If you’ve got enough money to splash out on a supercar maybe this feature isn’t for you because it’s not about which has the highest top speed, looks the best or even which has the fastest Nurburgring time, but which supercar is the best value.
But then again, as a man from a very well-known supercar manufacturer recently told me: “The well-off stay that way because they keep an eye on the finances.”
In days gone by, the supercars were in such demand that values would rise after you’d taken delivery and obviously classic supercars can now be worth several times their original price. This isn’t the case anymore, at least not if you run the car for three years, according to data from car valuations and market data expert Cazana.
Taking the criteria for ‘supercar’ as anything currently available new with two doors and costing more than £150,000, Cazana has run the numbers to find out which five supercars retain the most value and which lose the most value.
There’s two ways to look at these lists. If you’re buying new and want the best value supercar, then obviously you’ll want the top five. However, if you’re looking for a bargain in the used car market then the bottom five is a good place to start.
And to make it a level playingfield we’ve judged this on the percentage retained value. In other words, if the car cost £200,000 new and was worth £100,000 after three years and 30,000 miles, then the percentage would be 50%.
The top five
5: Ferrari 812 GTS Spyder
- Cost new: £293,150
- Retained value: 74%
Ferrari dominates the top five supercars for value with three in this list. The 812 GTS Spyder is the fifth best supercar for retaining its value that’s currently on sale new. After three years and 30,000 miles the convertible version of the Ferrari 812 is expected to retain 74% of its original £293,150 (before options). Head of insight at Cazana said that while the 812 GTS Spyder is “expensive” (isn’t that the point with supercars?) the fact that it’s “exceedingly rare” means it does very well at retaining value.
4: Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet
- Cost new: £165,127
- Retained value: 78%
In the world of ‘regular’ cars, often it’s usually the mid-order models that retain the most value because the additional cost of a range-topper doesn’t translate to the used car market. Not so with the current Porsche 911. Taking fourth spot in this list is the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet which (apart from the GT specials) sits at the top of the range. With a retained, or residual, value of 78% you’ll drop around £26,000-£27,000 running one for three years.
=2: Ferrari 812 Superfast
- Cost new: £253,000
- Retained value: 79%
In equal second place is the coupe version of the 812. The Ferrari 812 Superfast is available in ‘higher volume’ than the open-top Spyder but the marginally lower price new and the fact it’s an “outstanding drive” according to Cazana’s Pontin mean that in percentage terms it’s ahead.
=2: Ferrari F8 Tributo
- Cost new: £203,476
- Retained value: 79%
Level-pegging the 812 Superfast is sister car the Ferrari F8 Tributo. The F8 is equally good value as the 812 with a residual value of 79% but, again, the lower price helps. Pontin as a “cracking car and great value for this type of car”.
1: Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Cost new: £155,970
- Retained value: 83%
Wining the best value supercar list is the 911 Turbo S. Losing just 17% of its value over three years and 30,000 miles is an impressively small number. In real money terms that’s just £26,500 in depreciation. Pontin describes the Porsche as a “brilliant all-round package” and “astonishingly competent” even for a car in this class.
The bottom five
5: Rolls Royce Wraith Black Badge
- Cost new: £276,168
- Retained value: 52%
You may get one of the most luxurious V12 supercars on the market with the Rolls Royce Wraith Black Badge, but you’ll also lose the most money. In percentage terms it’s only the fifth worst in this list with a residual value of just 52% according to Cazana. However, in monetary terms that’s a loss of more than £130,000; a figure that’s not that far off the list price of the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Cazana’s Pontin said that despite there being very few Wraiths in the market the “challenging appearance is not to everyone’s liking”.
4: McLaren 720S Coupe
- Cost new: £208,600
- Retained value: 51%
A combination of higher volumes and an aging model (the McLaren Artura is due to replace the 720 soon) means that values aren’t as good as perhaps you’d expect for a car this good. On the upside this means that if you are in the market for a used 720S they’re fantastic value at the moment.
=2: McLaren 720S Spider
- Cost new: £237,000
- Retained value: 50%
The same volume and age issues impact the McLaren 720S Spider as they do the coupe, according to Cazana, but the higher list price means a greater percentage drop.
=2: Aston Martin DB11 V12 Coupe
- Cost new: £160,025
- Retained value: 50%
With a retained value of just 50% the Aston martin DB11 V12 Coupe is equal second with the McLaren. “There are plenty in the market which has damaged the residual value performance for this version of the DB11”, said Pontin. On the plus-side, In outright money terms the £80,000 loss over three years isn’t far off that of the Ferrari 812 GTS Spyder at around £76,000, but if you look at it against the similarly priced 911 Turbo S, you can see the issue.
1: Aston Martin DB11 V8 Volante
- Cost new: £161,715
- Retained value: 49%
Depending on how you look at things, this isn’t a great result for Aston Martin coming bottom of this list with the DB11 V8 Volante. Pontin describes it as being in “oversupply” despite being a “stunning” car. It’s the only supercar here to lose more than 50% of its value over three years. That’s a shame if you bought one new, but it’s great news if you’re looking for a used Aston Martin.
Keyword: The five best (and worst) value supercars