How to afford a supercar without being rich

Sure, you can afford a supercar without being rich, be it a Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari, etc. It’s called the allocation of expenses, which means adjusting your budget to allocate more funds toward the supercar. Although possible to allocate funds to buy a Lamborghini, for example, it may require you to cut back on some expenses. Usually, this plan involves getting a used supercar, which can cost less than $150,000. However, it is not a recommended financial decision as it’s better to be the Lamborghini instead of buying one.

How to afford a supercar without being rich

A lot of people will say “don’t do it” but there’s nothing wrong in getting something you dream of. However, you just want to be sure not to be extreme with your money as bad financial decisions can ruin you. That said, below are some of the ways a supercar can be yours without being rich.

Rent a supercar

If you just need a supercar for the adrenaline thrill of driving one, try saving up at least $2,000 to rent one, with good insurance coverage. In Las Vegas, you will have multiple offers for multi-hour and daily rental options. Renting is basically a cost-effective alternative. I have paid $525 for a 4-hour rental of a Gallardo—it is worth it if you know what driving one means for you.

However, when driving, be sure to practice responsible driving habits and have a good understanding of how to accelerate and drive the vehicle properly.

Renting a supercar is probably nothing compared to the benefits of owning one. This way, you’ll see that it’s entertaining but not worthwhile. After taking one for a spin, impressing a few girls, or attracting wealthy people, you’ll probably forget about it or feel challenged to permanently get one.

2. Buy a used one

For someone who is not rich, go for a used supercar. New exotic cars depreciate like a rock, though some have good resell value.

These super machines are often driven infrequently. For example, a used Lamborghini that is 5 to 10 years old might have low mileage, but its resale value may decrease relatively quickly.

You can get an older or used 2004-06 Lambo Gallardo for about $100k. The maintenance can be up to $1k/month if you drive it like vroom vroom. Besides, there’s no fun in driving a supercar like a granny.

3. Finance a low-end supercar

Since you’re not as rich as you think you need to be to get a supercar, you may want to live poor to save more money. You can get a low-end supercar like Corvette, Nissan GT-R, BMW M8, and Dodge Challenger. The U.S. News & World Report L.P. has compiled a few you may want to consider for your garage.

By the way, depending on your dream supercar, you may need an income that supports the leasing payment of approx. $2,000. Probably not that hard for you.

Meanwhile, the base model of a Lamborghini typically retails for around $200,000, which you can finance over 5 to 6 years.

4. Trade-ins

If your current car has a reasonable market value, consider trading it in. Of course, you may not have much value, but you could use it to supplement your deposit on a supercar. Trade-ins can be used to deduct an additional value from the car you’re buying, which will lower your monthly payments if you decide to finance it.

Be wary of trade-ins though. Dealerships may undervalue your car since they need to resell it and make a profit. They will most likely offer you less than the market value. That means you might be better off selling your current vehicle to a private buyer if they are willing to pay more.

Read also: it’s theft to take a repossessed car from a dealership

Just a caveat: when buying a supercar, you need a backup vehicle. That makes it not worth it to trade in your only car for a supercar. Understand that supercars are not ideal for daily driving, so having one as your only car may be impractical.

You cannot afford it if it is too expensive

Every mid-20-year-olds I knew who bought a Ferrari, high-end Porsche, etc., hurt their future wealth. My friend purchased a new high-end Porsche when he was 18 as a game programmer. Fortunately, I came to a halt in front of an RX7.

So, the right strategy is to get wealthy first, then buy a house, get a second source of income in case of redundancy, then the supercar, and whatever else is chump change in relative terms.

Remember: you cannot afford it if it is too expensive.

When I’m biking around Woodside, CA, and a $1M+ McLaren F1 supercar vrooms past me, I know the driver could probably buy 10 of them. Cars are just vehicles; they are not a source of wealth, but rather an expense.

Don’t make the mistake of mixing up the means and the end. So, by the age of 30 (suppose you’re in your 20s), you should be able to earn more than $200,000 per year (adjusted for inflation). That is the game you must engage in. Your finances are your technical skills, and your job is to manage them. You may then decide that you do not even want that particular car after all.

Read also: won’t getting a motorcycle be better?

After buying the supercar

After buying your Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, etc., expect expenses for gas, upkeep, and insurance. A Lamborghini, for instance, takes about 11 miles per gallon of gas. If you travel 20,000 miles per year at $3 per gallon of petrol, it comes to an estimated $5,500. For a secondhand one, maintenance will cost roughly $10,000 per year.

Particularly for someone between 22 and 30 years old, insurance on a used Lamborghini would run about $15,000 per year. As a result, you will spend about $30,000 per year on maintenance, gas, and insurance.

That means that although you can afford to purchase a Lamborghini, you may not afford to own one.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you shouldn’t buy a car until you have $35,000 in disposable income per year. Wait until you earn $500,000 per year. Then perhaps you can afford it.

How do people pay for supercars?

People pay for supercars just like any other car. Just explore different options when financing an exotic car. Consider a variety of sources, such as automobile manufacturers, online lenders, banks, and credit unions. While many buyers prefer to finance through the dealership, note that dealers may not always disclose that they can increase your Annual Percentage Rate (APR) by 2 percentage points.

Conclusion

If you want to buy a Lamborghini just so you can say you own one, I would advise you to keep your money. You don’t have to be financially extreme to impress people.

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