Classic pearl of the future: Lagonda Taraf
01/23/2023
Only one can be the most expensive. The Lagonda Taraf was the most expensive saloon in the world when it was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. It was said to cost around one million USD. Technically, the Taraf - the name stands for ultimate luxury - was an Aston Martin Rapide with a 19 centimeter longer wheelbase. The Taraf was almost 5.4 meters long and weighed just over two tons.
Under the hood, a nearly 550 hp Aston Martin V12 with a displacement of 5.9 liters provided propulsion. A ZF 8-speed automatic transmission provided power to the rear axle.
The Taraf was aimed at buyers in the Far East. Aston Martin went to great lengths to make it appear more valuable and expensive. This included plenty of beautifully finished leather as well as a refrigerator in the rear and a B&O stereo system with 1000 watts of power.
Visually, the Aston designers succeeded in creating an elegant and sporty saloon. The simple beauty benefited from the flat stature and many attractive details, such as the glass-covered B-pillar.
With a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 314 km/h, the driving performance was also acceptable. This certainly made the Taraf one of the fastest saloons of all time.
A total of just 120 examples of the Taraf were built between 2015 and 2016. Their loss in value in the first few years was rather considerable, at any rate Bonhams in Paris is offering an example painted in the color "Diavolo Red" for EUR 150,000 to 250,000 (estimated value).
This price, if it is realized on February 2, 2023, makes the Lagonda Taraf, which never leaves passengers in the dark that they are sitting in a Lagonda thanks to countless embroidered, carved or printed logos, almost seem like a bargain, especially since the car on offer has never really been driven (and therefore needs some "recommissioning").
In any case, the chances of ever coming across a second Taraf are slim and exclusivity usually holds its value well, even if this was not always the case with the earlier Lagonda models.
