned above, with the correct level of security added to the standard car's specification the insurance premium may not be too bad, especially when you consider that most of these cars will live a low-mileage and pampered life and anyway, it's only a 1.8-litre engine, though supercharged admittedly!
Apparently, as standard, the Chevrolet Corvette sold in Britain does not have adequate security for group 20 cars and this would be a hot target for any would be joy rider. The presence of a powerful 7-litre V8 under the bonnet will not only cost you a fortune to fuel, but is also likely to attract a high insurance premium.
Surprisingly, many of the high-performance Mercedes-Benz cars on sale here don't meet the ABI's standards for anti-theft devices in group 20. I'd be worried if I owned for instance an AMG-equipped SL convertible with the knowledge that the security might not be up to scratch. I'm sure the insurance companies won't look too favourably on it either, especially when they read the specification that includes seriously high performance such as the twin-turbocharged V12 engine in the SL 65 AMG produces.
Understandably, top-line Ferraris, Aston Martins, Maseratis and Porsches will all attract top-line insurance premiums, though most owners are likely to use a specialist insurer or have a multi-car policy that covers their collection (lucky so-and-sos!). Thierry Henry for instance has a veritable feast of exotica in his garage, including a Ford GT and Aston Martin Vanquish; I can't imagine he pays £20,000 per annum for every supercar he has...
Re: Leasing A Mercedes? (Addillo) 
