The Top 10 Most Expensive Cars for 2015

What are the most expensive cars out there?

It depends on how you count, of course. New cars from major automakers? "Tuner" cars built to order by specialty shops? High-end classics?

Here, we've stuck to new regular-production cars offered in the U.S. market for the 2015 model year. All price information is from Edmunds.com.

Image source: Ferrari.

10. Ferrari 458 ItaliaThe "entry level" model from Fiat Chrysler'smost hallowed brand starts at just over $239,000. But like all Ferraris (and all of the cars on this list), it can be optioned up substantially from there. Prefer the convertible version? You'll be starting from around $264,000 before you tackle the oh-so-tempting options list.

Image source: McLaren.

9. McLaren 650S McLaren has been an elite Formula 1 racing team for several decades, but it's a relatively recent entrant in the super-sports-car league. The impressive 650S, powered by McLaren's own 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, starts at $265,500 for a coupe, $280,225 for the convertible Spider version.

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

8. Rolls-Royce Ghost Series IITo the extent that anything with a Rolls-Royce badge could be described as "entry-level," the Ghost family is it. The super-exclusive British brand of kings and tycoons is owned by BMW Groupnowadays, and the Ghosts have quite a bit of BMW engineering under the skin, starting with the super-smooth BMW-derived 6.6-liter V12 engine. Price? The Ghosts start at a bit over $285,000, but again, that's just the beginning, as a long list of options beckons.

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

7. Rolls-Royce WraithRolls-Royce is known for huge and stately (one might say staid) sedans, but the Wraith is something different: A coupe, maybe even -- dare we say -- a handsome one. It may be handsome and sporty, but it's still a big and heavy (5,380 lbs) Rolls-Royce, and it's priced accordingly at $294,025 (again, for starters). Despite the heft, the Wraith is a seriously fast car: Its version of that BMW-derived V12 packs 624 horsepower.

Image source: Ferrari.

6. Ferrari FF CoupeFerrari has long offered a four-seat V12-powered car near the top of its range, but the FF Coupe is a bit unusual: With four-wheel drive and styling that looks almost like a squashed two-door station wagon, the FF is as close as Ferrari has ever come (so far, anyway) to an SUV. It's still very much a Ferrari, though, with a howling 651-horsepower 6.3-liter V12 and a zero-to-60 time around 3.5 seconds -- and a price tag that starts at about $295,000.

Image source: Bentley.

5. Bentley Mulsanne Once upon a time, Bentley Motors was part of Rolls-Royce. No more: Now the old British marque is part of the vast Volkswagen Groupempire. The Mulsanne hews to the old traditions, though. It's still built in England, and it still uses a (much updated, with twin turbos) version of the old 6.75-liter pushrod V8 that powered Rolls-Royce and Bentley sedans for decades. Prices start at $303,700 -- but if you like driving, you'll want to pay up for the hotter Mulsanne Speed ($338,325) instead.

Image source: Ferrari.

4. Ferrari F12 BerlinettaThe F12 is the top of Ferrari's model line, excepting the occasional one-off zillion-dollar you-can't-get-one-anyway specials like the La Ferrari. But if it's a Ferrari you want, the F12 will do nicely: Seating for two, a 730-horsepower V12 mounted in front, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, a spectacular exhaust note, and a claimed top speed of 211 miles per hour. And a price tag to match: The F12 starts at about $320,000, but most go out the door for quite a bit more.

Image source: Lamborghini.

3. Lamborghini Aventador Legend has it that self-made Italian industrialist Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the sports-car maker in a fit of pique after a falling-out with Enzo Ferrari. Nowdays, Lamborghini is under Audi's wing, making it (like Bentley) part of the Volkswagen Group. The Aventador is the latest in a long and glorious line of mid-engined V12-powered screamers that began with the out-of-this world Miura way back in 1966. It's exactly what you'd expect: 700-horsepower V12, snug-fitting cabin for two, outrageous hyper-doorstop styling, and a price that starts at $397,500.

Image source: Rolls-Royce.

2. Rolls-Royce PhantomThe Phantom is the Rolls-Royce of Rolls-Royces, the top of the line, with a huge list of available options. In fact, it's a whole line of cars: The Phantom can be had as a sedan, a coupe, a convertible coupe, or in a long-wheelbase sedan version for those who prefer to be driven. Power comes again from that BMW-derived V12, but whisper-quiet effortlessness is the emphasis here, not performance. Prices start at $407,400 for the sedan and run up to about $480,000 for the convertible -- but again, most buyers pay quite a bit more.

Image source: Porsche.

1. Porsche 918 SpyderPorsche's 918 is a technological tour de force, a road-going display of the cutting edge of German sports-car engineering. It's powered by a 4.6-liter V8 engine that makes 608 horsepower -- and a pair of electric motors that add another 279 horsepower. Yes, believe it or not, Porsche's ultra-expensive top-of-the-line model is a plug-in hybrid, with 12 miles of electric-only range. It's far from cheap, with a price tag of $845,000. But even if price isn't an obstacle, you'll have trouble getting one: Production ended last month after the 918th and last 918 (yes, really) was built.

The article The Top 10 Most Expensive Cars for 2015 originally appeared on Fool.com.

John Rosevear has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BMW. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.