Buying a hypercar can be a milestone to look forward to, but do bear in mind when you achieve it, that repairing and maintaining it often comes with a price tag that is just as outrageous as the initial purchasing price. That is what Carl Hartley, son of one of the UK’s most well-known luxury car dealers found out the hard way when he needed to repair one of his most priced possessions, a Bugatti Veyron, one of the most coveted, and expensive supercars on the planet.
Luxury cars may or may not be worth it to some, but it is not up for debate how much money goes into their care and maintenance, and that is without something being actually broken, in which case the fix can run you thousands, even more given that you usually have to go through an accredited dealership and not your local mechanic if you want to keep the warranty intact.
The Bugatti Veyron fix that saved an owner thousands
Mr. Hartley had owned his Veyron for four years when he ran into a small glitch, the button to move the side mirrors stopped working. Since this was not a major piece of technology attached to the car or critical for its driving, he thought he might as well reach out to an official Bugatti dealer thinking it would be a quick fix. But when the report came for the piece, the quote for fixing the part came in at $12,000.
This is because the dealership was not only going to replace he motor, they wanted to change the entire mirror assembly, which Mr. Hartley did not think was necessary given the limited effect of the issue in how the car works.
So, instead of just folding and paying the outrageous bill, he decided to bring the car to a mechanic. Now, most of us would not have access to the mechanic that Mr. Hartley used, so it is unlikely that your local grease monkey would have been able to come up with the fix, but in this case, years in the industry plus family connections meant that Mr. Hartley could call upon a mechanic who works with Formula 1 car parts and has extensive experience with luxury and fast vehicles.
And that is when the bomb dropped. The same part that was faulty in a Bugatti Veyron worth millions can also be found in a Volkswagen Transporter van and for the modest price of $1.25 plus installation. Quite far from the $12,000 that the official dealership quoted.
Although this story sounds ludicrous, it is quite normal in the luxury car world, where sometimes the price tag is associated to the brand and not the car. Motor 16, the magazine that reported the story also reported on other cases, like an owner of a Bugatti Chiron who spends about $12,000 a year just for basic maintenance. And that is not the most expensive thing, replacing a key fob could cost close to $14,000, taillights will cost around $54,000, and each tire is worth about $10,000. And if it is a crucial part like the engine, the amount will be close to the downpayment of a house in the center of New York.
A big part of the cost comes from how exclusive everything is. Brands like Bugatti and Lamborghini use proprietary systems that require custom tools, software, and parts that regular mechanics simply do not have access to, and they do this on purpose to guarantee that maintenance will have to go through their system. At the end of the day, it is just another marker of exclusivity and privilege, as it is not just about fixing the car, it is about who is allowed to fix it.