Eight of the most outrageously expensive car options on the market

Well, spare a thought for the filthy rich whose super-luxury purchases can leave "normal" car-sized dents in wallets when it comes to personalising their new ride. Here are eight of the most outrageously expensive options on the market.

Like almost any car built in the last 30 years, the $430,000 Bentley SUV has a digital clock buried in its instrument display and understandably enough, it has a simple but important function; to tell the time. But really, why leave it at that? Spend another $220,000 and you’ll get a Breitling Tourbillon clock that performs exactly the same function. It’s part of Bentley’s Mulliner range of options and comes with real gold and diamonds and boasting rights for probably the world’s most expensive automotive accessory. Annoyingly it doesn't automatically change for daylight savings time.

It took Bentley around 15 years to replace its original Continental coupe with a new version and in Australia, prices start from about $422,000. But the German-owned British brand has left more than a little leeway for adding to that figure. In fact, if you’re looking for prosaic technology such as autonomous braking – standard equipment on even the cheapest cars sold here - that can be found in the $10,400 City package that admittedly contains other useful stuff such as hands-free boot opening and auto-dimming wing mirrors. A rotating instrument display is a further $12k, a Touring package costs another $14k or why not lump all that together, plus plenty more in the eye-watering $95,795 First Edition package. Tick that one box, and you get the Conti GT with the lot.

With its mighty front-mounted 6.5-litre V12 engine the 812 Superfast is the ultimate “mainstream” Ferrari and for just $610,000 it could be yours! But is a shiny red Ferrari really going to stand out from the crowds of Porsche 911s clogging South Yarra and Double Bay boulevards these days? Of course not. A stealthy matt paint finish delivers the right “I don’t give a toss” message and from the factory, it is a whopping $67,850 option. Still haven’t spent enough? Get the company’s prancing horse fender shield for $23,450, or maybe a matching golf bag for $16,900 and you’re ready to roll.

At least we can keep this brief. A five-seat version of Lambo’s new SUV costs $390,000. Subtract one rear seat from your Urus and you actually increase the price by almost $13,000. It doesn’t seem to add up, but then you also get power adjustment, and the dividing centre console should keep the kids from poking each other’s eyes out.

You have to hand it to Aston Martin for being able to have a chuckle with their customers. Order the Q Exclusive special paint job on your $382,000 Rapide S sedan and maybe you’re thinking that includes James Bond levels of bullet-proofness or perhaps invisibility. In reality, $19k gets you some lovely colour options not available from the showroom. What is interesting about Aston’s option list is it doesn’t attempt to lighten a buyer’s wallet to the same extent as some other luxury manufacturers. A leather key pouch, for instance, is a not-unreasonable $127, a branded first aid kit costs $519 and a very useful reversing camera is a zero-dollar no-cost option.

Like many of Porsche’s sports cars, the Panamera comes with the option of extremely powerful and fade-resistant carbon ceramic brake discs and if you want them, they cost an extra $20,980. Fair enough if you plan on hitting the race track on club days and need brakes that will last the distance. But hang on, will that really happen in the $250,00, 2.1-tonne petrol/electric E-hybrid version of Porsche’s luxury cruiser? Maybe not, but at least the yellow brake callipers that come with the package let those in the know that you’re up for the challenge.

For the Rolls Royce owner who has everything, the Champagne Chest may be the most outrageous yet practical add on accessory one could have. Made from machined aluminium, carbon fibre, natural grain black leather as well as Tudor oak wood, the elements used to create this chest have all of the marque’s classic materials found in their cars. At the touch of a button the case opens the Champagne set for four with cotton napkins, hand-blown crystal champagne flutes arranged like a V12 engine. And what about the caviar you ask? Well two Mother-of-Pearl spoons with anodised aluminium handles are matched with thermal caviar caissons, each accommodating a 30g tins are included too.

With Rolls Royce’s four-door flagship Phantom we’re getting out of the realms of cars and into real estate money, so it’s no surprise that levels of personalisation are only limited by the owner’s imagination and budget (or lack thereof). One unusual option though is the so-called Gallery – a bespoke transparent panel on the dashboard that can showcase real artworks. It costs about $30,000 to fit at the factory, but then there’s the cost of organizing and paying for the works by your favourite (and presumably, still living) artist and having it integrated into your Phantom’s build. But then, it sure beats the fake wood grain on your grandparent's WB Statesman.

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